Legally Blonde (2001)

Legally Blonde is a fascinating drama, fusing gritty real-life court scenes with authentic details from the fashion world to produce a legal thriller worthy of Grisham. OK, not quite, but it is a pretty funny movie, and it has a simple and hilarious David-and-Goliath plot that left me thoroughly satisfied in the end.

Reese Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, a stereotypical blonde sorority queen. A fashion-design major, her one ambition is to marry her wealthy boyfriend, Warner Huntington II (Matthew Davis II) and get an enormous diamond engagement ring. Instead, he breaks off the relationship, feeling that a blonde sorority girl is below his social standing. He heads for Harvard Law School, and Woods decides to enroll in Harvard to win him back. She goes through all the trials and tribulations of a law school student; the LSAT, the personal statement, and the rigors of the Socratic method. All the while, she faces the stigma of being just a "dumb blonde". To top it off, she must compete with Vivian Kensington (Selma Blair), a snobby east coast elitist, to get her boyfriend back. Slowly, her persistence and hard work, coupled with her expert knowledge of fashion trends help her through the adventures of law school and win over her condescending classmates.

Legally Blonde is typical of a mindless comedy. It is littered with deus ex machina plot twists and hilariously unbelievable court scenes, while spoofing both the college sorority scene and the Ivy League Establishment. Witherspoon was excellent playing the air-headed underdog who takes on Harvard and its cynical, worldly students. Overall, it’s a good, lighthearted comedy that should entertain you as long as you don’t think too much.