Legally Blonde (2001)

Witherspoon Passes the Test

With Legally Blonde, if you've seen the trailer, you'll pretty much get what you're going to expect. The question, then, is whether or not you'll like what you see. With Reese Witherspoon's talented presence in the lead, the chances are that you will.

Legally Blonde feels like a throwback to those old '80's-type gimmick-premise comedies. Similarly themed movies from that time past include Rodney Dangerfield's Back to School, about a cheerfully boisterous tycoon going back to college and livening up the place, and Soul Man, about a kid using tanning pills to fake being black in order to qualify for a scholarship to Harvard. They were both goofy comedies that played on the fish-out-of-water scenario, using college as the setting. Here, in Legally Blonde, a seemingly "dumb" blonde gets into Harvard so that she can follow her ex-boyfriend, hoping to impress him into accepting her back. When she gets there, all the students naturally dismiss her and any intelligence that she might possess due to her perky southern-Cal attitude, her bright attire, and her blondeness.

Anyone who's familiar with movies like this will pretty much know where they're going. The enjoyment these movies provide is in the getting-there. Since there's nothing to figure out and very little to spoil, we hope that the cast is up to the task of making the show a fun production. I'll go over some of the main points that a viewer of Legally Blonde may be concerned about.

Does the movie deliver the laughs? I would say yes. This is especially true, I'd say, if you are female. Although there are jokes that a member of any gender can enjoy, this movie and its comedy are decidedly girl-geared, and women in the audience can enjoy the humor about fashion, hair, shoes, makeup, self-esteem, and getting back at men. The humor is mostly in the light and silly vein and the movie keeps it at that level all the way through, which is welcome.

I'm going to see it for Reese Witherspoon. Is she worth it? Reese Witherspoon, I've noticed, has a pretty loyal fan base. I believe her fans will be rewarded with this movie. It's Witherspoon's likeability that fuels this film, and her winning charm carries the story. Her character, Elle Woods, is entirely sympathetic, not annoying. I think, given the kind of character that she is, this may not have been easy to pull off, but Witherspoon pulls it off.

So there's probably all these dumb blonde jokes, right? Yes there are, but not as many as you think. In fact, most of the dumb blonde jokes come from the other Harvard students deriding Elle, and that largely comes off as mean; the audience is actually hurt for Elle. It becomes apparent that the movie's goal is to debunk the dumb blonde theory. The most interesting card it plays is in showing us that Elle gets in to Harvard legitimately, studying for the LSAT and actually getting a high score. Afterwards, she continues to fight stereotypes, all the while not losing her Bel Air mannerisms. She's delightful and attractive, but she's not dumb.

Please tell me this is a comedy I can go to without having to worry about losing my lunch. Gladly. Other than a few sexual references that really don't stick out, the comedy is mostly clean. There are no reliances on humor involving bodily fluids or waste. I really hope that well-written comedy will make a comeback, and I'll gladly hold up Legally Blonde as a piece in that comeback.

So, in the end, this is a feel-good and happy-smiles movie? Yup, and it even has a courthouse ending, bringing back memories of another funny movie, My Cousin Vinny. When it's all over, Witherspoon's Elle will have struck a blow for being yourself, not getting discouraged, accomplishing things by putting your mind to it, having faith in good people, staying true to your word, and the applications of the color pink. Overall, it's pretty goofy stuff, it won't offend, and it's comfortable. It's mostly predictable, although I was pleasantly surprised by how one of the characters turned out in the end. So, yes, soak in Witherspoon's pleasing performance and the good-natured comedy and have a good time.

Good. That's what I was looking for.

Rating: 7/10

©Jeffrey Chen, Jul. 22, 2001

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