Legally Blonde (2001)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Robert Luketic

Writers (WGA):

Amanda Brown (novel)
Karen McCullah Lutz (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 July 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

This summer go blonde!

Plot:

When a blonde sorority queen is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back and, once there, learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined.

Plot Keywords:

Blonde | Law | Harvard | Law School | Sorority

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Reese Witherspoon	...	Elle Woods
Luke Wilson	...	Emmett
Selma Blair	...	Vivian
Matthew Davis	...	Warner
Victor Garber	...	Professor Callahan
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Paulette
Holland Taylor	...	Professor Stromwell
Ali Larter	...	Brooke Taylor Windham
Jessica Cauffiel	...	Margot
Alanna Ubach	...	Serena
Oz Perkins	...	Dorky David
Linda Cardellini	...	Chutney
Bruce Thomas	...	UPS Guy
Meredith Scott Lynn	...	Enid
Raquel Welch	...	Mrs. Windham Vandermark

Also Known As:

Legalmente rubia (Argentina) (Peru) [es]
Blonde et légale (Canada: French title) [fr]
Blondin kosto (Finland) [fi]
Blondinens hævn (Denmark) [da]
Bu nasil sarisin! (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Cutie Blonde (Japan: English title) [en]
Cutie Blonde (Japan) [ja]
Dr. Szöszi (Hungary) [hu]
En blondins rätt (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
I ekdikisi tis xanthias (Greece) [el]
La revanche d'une blonde (France) [fr]
La rivincita delle bionde (Italy) [it]
Legalmente Loira (Brazil) [pt]
Natürlich blond! (Germany) [de]
Una rubia muy legal (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and sexual references.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37637) | Finland:K-3 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

All Saint's Episcopal Church - 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In the break up scene in the restaurant, Lisa Edelstein is seen at a nearby table as she turns to see what the commotion is all about.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: It would be nearly impossible for Brooke Taylor to live in a mansion in the Beacon Hill section of Boston. Mansions found on Beacon Hill do not sit on enough land to have a pool. The area is too densely inhabited.

Quotes:

Elle: I'm reading about the LSAT's
Serena: My cousin had that once. Apparently you get a really bad rash on your...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Date Movie (2006)

Soundtrack:

Baby, Come on Over

an adorable movie with a great show from Reese Witherspoon

My rule when rating movies is to review it all by itself....don't compare it to something else that's completely different from itself. That's the mindset you have to have when watching Legally Blonde, the movie that Reese Witherspoon managed to get a Golden Globe nomination out of. No kidding here. It's really an adorable movie that is appropriate for any age....a very light PG-13.

Elle Woods (2006 Oscar Winner Reese Witherspoon) has it all....the perfect boyfriend, Warner, who is handsome, charming, and driven, the perfect life, awesome friends, and a really cute dog. But all of this seems minuscule to the fact that her boyfriend has just dumped her because she is not serious enough, and he wants a girl that is well received by the public when he begins his political career. So, Warner enrolls at Harvard University, leaving Elle (it sounds like the letter 'L') disheveled and sad. Then, 'going where no blonde has gone before' (good use of tagline, right?), Elle decides to work extra hard to enroll at Harvard to win her man back. Well, Elle (funny rhyming there) achieves the requirements in tests and community service, and sends in a very interesting video essay, and gains entrance to the prestigious university. She quickly finds out that not only is her dream man already engaged to another woman (Selma Blair), but Elle is not widely liked around campus. She finds her calling in law, and with the guidance of a friend (the likable and funny Luke Wilson), proves to be a talented prospect in the field.

The film is a very watchable film from start to finish, as the movie's opening theme song (Hoku's hit song "Perfect Day") is catchy and likable. Reese Witherspoon's performance is so great and hilarious, yet so true to herself as a person. She shines like the sun in this movie. It can be a little silly at times, not to mention a tad unrealistic and dragging, but Witherspoon's ability overshadows those unfortunate facts. The supporting cast is also good, with Selma Blair and Luke Wilson leading the bunch. Also in there is 'Waiting...' star Alanna Ubach, Matthew Davis, Jennifer Coolidge (NBC's 'Joey'), Ali Larter, Victor Garber as Elle's law professor, and 'Scooby-Doo' star Linda Cardellini.

This is the ultimate 'girl power' movie that every person without a Y chromosome will love. Not all men will like it, but I enjoy it whenever it's on television. It's not something I'd buy, but one that is a great rent for the whole family. Also, a word to the wise: watch this one, and this one only, for the sequel is probably the most disappointing sequel in history.

7/10 --spy