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Legally Blonde
Movie
Legally Blonde
Director
Robert Luketic
Producer
Marc Platt
Cast
Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Davis, Selma Blair


By Ad-Lib

When a woman tells you that its not easy living in a man’s world, many men don’t really understand the true meaning of that statement. Well guys, this is your chance to figure it out first hand. Legally Blonde is not just a story about a dumb blonde but a story for all women and also a lesson in that age old saying-Never judge a book by its cover.

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is the rich, dumb blonde in question attending high school without a care about the real world outside except the manicure and pedicure store and the local boutique. She is all set to be proposed to by Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), a jock who harbours ambitions to be a Senator some day. Unfortunately he gives her the bad news that they have to break off since a dumb blonde doesn’t fit in his career plans. Elle is devastated and figures out that if she wants him back she must go to Harvard Law with him and be with him. Miraculously she masters her LSATs and makes a convincing video essay for the authorities at Harvard and is admitted. But reality hits home now as her first professor Professor Stromwell (Holland Taylor from The Practice), puts her in her place for not being prepared before class. She is consoled by a mysterious Emmett (Luke Wilson), who happens to be a Law school graduate. To make things worse, Warner has a new girlfriend Vivian Kensington (Selma Blair), who can’t stand the sight of Elle. After some friendly advice from the local manicurist and a final insult from Warner, she decides to take up the challenge and graduate. At this point we are shown a gradual transformation of Elle to a higher rank of intellect.

One of her professors, Professor Callahan (Victor Garber) assigns Elle, Vivian, Warner and Emmett to a murder case that he is handling. The case involves a beautiful Brooke Taylor (Ali Larter) who is charged for the murder of her older by 34 years husband. Elle warms up to Brooke and goes on to fight the case. After an altercation with Callahan over her future in Law, in which a hand and a skirt is involved, she quits but comes back with a fellow student and wins the case for Brooke with Emmett’s help. The movie ends 2 yrs later when all graduate all are better off. Vivian is even best friends with Elle and Warner is now out of the picture.

One funny thing about this movie that struck me is that the problems faced by Elle Woods as a dumb blonde are the problems faced by every woman in our neck of the woods. The movie itself is very pleasant and very light on the senses. The way Elle figures the case out is also, thank God, pretty good especially where she finds out the pool cleaner who claimed to have an affair with Brooke turned out to be gay. Reese looks very lovable and brings warmth to every scene. You could almost call her good role model since she achieves her aims without compromising her principles. Legally Blonde is a movie mostly for teenagers though I am sure even the more adult would like it. I give it a 7 out of 10.