Legally Blonde
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Robert Luketic
Produced by	Marc Platt
Written by	Amanda Brown (novel) Karen McCullah Lutz Kirsten Smith (screenplay)
Starring	Reese Witherspoon Luke Wilson Selma Blair Matthew Davis Victor Garber Jennifer Coolidge
Music by	Rolfe Kent
Cinematography	Anthony B. Richmond
Editing by	Anita Brandt-Burgoyne Garth Craven
Distributed by	MGM
Release date(s)	July 13, 2001
Running time	96 min.
Country
Language	English
Budget	$18 million
Gross revenue	$95,001,351
Followed by	Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) Legally Blondes (2008)
Official website
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Legally Blonde is a 2001 comedy film starring Reese Witherspoon, produced by Marc E. Platt for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios and directed by Robert Luketic. It is based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Amanda Brown. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (502 × 755 pixel, file size: 89 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is of a poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher or the creator of the work depicted. ... Robert Luketic (Croatian: Luketić) is an Australian film director. ... Marc E. Platt, sometimes credited as Marc Platt, is an American film, television and theatre producer. ... Amanda Brown is an American voice actor, who works on the properties of 4Kids Entertainment. ... Karen McCullah Lutz is an American screenwriter and novelist. ... Kirsten (Kiwi) Smith (b. ... Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976),[1] known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American film actor. ... Selma Blair (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. ... Matthew Davis (2005) Matthew Davis (born May 8, 1978) is an American actor. ... Victor Joseph Garber (born on March 16, 1949 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a six-time Emmy Award-nominated Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. ... Jennifer Coolidge (August 28, 1963) is an American comedic actress. ... Rolfe Kent (born 1963 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England) is a film score composer. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Legally Blondes is an upcoming 2008 direct-to-video film from MGM starring Camilla and Rebecca Rosso. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... Comedy film is genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humor. ... Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976),[1] known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Marc E. Platt, sometimes credited as Marc Platt, is an American film, television and theatre producer. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Robert Luketic (Croatian: Luketić) is an Australian film director. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Amanda Brown is an American voice actor, who works on the properties of 4Kids Entertainment. ...

The film, which is seen by many to be part of the Girl Power movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s, is the fictional story of a valley girl's quest to be regarded seriously at Harvard Law School to take back her boyfriend. A 2002 anime DVD The phrase Girl Power, as a term of empowerment, expressed a cultural phenomenon of the mid-late 1990s to the early 2000s and is also linked to third-wave feminism. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Harvard Law School (colloquially, Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. ...

The film was a Golden Globe Award nominee for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Witherspoon's performance also received a nomination.^[1] It is number 29 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies". The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... This article is about the U.S. cable network. ...

The movie's box office success spawned a 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde. Additionally, Legally Blonde: The Musical premiered on January 23, 2007 in San Francisco and opened in New York City at the Palace Theatre on Broadway on April 29, 2007. The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, is the 2003 sequel to 2001s Legally Blonde. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Notable theatres called the Palace Theatre include: Palace Theatre, London Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea, EssexA real play house with Edwardian splendour. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Taglines:

• This summer, go blonde!
• Boldly going where no blonde has gone.

Plot

The film stars Reese Witherspoon as the cute Elle Woods, a typical pampered "valley girl" (however resides in Bel-Air) and president of her sorority at the fictional CULA, the California University of Los Angeles (an intentionally spoofed anagrammed version of the UCLA). Nearing graduation, Elle expects her Harvard Law School-bound boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), to propose, but he instead breaks up with her, saying that her frivolous lifestyle would hinder his political future. Crushed, Elle decides she must revamp her image by attending Harvard Law and thereby winning back Warner. With an exceptional LSAT score and an unusual application video of her in a bikini, she wins the approval of the admissions board. Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976),[1] known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods on special edition cover of Legally Blonde Elle Woods is the lead character in the American films Legally Blonde (2001) and its sequel, Legally Blonde 2 (2003). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bel Air is the name of several places in the United States of America: Bel Air, Alabama Bel Air, Los Angeles, California Bel Air, Kentucky Bel Air, Maryland Bel Air, Tennessee Bel Air, Texas Bel Air, Virginia (two places): in Fairfax County in Stafford County Outside America: Bel Air, Mauritius... For the game, see Anagrams. ... The University of California, Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. ... Harvard Law School (colloquially, Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. ... Matthew Davis (2005) Matthew Davis (born May 8, 1978) is an American actor. ... The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is a standardized test used for admission to law schools in the United States of America and Canada that are members of the Law School Admissions Council. ...

Elle is initially met with hostility and skepticism of her abilities at Harvard, and she finds Warner is already engaged to fellow law student Vivian Kensington (Selma Blair) Vivian reluctantly invites Elle to a formal gathering, but tells her it is a costume party to humiliate her. Though she shows up dressed as a Playboy bunny, Elle is unfazed. She confronts Warner and finds that his perception of her is unaffected by her accomplishments. Spurred by his dismissive remarks, Elle immerses herself in her studies and becomes a top student in her class. Selma Blair (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. ... Playboy Bunny at the Karma Foundation Inaugural Gala hosted at the Playboy Mansion, October 2005 A Playboy Bunny was a waitress at the Playboy Clubs (open 1960–1988). ...

Along with Warner and Vivian, Elle is hired as an intern at the firm of one of her professors, Callahan (Victor Garber). They are assigned the case of defending a young woman, Brooke Windham (neé Taylor) (Ali Larter), accused of the murder of her older, wealthy husband. Windham is incidentally a former member of Elle's sorority and a famous fitness instructor, facts that convince Elle of her innocence. Her stepdaughter and the household's "cabana boy" Enrique Salvatore (Greg Serano) attest to finding Windham standing over her husband's dead body. Victor Joseph Garber (born on March 16, 1949 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a six-time Emmy Award-nominated Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. ... Alison Elizabeth Ali Larter (born February 28, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for her screen roles aimed at teenage audiences. ... Greg Serano (born Greg Williamson on August 7, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York) is a 58 American actor. ...

After Windham refuses Callahan's request for an alibi, Elle visits her in jail where she confides that she was having liposuction at the time of her husband's death. Worried that this would destroy her reputation as a fitness instructor, she asks that Elle keep the alibi secret. Elle complies despite pressure from Callahan. Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty (fat modeling), liposculpture or suction lipectomy (suction-assisted fat removal) is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body. ...

To further discredit Windham, Salvatore testifies that he and Windham had been having an affair. Elle reasons that Salvatore is actually gay, given that he is able to correctly identify her shoes as "last season Prada". (He says "Don't a stomp your little... last season Prada shoes at me, honey.") Although Callahan dismisses her claim as speculation, his trial assistant, Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson), takes the initiative and tricks Salvatore into admitting this on the stand. Prada, S.p. ... Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American film actor. ...

Callahan has a private discussion with Elle after the session. To her disgust, he reveals he finds her attractive and begins to caress her thigh. Elle angrily storms out and, convinced that she will never be taken seriously, decides to quit. However, after encouragement from one of her female professors and with Emmett's support, she decides to stay. Emmett informs Windham of Callahan's transgression, whereupon she decides to fire Callahan and replace him with Elle.

Since Elle is not a lawyer yet, she is supervised by Emmett. During her cross-examination, the victim's daughter, Chutney Windham (Linda Cardellini), claims to have been taking a shower at the time of the murder, but Elle argues that having had her hair permed that day, a shower would have deactivated the ammonium thioglycolate and ruined her curls. Badgered by Elle's aggressive questioning, the daughter finally breaks down in tears and confesses to accidentally shooting her father, believing he was her stepmother, whom she resented for being the same age as she. Linda Edna Cardellini (born June 25, 1975), is an American television and film actress. ... Turn of the century advertisement for Nesslers permanent wave machine. ... Ammonium thioglycolate, also known as perm salt, is a weak salt, made by mixing a solution of ammonium hydroxide with a solution of thioglycolic acid. ...

The end of the film shows Elle graduating two years later at the top of her class with an offer to work at a prestigious Boston law firm. It indicates that Emmett has since quit Callahan's firm to start his own practice, and that he will propose to Elle that night. On the other hand, Warner gets no job offers or internships, loses his girlfriend and graduates near the bottom.

Cast

• Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods
• Luke Wilson as Emmett Richmond
• Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington
• Matthew Davis as Warner Huntington III
• Victor Garber as Professor Callahan
• Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette Bonafonté
• Holland Taylor as Professor Stromwell
• Ali Larter as Brooke Taylor Windham
• Jessica Cauffiel as Margot
• Alanna Ubach as Serena
• Oz Perkins as "Dorky" David Kidney
• Linda Cardellini as Chutney Windham
• Bruce Thomas as Kyle the UPS Guy
• Meredith Scott Lynn as Enid Wexler
• Raquel Welch as Mrs. Windham Vandermark
• Samantha Lemole as Claire
• Kelly Nyks as "Arrogant" Aaron Mitchell
• Shannon O'Hurley as DA Joyce Rafferty
• Greg Serano as Enrique Salvatore
• Francesca Roberts as Judge Marina R. Bickford
• James Read as Mr. Woods
• Tane McClure as Mrs. Woods

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976),[1] known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods on special edition cover of Legally Blonde Elle Woods is the lead character in the American films Legally Blonde (2001) and its sequel, Legally Blonde 2 (2003). ... Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American film actor. ... Legally Blonde is a 2001 comedy film starring Reese Witherspoon, produced by Marc E. Platt for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios and directed by Robert Luketic. ... Selma Blair (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. ... Matthew Davis (2005) Matthew Davis (born May 8, 1978) is an American actor. ... Victor Joseph Garber (born on March 16, 1949 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a six-time Emmy Award-nominated Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. ... Jennifer Coolidge (August 28, 1963) is an American comedic actress. ... Holland Taylor (b. ... Alison Elizabeth Ali Larter (born February 28, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for her screen roles aimed at teenage audiences. ... Jessica Cauffiel (born March 30, 1976) is an American film and television actress. ... Actress Alanna Ubach Alanna Ubach (born October 3, 1975 in Downey, California) is an American actress of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. ... Osgood Oz Perkins (born February 1974 in New York) is a American actor, the son of American actors Anthony Perkins (of Psycho fame) and Berry Berenson and the brother of musician Elvis Perkins. ... Linda Edna Cardellini (born June 25, 1975), is an American television and film actress. ... Bruce Thomas portraying Batman in an OnStar commercial, circa 2001. ... Jo Raquel Tejada (born September 5, 1940), best known by her stage name Raquel Welch, is an American actress who reached fame during the 1960s. ... A district attorney is, in some U.S. jurisdictions, the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ... Greg Serano (born Greg Williamson on August 7, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York) is a 58 American actor. ... James Christopher Read (born July 31, 1953 in Buffalo, New York), is an American actor. ... Tane McClure is an American actress and film producer who was born June 8, 1959 in Pacific Palisades, California. ...

Reception

The film was met with varied reception from critics, earning "fresh rating" of 67% positive ratings in the Rotten Tomatoes compilation of 130 reviews. Most reviews lauded Reese Witherspoon's lead performance even if they denigrated the overall merit of the film.^[2] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The movie was an unexpected hit, grossing over US$20 million in its opening weekend and ending its run with over US$96 million in the U.S. and more than US$141 million worldwide. It made Witherspoon an A-list actress and one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood (she would be paid US$15 million to star in the sequel). After this movie, Witherspoon had a string of hit movies including the sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama and Walk the Line, which landed her an Oscar for Best Actress for playing June Carter. A sleeper hit (often simply called a sleeper) refers to a film, book, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition. ... “USD” redirects here. ... The A-list is the roster of the most bankable movie stars in Hollywood. ... Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, is the 2003 sequel to 2001s Legally Blonde. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Walk the Line is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning film chronicling the life of Johnny Cash, American country singer. ... The Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the awards given to actresses working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Valerie June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was a singer, songwriter, actress and comedian and was a member of the Carter Family, and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. ...

In 2007 a musical adaption premiered on Broadway, starring Laura Bell Bundy as Elle, Christian Borle as Emmett, Orfeh as Paulette, Nikki Snelson as Brooke, Richard H. Blake as Warner, Kate Shindle as Vivienne, and Michael Rupert as Callahan. Other cast members included Andy Karl, Leslie Kritzer, Annaleigh Ashford, DeQuina Moore, and Natalie Joy Johnson. The show, Bundy, Borle, and Orfeh were all nominated for Tony Awards. Laura Bell Bundy (b. ... Christian Borle is an American actor who performs primarily on Broadway. ... Orfeh is an American singer and broadway actress from New York City. ... Katherine Shindle (born January 31, 1977 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and AIDS activist. ... Michael Rupert won both a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for his work in the 1986 Bob Fosse directed revival of Sweet Charity. ... An American actor, Andy Karl was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. ... Leslie Kritzer is an award-winning Broadway actress. ... Annaleigh Ashford (born in Colorado) is an American actress whose debut on the Broadway stage was in 2007s Legally Blonde: The Musical as sorority sister Margot. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award® but is formally the Antoinette Perry Award is an annual American award celebrating achievements in theater, including musical theater. ...

Music

1. "Perfect Day" by Hoku is the theme and opening/closing title music.
2. "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton
3. "Watch Me Shine" by Joanna Pacitti

Hoku Christian Ho (born June 10, 1981), known simply as Hoku, is an American musician and actress. ... Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American pop singer, songwriter, and pianist best known for the single A Thousand Miles from her debut album, Be Not Nobody (2002), which was certified platinum in the U.S. The commercial failure of Carltons second album, Harmonium (2004), led... Joanna Pacitti (born October 6, 1984 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American pop/rock singer and actress. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

DVD cover for the film

• Although the film's setting is Harvard University, it was actually filmed at USC^[3] and Rose City High School in Pasadena, CA. The real Harvard only appears briefly in certain aerial shots.

• There are numerous references to The Paper Chase (which is also set at Harvard Law) including a scene in which Elle brings food to her ex-boyfriend and says "I brought you sustenance." In The Paper Chase, the main character complains to his girlfriend that she has failed to provide sustenance.

• While Elle is a sister of Delta Nu sorority in the film, the actual Delta Gamma is the sorority mentioned in the novel. Similarly, the novel takes place at Stanford Law School rather than Harvard.

• In the scene in which Elle is dismissed from class for being unprepared, the professor asks Vivian Kensington whether "diversity juridiction" exists in a case earlier identitified as Gordon v. Steele. When Kensington answers that such jurisdiction did not exist, the professor indicates that this is the correct answer. The Federal Court of Appeals actually found that diversity jurisdiction did exist in the case (Gordon v. Steele, 376 F. Supp. 575 (W.D. Pa. 1974).)

• In Elle's application video, she proves her ability to recall information "at the drop of a hat" by relating a Days of our Lives storyline in which heroine Hope Brady is brainwashed by "the evil Stefano," which roughly corresponds to the timeframe in which the movie was filmed.

• In one scene, Elle is watching General Hospital, which once featured Kimberly McCullough (Amy).

• The film was originally set to take place at the University of Chicago Law School, but administration at the school did not approve the film, because of a scene in which a professor places his hand on Elle's leg.^[4]

• The producers intentionally gave "Elle" a different hairstyle for every scene

• Curls can be wet following a perm, they just cannot be washed, so Elle's example of Tracy Marcinco's curls getting wet at a wet t-shirt contest would be null and void. However, since Chutney did say that she was upstairs washing her hair, the argument Elle uses is still valid.

• This was the second film that Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair starred in together, the first being Cruel Intentions.

• In 2007, Moonie, who played Reese's dog in the film, made a guest appearance on Deal or No Deal to surprise a contestant who has a fear of dogs.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... The Trojan Shrine, better known as Tommy Trojan located in the center of University of Southern California campus. ... The Paper Chase was a 1970 novel, as well as a 1973 movie based on the novel and a television series based on the movie. ... Delta Gamma (ΔΓ) is one of the oldest and largest womens fraternities[1] in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio. ... Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located near Palo Alto, California in Silicon Valley. ... Days of our Lives is an American soap opera, which has aired nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965[2] on the NBC network in the United States, and has since been syndicated to many countries around the world. ... Bo Brady and Hope Williams are a supercouple on the American soap opera Days of Our Lives. ... Stefano DiMera (alias the Phoenix) is a fictional character, a villain on the soap opera Days of our Lives, played by Joseph Mascolo (1982-1985, 1988, 1993-2001, 2007-). He was also portrayed by Frank Fata for a few episodes in December 1991, and by an unknown actor in December... For other uses, see General Hospital (disambiguation). ... Kimberly McCullough (born March 5, 1978 in Bellflower, California, USA) is an Emmy Award-winning actress. ... The University of Chicago Law School, having recently celebrated its centennial in the 2002-2003 school year, has established itself as a high profile part of the University of Chicago. ... Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976),[1] known simply as Reese Witherspoon, is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Selma Blair (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. ... Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American feature film starring Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. ... Deal or No Deal is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was produced by Dutch producer Endemol. ...

References

1. ^ Allen, Jamie. "Globes: 'Beautiful,' 'Moulin' golden", CNN, 2001-12-20. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. 
2. ^ Legally Blonde (2001). Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
3. ^ USC Campus Filming Office. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
4. ^ [1]

Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Legally Blonde

• Legally Blonde at the Internet Movie Database
• Legally Blonde Musical
• Legally Blonde movie fanlistings
• Legally Blonde Style and Beauty Page