Style and Structure in ‘Legally Blonde’: Pink, Passion, and a Strong Sense of Self

Legally Blonde turns twenty-five this year. Hard to believe that the Reese Witherspoon vehicle, which garnered her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and the 2002 MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance, is pushing three decades old. Did you blink and miss the early aughts, too?!

But has Ms. Woods aged gracefully?

Amazon Prime and Witherspoon, who’s an Executive Producer on the series, believe so, giving the beloved blonde a fresh start with the upcoming prequel Elle starring newcomer Lexi Minetree and created by Laura Kittrell (Insecure).

Like most good TV shows of late, though, Legally Blonde began as a book.

Amanda Brown wrote Legally Blonde based on her experience as a fashion-loving blonde obsessed with Elle Magazine attending Stanford Law School. Along came award-winning producer Marc Platt, who secured screenwriting team Karen McCullah (10 Things I Hate About You) and Kirsten Smith (Ella Enchanted) to pen what we’ve come to know and love on screen. After Elle successfully graduated Harvard, a sequel followed in which she took Washington, D.C., then came the Broadway musical, as well as a direct-to-video spin-off, Legally Blondes.

Not only was the move a hit with audiences, it won the hearts of critics as well. It was even nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy. But what was it about this Blonde Goes to Harvard to Win Her Boyfriend Back story that elevated it from the rom com masses? And what can screenwriters learn from it?

Historically, the bias against blondes is articulated perfectly in Warner’s (Matthew Davis) line whilst dumping Elle: “I need a Jackie, not a Marilyn.” Insinuating that being brunette means being more serious… something that’s both proven and inverted by Vivian Westwood (Selma Blair). The woman he does propose to.

The idea of being underestimated based on appearances resonates. Elle’s ultra-feminine interests, likes, and desires, do as well. And speaking of appearances, the whole film’s aesthetic is a vibe that infuses everything from the opening credits graphics to characterization. Elle’s whole personality is summed up in one color: pink.

“Whoever said orange is the new pink, was seriously disturbed,” Elle bubbles with enthusiasm while recounting her run-in with Cameron Diaz at Fred Segal, where she talked the actress out of buying an orange sweater. This visually sets the tone for Elle’s journey in the movie.

Whenever she’s trying to be something she’s not, something more, something serious, she wears blue. Like to her university advisor meeting and studying for the LSATs. After the turning point party when Elle decides to actually get serious, she purchases an orange Apple MacBook. Her workout outfit is orange. Her dog Bruiser even sports an orange outfit when he and Elle help her friend (and manicurist) Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge) get Paulette’s fur baby back. It’s Elle’s first time acting lawyerly, and her outfit reflects it.

However, Elle’s signature color comes back into play in the pivotal climax scene, when through lessons learned she embraces her style, and herself.

And herself is pretty awesome.

An underdog? She lives in Bel-Air across from Aaron Spelling, for chrissakes. The last thing Elle Woods would call herself, is an underdog. This girl sits front row and takes criticism in stride; all with a smile on her face. Elle is fuzzy and warm, fashion and fun. For that alone, she is othered. Elle stands out like a pink thumb in the serious, monochrome world of Harvard Law—but she owns it. On arrival amongst stares and whispers, she focuses on her dog, telling Bruiser, “Now don’t be scared, everyone will love you.” Thanks to that well-placed (among many) double entendre, we get a strong sense of her in a single sentence.

Elle never backs away from a challenge, always putting a positive spin on the situation. Even when Study Group is full, Vivian, Elle still chooses to believe the best in her and goes to the party Vivian is throwing. Which leads to one of the best scenes in the movie, and a pivotal part of the plot.

Structurally, Legally Blonde is beautiful in its simplicity. The competition escalates as Elle’s internal goal is revealed: She is determined to win Warner back, basically getting into Harvard on sheer tenacity. That determination in competition is transferred to her winning a coveted internship at Callahan’s (Victor Garber) firm, and later in winning Brooke’s case. Elle gets, well, everything she wants in the end—even though what she thought she wanted was Warner, it was really to prove herself to be more than a Marilyn. Though she does get that marriage proposal, with the end titles telling us Emmett is proposing that night.

Naturally, not everything in the movie holds up. But the key takeaway, the lesson learned worth the film’s weight in pink, is the heart of Elle's valedictorian speech:

“…in my three years at Harvard, I have come to find that passion is a key ingredient to the study and practice of law and of life. It is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self, that we take our next steps into the world, remembering that first impressions are not always correct. You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.”