A One Mann’s Movies review of “Legally Blonde”. (2001, 4*, 12A).
The latest “Throwback” screening at Everyman cinemas was “Legally Blonde”, now 25 years old, newly restored in a 4K version and on selective re-release. I must admit that I was a drag-a-long to this one, having wanted to go to see the new film “Power Ballad” (review to follow). But being the good husband that I was, I confessed that “Legally Blonde” was also showing and the Illustrious Mrs Movie Mann jumped at that! And I’m actually pleased she did. This is a film that I’ve seen bits of many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and watched it from beginning to end. And it was a scream.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
The most popular girl in her high-school Delta Nu sorority, Elle (Reese Witherspoon) desperately loves Warner (Matthew Davis) and thinks he is about to propose to her. But she is sadly mistaken. Warner instead dumps her for being too shallow and “blonde” and not in keeping with his family’s expectations for his future law and senatorial ambitions. Elle sets out to win him back by also getting into Harvard Law School.
Certification:
UK: 12A; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC website: “Sex references, language, discrimination references.”)
Talent:
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, Holland Taylor, Ali Larter, Jessica Cauffiel, Alanna Ubach, Osgood Perkins, Bruce Thomas, Raquel Welch, Shannon O’Hurley.
Directed by: Robert Luketic.
Written by: Karen McCullah & Kirsten Smith. (From the novel by Amanda Brown.)
Running Time: 1h 36m.
Review:
Positives:
- Elle is a fabulous comic-creation and deliciously brought to life by Reese Witherspoon. (Witherspoon has had nearly 20 additional feature credits before this film, but this one was really her career breakout movie.) As Elle, she has such an infectious smile and bubbly character that even I – a hard-bitten cynic when it comes to such fluffiness – couldn’t help but smile at the antics of both her and her dog Brewster. It’s a film that also exudes kindness. Elle floats through life like some Amélie-type figure, trusting (correctly as it turns out) the right people, often based on little more than their fashion-choices! This includes talking up her fellow student ‘Dorky Dave’ as a sex God in front of two hot girls, who are now definitely interested in carnal knowledge as a result! (One can only hope Dave didn’t disappoint!)
- * By the way, Dorky Dave is played beautifully by Osgood Perkins: yes, THAT Osgood Perkins, the director of such recent horror hits as “The Monkey” and “Longlegs“.
- There is not one, but two engaging love stories to unravel in the plot. The first is between Elle and the third-year legal associate Emmett (Luke Wilson), which is where you KNOW the film will be ending up! But, more memorably, there is the hots that nail-technician Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge, famously the poor, hapless Tanya from Seasons 1 and 2 of “The White Lotus”) feels from the handsome UPS guy (Bruce Thomas) who she famously “bends… and snaps” to a broken nose in one hilarious scene!
- The story is a fairy-tale of course. Elle seems to have very little actual legal knowledge, trotting out a limited supply of buzz-words in her vocabulary. She fumbles her way through the ludicrously unlikely court scenes in the finale more by luck, and by other people implicating themselves, rather than through her own cunning and skill.
Negatives:
- It is a film of its time (2001), again exposing how far some aspects of society have shifted in 25 years. Paulette utters a phrase that caused a bit of an audible gasp in the cinema (think Colin Firth’s unfortunate un-politically correct line in “Love Actually”). And a sexual-coercion tactic by Professor Callahan (Victor Garber, Mr Andrews from “Titanic”) is so blatant that I don’t think it would be written in that way in a contemporary-set remake.
Summary Thoughts:
How do you rate a movie like “Legally Blonde” against recent films like “Obsession” or “Backrooms”? The answer in my book is how you respond to the question “For their specific genre, how well did they deliver on their game plan?” And, in this case, although it is undoubtedly a lightweight, whimsical, wholly-predictable screenplay, it absolutely nails it in the ‘feels’. It’s also hilariously funny when it needs to be.
As I said up-front, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this all the way through, let alone on the big-screen. But both myself and the illustrious Mrs Movie Mann both has a brilliant time.
The film is, of course, available to stream as well. Check out the Justwatch widget below for how you can catch it.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWOHwI_FgAo.
Subscribe
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to One Mann’s Movies to receive future reviews by email right here. No salesman will call!