My life through the lens... 2001

One of the most amazing movies of my generation, and one that I consistently come back to. Legally Blonde. Not only is the movie one of the most iconic, but it is also incredibly empowering. And I can’t tell you how many times I have used my knowledge of perm maintenance to impress people, and I owe that all to Elle.

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) has it all. She wants nothing more than to be Mrs. Warner Huntington III. But there is one thing stopping him (Matthew Davis) from proposing: She is blonde. Elle rallies all of her resources and gets into Harvard, determined to win him back. On the surface, this films seems like your typical “Chick-Flick” or “Rom-Com” but it so much more than that, and I would argue this film was one of the first times I had seen feminism portrayed in a mainstream movie. For the time of release, Legally Blonde really was ahead of its game.

Let’s start with the movie as a whole. Everything from the costumes to the sets and the characters are so iconic, and this film will go down in history as a true classic. The plot is incredible, the whole energy of the opening act is a traditional 'chick-flick': obsessing over looks, boys and gossip. We see Elle deal with a break-up in an incredibly real way, including throwing chocolate at the TV whilst a sad romance movie plays as she cries in her comfies in bed; we have all been there. And then she decides to go to Harvard and try and win back the boy she thought she was in love with. Yet, what actually happens, and what makes this movie so different to the rest of its genre is that she actually falls in love with herself, her intelligence and her ambitions and only falls in love with a man when it is on her terms and she is completely happy.

This movie has a lot of iconic moments, and most of these are accompanied by a hilarious quote. Some of my favourites and ones which I quote on the daily:

“What? Like it’s hard”

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”

“Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed!”

And we can't talk about Legally Blonde without taking a look at some of her most iconic looks! Did you know, Reese Witherspoon had it written into her contract that she got to keep her costumes and shoes after the movie wrapped. She managed to keep 77 pairs of Jimmy Choo's and still has them all today.

Now, why and how has this movie stood the test of time? Sure, most rom-coms are beloved by people, but why specifically this one, and why do people still love it so much. Firstly, let’s talk about the characters. Like it or not, Elle Woods is a feminist icon, and a character in society that still to this day is empowering and proud of her femininity. Movies, and in particular the genre of romantic comedies, always use the trope of the “blonde, pink, girly lead” being dumb, stupid and vain. Yet, Legally Blonde throws this dated concept out and suggests that being clever, having dreams and ambitions and being top of the class can come hand in hand with having blonde hair, liking the colour pink and being “girly”. It is one of the first movies I saw growing up where the idea of being “girly” also meant smart, courageous and powerful. This movie changed the way we saw female leads in movies. Sure, the “dumb blonde” trait has been used since and will most likely be used again, but Elle Woods showed us that it is okay to be both. We can embrace our femininity, we can embrace our womanhood and we can also embrace our intelligence and intellect.

The court room scene will forever be iconic.

Not only does she crack the case and win the trail, but she does it her way, dressed how she wants, commanding a room full of men to understand that women, and a woman dressed in pink with blonde hair, is worthy of a spot in the courtroom, and she does it so fabulously.

There is no wonder that this movie has gone on to have the success it had, along with an incredibly successful stage musical. It is everything it is supposed to be. Fun, empowering, ambitious, blonde! If you still haven't seen this film (I presume you live under a rock), stop everything and go and watch. You will not be disappointed.

*Bend and Snap*

Read of the year award goes to... Elle Woods for: “Oh, I like your outfit, too, except when I dress up as a frigid bitch, I try not to look so constipated.” Get it, Elle.