Nonononononono. You do not get to trash Elle working her ass off to get into Harvard. You know how hard it is to get a 179? Put it this way: a perfect score was a 180. And those girls were her friends. Of course they're all happy for her. And to top it off: she got in on her OWN merits. Warner, in comparison, had to call in a favor from his dad because he got waitlisted.
He did not understand the circumstances at the moment but I hope you watched the rest as I feel like he wasn't trying to downplay her success. He just did not understand how hard it is to get into law school and what it is like to be in a sorority. You certainly informed him though. :)
@@cambriatevis6907 Just getting back to this now, but this is very true! I have no idea what an LSAT even is to be fair - took the words out of my mouth, like usual I just make jokes about the circumstances as far as i see them
"I need to marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn" - refers to the american president John F Kennedy, his wife was Jackie. John had affairs while married to Jackie, most notably with the famous actress Marilyn Monroe. Warner is insinuating that Elle is like Marilyn - they are both blonde, and he thinks of Elle as the side-piece that he can fool around with but not take as a wife. Jackie had dark hair, and a very prim and proper image. Marilyn had an image of a wild blonde.
The crazy thing is Marilyn Monroe was smart and mot as sexual as she presented. Some people even said she had a innocence about her. If I remember correctly Kennedy was actually in love with her, but that just goes to show don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
Something that a lot of people miss: when Warner asks about the costume, Elle pointedly does not throw Vivian under the bus, and just says she did it on her own. It's Vivian fault and she's Warners fiance, but she STILL didn't tell on her.
I have been posting this on every Legally Blonde reaction because it is such a good take that not a lot of people think about (sorry don't have the exact cite): "In Legally Blonde, Elle only gets accepted because she's hot and sent a video, but she had a 4.0 and got a 179 (out of 180) on her LSATS. Sure, her major was in Fashion Merchandising but that's a business major, and the fake school she was at was supposed to be UCLA so she has a business degree from a major college, probably went to a great high school, had a 4.0, and a 179 on the LSATS and at that point, she would have been automatically accepted so why did they make it sound like she was such a bad risk? She even had leadership experience as president of a major chapter of what is apparently a huge sorority, since Delta Nus are shown as everything from cheerleaders to senators. Harvard should have been desperate to take her. She should have been able to get in if she turned in a cocktail napkin with her name written on it. So why make up the bullshit excuse of "multiculturalism" to justify letting in an extremely qualified and highly driven candidate just for laughs? Elle Woods deserved to go to Harvard and she earned that place with academic excellence and not by being hot"
Warner was a LITTLE bit of an asshole? Did we watch the same movie? He was terrible. Elle’s friend were actually very supportive and nice and Elle was amazing she stayed true to herself while doing something people doubted she could do. Love her!!
Btw, when Paulette said she has a “fat ass,” she wasn’t saying that as a good thing. It’s popular now to have a big booty, but in 2001 when this movie came out it was definitely not in fashion. Girls often wanted to have as little booty as possible to emulate popular celebrities (eg. Britney Spears).
Yes! I’m glad someone else said this. Aldo even if she were hyping herself up, there’s nothing wrong with that. Let women be confident and hype themselves up. Making that out to be a negative thing or insinuate that confidence is conceitedness is toxic. 😒
To prepare for her role as Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon spent two weeks studying the behavior of sorority girls, as she did not wish to portray a stereotypical airhead sorority image. She states on the DVD commentary that they were all very kind and polite, and she enjoyed her time with them. She also observed women shopping from the café at Neiman Marcus, and attended law school for a day.
to be fair at that point in the testimony she could have been wearing a shower cap. she gave herself away going back through it and saying she was washing her hair
I like that she kind of has a character arc in the background, her and David slowly learn to respect Elle for who she is over the course of the movie and it's nice to see, even if it's not overt
That's because there are some feminists who believe women who play into the "traditional" role of women (stay-at-home mothers, hyper feminine women, etc) are beneath those who reject those social norms. This was a major reason why many women in the past (and currently, but especially when feminism was rising) refused to be associated with feminism, because they felt as though they weren't welcomed or empowered by those people's vision of feminism. It's by no means a good reason, but it is accurate to how some people think (hence the existence of "I'm not like other girls")
"Still hyping herself up!" Hey, considering how many American women (or probably women in general) have body image issues, don't give them crap when they say something good about their bodies. 😜 Body positivity for ALL!!!
yesss!!! lso in regards to what elle said at the end about wanting to be seen as more than blonde hair and big boobs, she wasn't necessarily hyping herself up but rather echoing the sexualization placed on her by others.
A few things: Her friends were actually really great. They supported her plan for Harvard even though they didn't really understand it. They even came all the way from California just to watch her trial. All of her sorority sisters helped her study, kept her focused, and lifted her up. Elle isn't "hyping herself up" when she says all people see is blonde hair and big boobs. She follows it up with "no one is ever going to take me seriously". She's saying that people assume that she's not smart because of her looks. They expect her to just be something that capitalizes on her looks like being a model. They don't expect and aren't willing to see anything but what's on the outside. She may have gone to Harvard for the wrong reasons (to win back a complete dirtbag) but she ends up really committing herself and proving that she can hack it. Professor Stromwell (the woman) isn't British. I'm not sure how you heard an accent. I hope David didn't end up with that girl. She was only interested in him after Elle talks him up. She wasn't even willing to give him a chance until he appeared desirable to someone she probably considered on her level like Ell.
A step up from Elton in Clueless lol. Though maybe that would have been Elton in a few years, maturing to the point of realizing it might be awkward to leave someone you were harassing in a dangerous area at night. (Unlikely.)
Just fyi, the "marry a Jackie not a Marilyn" is a reference to John F Kennedy, the famous American president. He was married to Jackie but allegedly had an affair with Marilyn Monroe 👍
Warner was referencing he wanted a Jackie Kennedy, President JFK's wife who considered very classy. Marilyn is Marilyn Monroe, who was very vivacious and troublesome. So he was saying he wanted a sersious, classy brunette instead of a wild blonde.
like Warner ever had a chance with either Jackie or Marilyn - he made be a 'the third' but he's no JFK. Besides, both women were stylish, well-read, and intelligent who always looked great and who shone on the screen, they were both adored by the public.
Yes. The point was that there are classy girls you marry and attractive girls you date. It's a very sleazy concept. The fact that he's comparing himself to President Kennedy in making this decision is a sign of his hubris and entitlement.
13:34 I always thought that even though he was attending Harvard and he came across as a socially awkward guy, spending a year and a half out of the country in Somalia is quite impressive actually. He's already done a life-changing journey before coming back to study and settle in his career. He's got a great flex there.
I used to hate Vivian (but still liked that they became friends) but as I got older... I realized that Vivian was probably his long time girlfriend and when he went to school on the west coast, Elle was probably (unknown to her) his side piece. This is why to us, his engagement to Vivian seemed really fast... but in reality, for her, they had probably been dating for years, just long distance. Her hating Elle at first a nd doing those mean things was as a woman scorned and hating the 'other woman'... but then she came around. I like her more now.
None of that is what happened or spoken about so you just made all that up. Ppl can have relationships then end, then be with someone else, but then realise he saw Vivian as the more 'marriage type' instead so proposed to her quickly... Vivian behaves like a lot of girls who are threatened by a bfs ex its not unusual just not nice
Yeah, I agree. They really hint at this when it's mentioned that she's in the same country club as his family. It's implied that their families know each other, and very likely go way back. They went to the same prep school. It's very likely that Elle was his college fling and he knew Vivian would be his fiancee in the end. Ugh, he's the worst.
36:22 The way she lights up and her body language just becomes so much more confident is perfect. I loved that moment when Elle caught something wrong and instantly, she knew exactly how to win.
I agree. I also think another reason she was awkward at first was that she was a first year law student and perhaps had not learned enough yet about trial procedure. Maybe an actual law student can chime in on when law students learn the details about representing a client in a trial.
There a technicality Elle got wrong when she was roasting the sales clerk: the fabric wouldn't snag, it would pucker. The musical of the same name actually changes the line to address this. Edit: No, I am very very wrong. Rayon snags, China silk puckers, which is what they mention in the musical in place of rayon.
The musical is also brilliant (and a proshot version is on RU-vid). I also recently found out that Elle's brunette friend is the voice of Mama Imelda in Coco!
This is one of my all time favorite movies, I’ve watched it hundreds if not THOUSANDS, of times and I realized the scene in the beginning with the sales woman is definitely foreshadowing. Elle is already being discounted as dumb, by a woman who not only looks like Vivian, but also acts and judges Elle just like Vivian does. Even down to the scarf.
18:35 Here is the difference: The distinction between "malum in se" and "malum prohibitum" offenses is best characterized as follows: "Malum In Se" means "Wrong in itself." "Malum Prohibitum" means "Wrong due to being prohibited." A malum in se offense is "naturally evil as adjudged by the sense of a civilized community," whereas a malum prohibitum offense is wrong only because a statute or the law makes it so. So murder would be a malum in se offense. This is because this is a crime/offense that society deems as wrong whether or not there are already laws enacted that say it's illegal to commit murder. Malum prohibitum categorizes a crime/offense simply because it is written as law. So tax evasion or running a business without a license would be Malum prohibitum. 18:53 So interestingly enough, Vivian was picking Malum Prohibitum. She would rather be a lawyer to protect someone who broke the written law and committed minor offenses rather than take the murder cases, assault and battery, and the very severe ones.
In the musical Elle says Malum prohibitum is an act prohibited by law like jay walking or chewing gum in Singapore. I was watching a game show with my parents one night and one of the questions was about a country that had strict jay walking laws and I said Singapore and got it right. Showed them that you can learn stuff from musicals
Elle is a real life Barbie doll: beautiful, California, pink, bubbly, sweet, incredibly intelligent, great at whatever she sets her mind to, rich but doesn't need money to succeed.
32:50 This movie makes me remember something. Chuck was ok with his boyfriend on the Judge's stand committing perjury but it was when he was downgraded to friend that crossed the line? Yeah... Chuck, I think you deserve better... and also need to understand that the law is very serious about people who omit lies while under oath. XD
I love this movie! It sends the message that even if you are bubbly or ditzy or pretty and all, you can still enjoy girly things while being smart. If this movie was made these years, Vivian would be the protagonist and Elle would be the antagonist cause protagonists these days aren't all girly, they're more the "not like other girl" types with the pretty popular girls being rude and bullies and never amounting to anything other than being attractive. Not only does it send that message, but its also about girls lifting each other up and supporting each other. Yes, the main rivalry is Elle and Viv, but they became close friends after Elle got over Warner and they started supporting each other more and more throughout the movie and I think that's really.... classy of the directors 😊
actually, you've got it wrong. "not like other girls" was very popular at the time and this movie was more a subversion of that trope, but way ahead of it's time. cuz people didn't realize how sexist the "not like other girls" trope is...it's basically saying there's something wrong with being a girl
@@mischr13 my point is that all the rom com chick flicks at this time are all about the "I'm not like other girls, I'm nerdy and tooootally 'ugly' but I'm going to get the hot jock and the popular girls are bullies and/or try to get in my way of my goals". I guess it's always been a "popular" trope but I see it more prevalent nowadays when I muster up the courage to watch those types of movies lol these tropes are still in so many movies these late years. Vivian would still be considered the protagonist because she's not a girly girl, she's almost sorta considered one of the guys but not really cause she's still a woman and discriminated against in Callahan's team. I just like that this movie shows that you can be smart and bubbly at the same time while wearing bright and fun clothes
Hawaiian Tropics is a brand of suntan lotion. They put on Bikini pageants and the winner becomes the Hawaiian Tropics girl and usually does modeling for them. It doesn't have anything to do with the state of Hawaii.
what? it has nothing to do with "trashing them behind their backs"? the implication is that she spends so much time at the salon she learned a new language. it's so weird that white people think people who speak other languages are always talking about them. it's some kind of narcissism
@@mischr13 the original comment wasn’t suggesting that she learned it to understand if the manicurist was saying stuff behind her back. The original commenter was trying to say that she learned the language to include the manicurist in the gossip
@@echowall5967 uh, op LITERALLY said that in the original comment, that's why I put it in quotes, then edited out most of their comment after I responded
@@echowall5967 OP said something along the lines of: the implication is that she learned how to speak Vietnamese to make sure they weren't trashing them behind their backs. they changed it to "so the manicurist could follow along" after my comment
Was this movie one of the reasons i went to law school........ yes, yes it was 😅 Also thank you for actually putting on the mask 😂 I swear it made my day😂😂💀 xxx
Fun fact: I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it yet, but a lot of people seem to joke about the fact that they are too old to play their characters but actually Warner’s actor was only 23 and Reese was 25.
It was the pressure that cracked Chutney. Panicking as her story fell apart right in front of her because of a mistake in her commentary she didn't think was important. 📚
Elle is one of the best movie characters of all time. This one has been a favorite of mine since it came out. I remember renting it for the first time and then rewatching the VHS copy I had so many times lol. 📚📖 Btw the sequel is cute too. It could be fun for a reaction. 💕
Matthew Davis (the guy who played Warner) was actually 23 here, Reese Witherspoon was 25. The characters were 22 at the beginning of the movie. And Matthew actually had a crush on Reese, so it was really hard for him to play the break-up scene lol
Just stating the fact that she has big boobs isn't "hyping herself up". In fact she sees them as a negative in this context since she believes that people are using them to judge her unafirly.
Aaron Spelling (“I lived across the street from Aaron Spelling”) was an insanely wealthy movie and tv producer. He produced a famous show called “Beverly Hills 90210” that was crazy popular show that ran in the 1990’s. Elle was definitely referencing him for that reason because this movie came out right after the show ended. I love early 2000’s pop culture 🥰
13:00 Oh, there are plenty of people who give their dogs special water. I've seen instagrammers feed their dogs exclusively with special vitamin water. It's bit too much for me, personally.
6:53 Which is deeply insulting not only to Elle (and I guess to Vivian - wonder how she'd feel if she heard him say that and figured out he only proposed to her because she looked right for the role of a wife and not because he actually cared about her) but also to Jacqueline 'Jackie' Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and Marilyn Monroe - like he would've had a chance with either of them.
I've seen this movie so many times I can't even count them, it's so entertaining. Love your commentary as always! Recommending She's the Man, one of my favorite teen movies of that era.
elle said her boobs were big because that was a bad thing in the early 2000s men typically wanted a stick and then the other lady said the thing about her butt as a bad thing as well.
Apparently one thing the movie did get wrong was acting like Harvard Law would only accept those who'd studied the 'right' things, they are always on the lookout for diversity in majors.
📚But did you like the movie? I think it is cute. When you say “pumping herself up,” what do you mean? It must be the opposite of what I’m thinking, because her distress is real, not put on.
Whoops, i was on vacation so a bit late - but i absolutely enjoyed the movie! I saw this somewhere else too so just wanna quickly write it up - saying she's pumping herself up was just a casual roasting joke of saying that i didn't think whatever body part she was talking about would be the reason of their breakup in that case. Similar to a joke i'd make if a skinny guy in a movie would say that his girlfriend broke up with him because his biceps were too big for example, if that makes sense Just wanted to quickly clear it up as i saw it getting misinterpreted a few times! & thanks so much for watching by the way!
I give you credit for even watching this movie….BUT…dude, you were SERIOUSLY out of you comfort zone! You just didn’t have a frame of reference for most of it. You almost need to sit with someone who can watch your review back with you and interpret the things for you. I started listening to you and just cracking up each time you missed the point. It was like watching my dad comment. Thanks for the humor! 😄
36:47 “You crack like a soft hard boiled egg. That doesn’t even make sense but it doesn’t matter because you’re in the mud, get her outta here.” That made me laugh for a long time lmao
"And now a different dress... don't know what happened there... Trust me, every girl knows what happened there. There's been about ten dresses between the store and this moment ^^
25:51 "I've got a package." Would not fly well in today's society nowadays. XD But actually, I have a funny story similar to this one. In response to your question at 26:38 I have been approached with this technique. But because I saw this movie, I actually thought it was funny and cool that she tried it. I worked as an Amazon delivery driver before. One day, I got assigned a route delivering packages every...3-4 days to the same business. It was a dentist office. The receptionist was really cute but shy. I noticed her immediately when I first dropped off the package at her desk. Instantly, she stood up and knocked over a lot of things but she straightened up and accepted the delivery. I wondered if I would see her again. Because she really was cute. Just really reserved and she hid herself under her glasses whenever we tried to say hi. We wouldn't be able to get past this stage until much later. I got assigned to that same route for... the next two months. So my chance to see her increased. Every few days, I'd stop by and say hi to her. She would manage to say hi back, but I could tell she really wanted to say more to me. I assumed that both of us, because we were on the clock, were trying to subtly insert a flirt or something nice to say to each other before we had to get back to work. But we never really could get past the saying hi part. On the 4th time I visited her, she must have really wanted to get to know me because after I dropped off the next delivery her, she asked me to wait. I turned and stared as her hand went up to the pen in her chest pocket. She nervously pulled the pen out and dropped it on the ground. This was on her side of the desk/counter so... I could only see slightly from the waist down. But in my head, I was wondering... is she doing the bend/snap maneuver? Will she get it when I reference this movie?? Sure enough, she turned around, took a deep breath and retrieved her pen. It would have worked... The bend was... perfect... except she accidentally struck her head against the edge of her desk table which snapped me out of looking at... her assets. So the snap was... also effective, just the wrong way. Let's just say, after she made herself a little woozy, because her build-up bend leading to the "snap" was a little too forceful, I stayed behind a few minutes and asked if she was ok. She confessed she really wanted to talk to me because she didn't know how and was trying what she saw in this movie. I asked her if she wanted to try a date when both of us weren't too busy bending/snapping/popping. We actually did breakdown laughing at the office because of the botched maneuver but more so because I recognized the technique immediately. And now we're both casually dating. XD
Two things I found just wrong with the first half the beginning of the movie. You don't take a girl out to a fancy ass place to dine for dinner and act all cute and cuddly leading her on to think something else is going to happen and don't use pet name or nicknames for her and say we need to break up. That's just asking to get punched in the face. At least I would have if I was her in her position.
"If she passes this, I know two reasons." Bro, we all thought the same thing. Those watching her video interview tape were definitely thinking of a lot of those... er... couple reasons. XD
I noticed your eyelid, I had the same thing a while back. If it starts to hurt an Ophthalmologist can get rid of it for you. You’ll need someone else to drive you home after tho.
The thing he said about I need to marry a jacking out of Maryland that was about JFK his wife Jackie Onassis was a very classy brunette and he apparently had a fling with a blonde bombshell actress named Marilyn Monroe so he was comparing Elle to Marilyn Monroe basically saying she's too hot to be smart and classy he doesn't believe that that can go with a pretty blonde
