A cardinal rule for "chick flicks" is that you have to be willing to suspend a quantifiable amount of disbelief. At their best, they simply embrace the impossible: the makers of 'Clueless' reveled in the absurdity of the prissy fantasy life (it helped that it was based on a true literary classic); with 'Charlie's Angels,' you just have a gender-bending sort of James Bond (appealing to women for the "power chick" aspect and to men for... well, let's face it: mostly pornographic reasons). 'Legally Blonde' isn't quite that self-aware, but it takes itself a heck of a lot less seriously than 'Pretty Woman' or (shudder) anything Richard Curtis ever turned out.
As a "fish out of water" story, the film falls flat in that it embellishes, exaggerates and ultimately vindicates the sorority valley girl, Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, while failing to do so for the Ivy League context in which she is immersed. Harvard is portrayed as a studious, slightly snobby yet ultimately human and sympathetic place: such a portrayal lacks in any real dramatic tension or satirical embellishment, and any lucid sentient being who's attempted anything resembling peer interaction with Harvard alumni who is not himself a Harvard alumnus knows it's hogwash. That the filmmakers don't, betrays the fact that this sort of context and ultimately, sad to say, this story is really above their heads. Harvard as a truly rough, nasty, unforgiving den of status-whoring and social climbing would have offered a much more entertaining contrast and array of options for Elle to bounce off of.
Fortunately, the movie is saved by Witherspoon herself. She's as sexy as ever here and very likable, strutting along confident that all is or can be made well with the universe (and never gets down for more than a very brief period, and quite easy to pick back up), surprisingly believable as an untapped genius with both the talent and the motivation to prove just that. Without a vengeful bone in her body, just by being her natural self Elle brilliantly sends up petty naysayers (especially her goober ex-boyfriend) every step of the way. But ultimately the watered down, sugar-sweetened environs of her Ivy League law school don't amount to much of a challenge against which to prove her worth.
If you're short on ideas for movies for the night and you happen across this one, go ahead. Just don't expect anything deeper or more clever than the standard high-grossing comedies of the 90s and early 00s. Elle's adventure is entertaining enough, but all said and done it's just not that adventurous.
As a "fish out of water" story, the film falls flat in that it embellishes, exaggerates and ultimately vindicates the sorority valley girl, Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, while failing to do so for the Ivy League context in which she is immersed. Harvard is portrayed as a studious, slightly snobby yet ultimately human and sympathetic place: such a portrayal lacks in any real dramatic tension or satirical embellishment, and any lucid sentient being who's attempted anything resembling peer interaction with Harvard alumni who is not himself a Harvard alumnus knows it's hogwash. That the filmmakers don't, betrays the fact that this sort of context and ultimately, sad to say, this story is really above their heads. Harvard as a truly rough, nasty, unforgiving den of status-whoring and social climbing would have offered a much more entertaining contrast and array of options for Elle to bounce off of.
Fortunately, the movie is saved by Witherspoon herself. She's as sexy as ever here and very likable, strutting along confident that all is or can be made well with the universe (and never gets down for more than a very brief period, and quite easy to pick back up), surprisingly believable as an untapped genius with both the talent and the motivation to prove just that. Without a vengeful bone in her body, just by being her natural self Elle brilliantly sends up petty naysayers (especially her goober ex-boyfriend) every step of the way. But ultimately the watered down, sugar-sweetened environs of her Ivy League law school don't amount to much of a challenge against which to prove her worth.
If you're short on ideas for movies for the night and you happen across this one, go ahead. Just don't expect anything deeper or more clever than the standard high-grossing comedies of the 90s and early 00s. Elle's adventure is entertaining enough, but all said and done it's just not that adventurous.