"Legally Blonde" (1 Viewer)

[MikeAW]

I was quite impressed with this bit of fluff, especially with Reese Witherspoon's performance.

She shows herself to be confident in pulling off a difficult role, that would have been a throwaway performance for someone who didn't see the opportunity.

It shows she has ability to do other things, serious dramatic roles, and I can't wait to see them! Let's hope she hasn't been pigeonholed by Hollywood !

 

[Michael Reuben]

Quote:

Hardly. She was already a respected actress, and Legally Blonde made her a star.
M.

 

[MikeAW]

Michael, I do have "Election" and that was a great showpiece for her, and for Matthew Broderick as well...a real offbeat role for him !

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I really enjoyed 'Legally Blonde', and Reese Witherspoon definatly made this film pop. The thing really loved about her charactor was her remarkable ability to not let herself get rattled when others put her down or make fun of her.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Like when she showed up at that party dressed in a pink bunny costume, instead of getting upset and crying, she just sucked it up and moved on, I love that.
I don't usually go for girl power movies, but I really enjoyed this one, it was sweet and also alot of fun.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

I was also very impressed with Reese in this movie. I hadn't seen her before and was in awe of how effortless was her performance. She has a giant career ahead.

 

[SteveGon]

Legally Blonde was a bit too fluffy for me but I agree that Reese is a talent to watch. She's one of our best actresses. Damn cute, too!

 

[Matthew_S]

I didn't think this film was half as good as many people on this forum. I actually told my wife, "I heard this is good" and she was unmerciful to me in her heckling A good movie of its type, yet very predictable and i found that many of the "funny" moments were un-original and unfunny.

 

[Paul_D]

I didn't think this film was half as good as many people on this forum. I actually told my wife, "I heard this is good" and she was unmerciful to me A good movie of its type, yet very predictable and i found that many of the "funny" moments were un-original and unfunny.

Absolutely - I can't believe this is so well regarded. Its so flat and unoriginal. Some of the performances are terrible, its feels way too short and there are some good potential areas that the script doesnt even go near. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Absolutely - I can't believe this is so well regarded. Its so flat and unoriginal. Some of the performances are terrible, its feels way too short

Let me get this strait -- you hated the movie but wish it was longer?
I didn't like it all that much either, but it did make me smile and for a movie like that brevity is a virtue.
I am a much bigger fan of Election and Cruel Intentions
Ted

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I thought Legally Blonde was one of this year's biggest surprises. By no means a brilliant movie, but it is quite funny and a whole lot of fun.
With anyone other than Witherspoon in the lead role, I suspect it would have turned out barely watchable.

 

[Matthew_S]

I think a lot of people just listen to what Ron has to say and do not think for themselves. I see so many, "Well, now that you wrote that review Ron, I'm gonna HAVE to go get this one." What the hell is that? I'm not saying that people didn't actually like this movie but there are a lot of disciples here. Ron seems like a great guy, but I totally disagree with his taste in movies. Or lack thereof.
(just one guy's opinion here.)

 

[Michael Reuben]

I think a lot of people just listen to what Ron has to say and do not think for themselves.

HTF members don't strike me as people with any inhibition about forming their own opinions -- or expressing them.
And just for the record: I wrote a very positive review of Legally Blonde in Movies while it was still in theaters. Ron saw it months later on disc. So how do you know he wasn't following my lead!
M.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Well, Rons review of this movie was ONE of the reasons I bought this film, plus it got considerable critical acclaim as well, overall, I had to check it out.
Plus I think Reese Witherspoon is a major hottie!

 

[Seth Paxton]

Not to mention that Ron does NOT participate in the running Top of 2001 thread, nor does he often visit the Movies section. His thing is software, which is appropriate considering all things. He is cool about opposing opinions as well. I often express a polor opposite opinion of a film to him and he takes it very well. He's not so fond of being attacked (go figure :rolleyes)
Anyway, I reviewed Legally Blond as being very similar in feel to My Cousin Vinny. It falls back on a similar device in the courtroom and I think her performance is on par with Tomei's (Oscar winning) performance. I guess times have changed thought because I don't see that level of a character having a chance in hell at actress or supporting actress this year.
I am not going to buy it, but it's close. I will enjoy watching it several times on cable. I might even PPV it one time.

 

[Jason Whyte]

While I can't quite recommend this film, I still laughed and adored Reese's performance in this film. She so cute and funny here, that I could just watch her forever. One of my favorite moments in the film is where everyone in the law class pulls out high-end laptop computers, and she pulls out a girlie-notepad (and in a following scene, an IMac).
Reese Witherspoon's career is heading in a great direction, and deservedly so.
All said, I really really wish Legally Blonde stayed out of the pitfalls towards the end, including a court case I couldn't give a damn about and a stupid encounter between Elle's superior. These and a few other elements were just unneeded in an otherwise very funny comedy.
Jason

 

[andrew markworthy]

I think it's a good film taken on its own merits - an unpretentious comedy (sure, sections of it aren't terribly original, but that's true for most movies). With respect to Legally Blonde's detractors, I think beefing about it for being lightweight is being a bit sour-faced. God knows the main news events this year has been pretty grim - what's wrong with a little light relief?

 

[MikeAW]

Jason,

I think the scene at the end was necessary to push the story forward in, what Politically Correct writers these days now feel, is a personal affirmation of her worth as a Woman...even though she is very attractive, at that...that something other than her intellect, like "outside forces" makes her successful!

As with a recent similar film, "My Cousin Vinny", the Love of a mentally superior beautiful woman, pushes the story forward to a Politically Correct ending, over the forces of Mentally Incompetency. Unfortunately, story devices like this is a product of our current culture. In a different time, Katherine Hepburn would stand alone, prevail, and that would be enough!!!

I don't see why they have to include some of what is "The Ally McBeal Factor", but it just goes to show how cynical we are as a Culture, not to accept people as people and we are still hung up on this Beauty Thing and we don't know how to deal with it, in and of itself!

 

[Paul_D]

Let me get this strait -- you hated the movie but wish it was longer?

No....... the short running time felt too short for all the stuff they tried to pack in, and is one of the reasons why I disliked (Note that I never used the word hate) the movie. I mean, she begins law-school, and all of a sudden shes working on a murder trial... I mean come on!!!

 

[Michael Reuben]

I mean, she begins law-school, and all of a sudden shes working on a murder trial... I mean come on!!!

Perfectly credible. Many professors at Harvard handle high-profile matters, and they routinely recruit law students to work on them. If there's a stretch, it's that the case is a full-blown trial; the majority of work done by Harvard law professors is at the appellate level. (Example: The Von Bulow case chronicled in Reversal of Fortune, in which, you'll recall, Alan Dershowitz had a small army of law students working on the case. True story.)

And BTW, the statute invoked near the end of the film that allows Elle to conduct the trial with supervision even though she doesn't have a law license is a real statute. Under its authority, student members of the Harvard Defenders organization routinely take on pro bono cases for local legal aid organizations; they handle landlord-tenant disputes, disputes over government benefits, and even some low-level criminal matters. My brother was a Harvard defender.

Of course, the case Elle gets involved in is something of a joke, but her role in it (up to the point where she's put in charge) is easily something that could happen.

M.

 

[Kurt B]

I was going to avoid seeing this movie at first, but Ron's review prompted me to give it a whirl. It's fluff, but it was fun fluff to sit down on a cold weekend night with some popcorn and my wife snuggled up next to me
My wife was snuggled up next to me, not the popcorn
~Kurt