Legally Blonde

Much like it's the lead character, “Legally Blonde” is not one that should be judged by its cover. This comedy is actually a lot smarter than it looks. Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a California sorority girl who knows more about shoes and hairdos than she does about academics. That’s not to say that’s she’s stupid, quite the opposite in fact, but her specialized knowledge in more... superficial matters meaning she’s not taken very seriously by her peers. When her boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) dumps her because he doesn’t feel she’s material good enough for a “soon-to-be lawyer/senator”, she is left broken hearted. To win back her boyfriend, she decides to enlist in Harvard Law and prove to him she’s wife material. To say she doesn’t fit in would be an understatement.

I know this premise sounds like it could make for a really bad romantic comedy about a ditzy blonde who manages to force herself into law school because of her looks to win back her man, but that’s what’s good about this movie; it subverts your expectations. “Legally Blonde” isn’t about a stupid person that somehow manages to make her way through law school because of her looks and a series of convenient developments. Think of her as a nerd, but instead of being super knowledgeable about computers or science, she’s extremely knowledgeable about shoes and fashion. No matter what subject matter you specialize in, to have the level of encyclopedic know-how that Elle has, you have to have a pretty good head on your shoulders. Yes, she happens to sunbathe in her bathing suit pretty often but she actually turns people’s assumptions about her into an advantage. Not in a scheming, deceptive manner, however. Elle is a genuinely nice person, one that’s down to earth and able to bridge the gap between lawyers and the common folk. Reese Witherspoon’s charm and performance guarantee that you’ll fall in love with this picture.

Appearances can be deceiving. That’s a running theme in this movie. Writers Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, along with director Robert Luketic write and direct this picture smartly. There are all kinds of clever ways for Elle to prove herself as a competent student while delivering laughs and avoiding the dumb jokes you would normally associate with a comedy starring attractive ladies like say... Jessica Alba or Katherine Heigl. Even the side characters are fun to follow and have their own mini arcs that show that there’s a lot more to people than what’s on the surface. Whether it’s the handsome hunk that is actually a weasel underneath, the bitchy rival with a softer side or the shy, beaten down friend that just needs an opportunity to be a real powerhouse that stands for what she wants, there are a lot of nice surprises here.

This is a light, feel-good comedy about a woman that uses her brain to solve her problems and there’s something really refreshing about that. If I have some criticism about it, it’s that when the climax comes around, there are some pretty convenient plot points that Elle is able to unravel so rapidly it’s hard to believe. It’s not that they don’t make sense or come out of nowhere, it’s that I wish the film had shown off a few of her lawyer skills, rather than her “Barbie” skills when she was having her time in the spotlight. It really is a minor flaw and if you contested this criticism with me with a solid argument, I’d give in right away and dismiss the criticism. It might not be a classic or re-inventing the wheel but “Legally Blonde” has a lot of charm and intelligence to go with its laughs. (On DVD, January 12, 2014)