Reese Witherspoonhas been starring in hit movies since the early nineties, from cult classics likeCruel Intentionsto provocative horror flicks likeAmerican Psycho. Her acting chops have been obvious from the start, but in 2000 she delved just as successfully into the business side of filmmaking, founding her own production company called Type A Films. Her company later became Pacific Standard in 2012 and eventually evolved into Hello Sunshine in 2016. WhileReese Witherspoon’s work as a producerhas spawned some great films and TV shows,Legally Blondestands as her crowning achievement and has become a beloved pop culture staple that has one of the best endings in Hollywood (what, like it’s hard?)
‘Legally Blonde’ Is Reese Witherspoon’s Most Iconic Movie
Smash hitLegally Blondeis probably the first movie that most of us think of when we think about Reese Witherspoon, and it’s for good reason. The movie follows Witherspoon’s character, Elle Woods, a bleach-blonde sorority sister on her quest to conquer Harvard Law School and paint the town pink. Although at first Elle only applies to Harvard to win back her loser ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), she soon develops a real passion and knack for the legal system, bend-and-snapping her way to professional success.
Throughout the movie, Elle is constantly demeaned and underestimated, with people seeing her perky demeanor and flamboyant wardrobe and automatically assuming that she’s a vapid, unintelligent woman. However, Elle shows right from the start ofLegally Blondethat she’s just as sharp as she is stylish. In one of the film’s first scenes, Elle goes shopping for what she hopes will be her engagement dress, and the snobby saleslady assumes that she’s dumb and tries to overcharge her for a cheap dress. She lies to Elle about the quality of the garment, and Elle politely but fiercely informs her that it’s impossible to have half-loop stitching on low-viscosity rayon (duh), and refuses to pay full price.
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‘Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods Is Unapologetically Herself
Later that night when Warner dumps Elle because he doesn’t think that she’s good enough for him, she sets her sights on Harvard Law so that she can prove to Warner that she’s worthy of his love. Her confidence is admirable, and she has no doubts that she’ll be admitted to the prestigious law school. While her school’s guidance counselor informs her that gaining admittance to Harvard with a Bachelor’s in Fashion Merchandising will be no easy feat, Elle’s resolve is strong. After months of hard work and even blowing off Greek Week to commit to her studies, Elle’s extracurricular experience, enthusiastic admissions video essay, and wicked LSAT score (179 is like… crazy impressive) gain her admittance to the Ivy Leagues.
Even though everyone at Harvard looks at Elle like she’s a joke, sherefuses to dull her sparkto conform to other people’s ideas of what she should be. Once she realizes that chasing after Warner is a total waste of time, she puts all her energy into becoming the best law student she can be, donning colorful blazers and taking insightful notes with fluffy, pink pens. Elle quickly climbs the ranks and earns a spot working for Professor Callahan’s (Victor Garber) internship, where the students help Callahan and his junior partner, Emmett (Luke Wilson) on a high-profile murder case. Warner’s new girlfriend, Vivian (Selma Blair) is also on the case, and while she is initially frigid towards Elle, the two start to grow closer as they fight to have their voices heard in the boys club that is Callahan’s boardroom.
What Happens at the End of ‘Legally Blonde’?
When Elle learns that Callahan’s client is Brooke Windham (Ali Larter), a prominent fitness instructor and former Delta Nu that’s being accused of killing her husband, Elle forms a close bond with her and is determined to prove her innocence. Elle loyally refuses to share Brooke’s alibi with the rest of her legal team (Brooke was getting liposuction at the time of the murder) and seems to be getting closer to cracking the case, but her confidence wavers when Professor Callahan hits on her and tries to feel her up. After receiving encouragement fromspirited nail tech Paulette(Jennifer Coolidge) and no-nonsense Professor Stromwell (Holland Taylor), Elle returns to the case, replacing Callahan and having Emmett act as her supervising attorney. Elle struts confidently into the courtroom, decked out head to toe in hot pink and ready to save her sorority sister from a lifetime in prison.
Legally Blonde’s perfect ending allows Elle to show off her intelligence and expertise, and she deploys her extensive knowledge of the judicial system and cosmetology to out the murderer as the victim’s daughter, Chutney (Linda Cardellini). As soon as Elle learns that Chutney got a perm earlier the day of her father’s murder, it’s game over for the curly-haired killer, as her alibi of showering at the time of the crime doesn’t hold up under Elle’s expert knowledge of hair care maintenance. Elle wins her first case and proves to the public that she’s a force to be reckoned with, sequins and all. When Warner tries to get back into her good graces, she informs him that “if she’s going to be a partner at a law firm by the time she’s 30, she’s going to need a boyfriend who’s not such a complete bonehead,” and leaves him gobsmacked, finding love with Emmett instead and eventually graduating from Harvard as class valedictorian.
Why Does ‘Legally Blonde’ Stand Out?
Now, waseverypart of the ending perfect? No, but movies —particularly those made in the early 2000s— are rarely without fault. The big turning point in the movie’s climactic case hinges on stereotypes of gay men, which while not necessarily malicious, isn’t great. Elle realizes that Enrique the pool boy (Greg Serano) is gay when he recognizes the brand of her Prada shoes, and this confirms that Brooke wasn’t having an affair with him, and invalidates him as a witness. However, despite this misstep, the movie’s message of being unapologetically yourself still stands, andLegally Blondeis obviously shaming Enrique for his perjury rather than his sexuality.
Over twenty years later,Legally Blondeis still a widely loved movie full of important messages and quotable scenes and remains Reese Witherspoon’s mosticonic comedic performance. By letting Elle win her first case in all her pink, sparkly glory, she was able to change people’s perception of her rather than changing who she is, and this lesson is invaluable to girls (or really anybody) struggling to find their place in the world. As many women are familiar with the feeling of not being taken seriously in the workforce because of the way we speak, dress, or even sign off emails,Legally Blonde, while obviously portraying Elle through one very specific type of femininity, showed audiences that you can achieve your goals and kick ass by being exactly who you are.
