2.35:1

Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

95

Mgm/Ua Studios

July 13, 2001

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Robert Luketic

At the beginning of this movie, we are introduced to the young Elle Woods. The many other girls in the house are preparing to wish Elle luck; it's a big night for her. She goes shopping with her two best friends, Margot and Serena to pick out `the perfect outfit' for the evening's events. After showing a sales assistant, that Elle Woods is more than blonde when it comes to shopping, they return to the house and Elle gets ready for her big date - tonight's the night Warner her boyfriend is going to propose, or is he? "If I'm gonna be a senator by the time I'm thirty, I need to stop digging around. That's why I think it's time for us, Elle, Pooh Bear... I think we should break up!" - Warner. Elle's world comes crashing down at that very moment. Not only is the `love of her life' ending their relationship, he's doing it because she's too blonde! Heart broken, she returns to the house and lounges around for a week, depressed and angry. Her friends think it's time she got out, so they take her to `the one place that makes [us] feel better, no matter what' - a beauty salon! While her friends are busy getting their manicures and pedicures, discussing Elle's condition, Elle flips through a few magazines. She spots a picture of Warner's older brother, with the information that he's engaged to a Vanderbilt. It strikes Elle that there could be a way to get Warner back. "This is what I need to become to be serious!" - Elle. "What, practically deformed?" - Lady. "No! A law student!" - Elle. Hell bent on getting into Harvard, to prove to Warner that she is serious, Elle makes a few changes in her life. She talks to her parents, who aren't very supportive of the idea, but don't give a definite no to her going and she also talks to her teacher, who seems mildly amused at the thought of Elle getting into Harvard. Elle is told that she will need to get a 170 on her LSATS and she strives to achieve this goal. She achieves it, and a little bit more besides, accomplishing a 179 in total. Throughout this time we see how strong the support is that she gets from all the other girls in the house as they all standing by her, helping her and celebrating with her when the results come through. During this time she also makes an admissions essay - a video admissions essay, which the board seem to like a great deal (Elle spends most of the video in a sparkly bikini). They eventually approve her to join Harvard. Elle arrives at Harvard, with a huge removal van and makes an entrance, due to the fact that she's dressed entirely in pink and that she's carrying on a conversation with a small dog (probably because she's nervous herself, by trying to reassure her dog, she's reassuring herself). People hang out of windows to check out `Malibu Barbie' and to marvel the fact that a blonde has got into Harvard. She takes her little dog, Bruiser, to the welcoming event, where `they all sit in a circle and tell us a little bit about [yourselves]'. The group she's with are a little taken aback by the confident, and babbling about how `orange is not the new pink', Elle. Elle dresses up in a turquoise, velvet outfit for her first class, declaring that she `totally looks the part' and heading off for a confrontation with Warner. Warner is very surprised to see his non-serious ex-girlfriend at Harvard and in his shock is unable to protest a meeting at the benches after their first class. Elle's first class does not go well (she gets into trouble for not doing the assignment, and ultimately kicked out of class) and just as she thinks her day is going a little better when she meets a mysterious stranger whilst waiting for Warner who gives her some advice on how to handle the teachers, her world comes crashing down yet again - Warner is engaged to `preppy girl Vivian' who got her kicked out of class. Crushed, Elle drives off in her shiny convertible and finds a haven - another beauty salon! Paulette, her manicurist offers some advice and helps Elle, by being the only person in Harvard to resemble a friend. After being told to `steal the bastard back' Elle returns to school, and makes her half-hearted attempt on the classes, blagging it through her first class with Professor Callahan. Elle enters the library looking to join Warner's study group, but is quickly shot down by Vivian and Enid (the lesbian from the welcome circle). She heads off and tries to phone her friends, but only more misery is inflicted upon Elle as she learns that Margot's engaged. The conversation is cut short by Margot's excitement and Elle hears a conversation outside her room. Vivian tells Elle that there's a party, but that it's a costume party, and Elle swallowing the bate, turns up to the party in a pink bunny suit, only to face more humiliation as everyone else is wearing normal clothes. She goes to Warner for comfort, but all he does is tell her that she's not smart enough to get Callahan's internship. Hurt and angry, her motivation to achieve is ignited again and she heads off to purchase a funky looking laptop. As Elle works hard, she begins to get things right in class, and ends up with the confidence to help Paulette go to see her ex-husband and retrieve her dog. After facing Paulette's ex and using what she's learnt, Elle gets more confident and speaks up in class, a discussion about a sperm donor, and manages to out-do Warner (you go girl!) Callahan asks for Elle's resume, which is pink and scented! Elle discovers a melee of people in the corridor and finds out that Callahan is taking on first year interns because his caseload is so big. Only four people get the internship and those people are - Warner, Vivian, Enid and ELLE! Elle is ecstatic and takes a minute to show up Warner in front of Vivian, before going off to do some shopping! The interns meet with Callahan and some of his employees to work on the case, and Emmett (the mysterious guy from the benches) is there. It turns out that Emmett works for Callahan and is a qualified lawyer himself. They learn what the case is about - Brooke Windham, accused of murdering her 60 year old husband Heyworth Windham (Brooke is 26). Elle claims that she knows Brooke, as Brooke made her millions before marrying the 60 year old with her fitness empire, and Elle took her class. They are defending Brooke and Elle feels very strongly that Brooke is innocent. "Exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy! Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't!" - Elle. We meet Elle again at the beauty salon, talking to Paulette and it is quickly made apparent that Paulette has a thing for the UPS deliveryman, but is too shy to make a move. Elle teaches her (and all the other ladies, and some men in the salon) the bend and snap. Elle decides to visit Brooke in prison, taking with her a goody basket full of cosmetics, flowers, and `the bible' or in their case, Cosmopolitan. Elle tells Brooke that they really need her alibi, but Brooke doesn't want anyone to know, because it would destroy her reputation - her reputation in the fitness world. Brooke was getting liposuction. Elle promises not to tell anyone the alibi and assures her that they will find another way to prove that she's innocent. Elle gets into trouble back at the office for going to see Brooke, but even more so because she won't tell anybody the alibi. Callahan tells her and Emmett to go to see the ex-wife of the 60 year old at a spa. They don't learn much, but Elle declares she doesn't trust her because her hair is brown! Emmett is highly amused, but Elle gives him a little pep talk about `having faith'. He drops her off at the front door of Harvard, where young man David is trying to hit on a girl, but not being very successful as all she's doing is making fun of him. David is one of the few people that was nice to Elle, he didn't go out of his way because he was too shy, but you can see that he respect for Elle and she has respect for him. She goes over and causes a scene, which ends up in David getting a date with the girl he was hitting on. Vivian comes to collect a deposition from Elle and they end up talking. Elle finds out that Warner `got waitlisted' and that `his father had to make a call.' Bruiser helps the two makes friends and the former bitchiness that bubbled between them disappears. The next day they go to court and people are testifying that Brooke is guilty. Enrique, the pool boy, tells the court that he and Brooke were having an affair, but Brooke denies it. Elle is waiting by the fountain later on and gets a call from Paulette, telling her that she did the bend and snap, but that it resulted in the UPS guy's nose getting broken. Elle offers reassurance and then resumes waiting for the fountain. Enrique jumps the queue and Elle taps her shoes at him. Enrique gets angry and insults the shoes - calling them `last season Prada shoes' leading Elle to believe that he is gay! Professor Callahan doesn't like her theory, but Emmett has faith, and when it is their turn to question Enrique, Emmett jumps in and tactfully breaks Enrique, revealing his sexuality and the fact that he was lying about the affair. Later on that evening Callahan asks Elle to his office and makes a move on her, disgusted with him and herself for letting herself believe that she could do something more with her life, Elle quits, but not before Vivian has another go at her - she never saw all of what happened, just the part that looked bad. Emmett desperately tries to get her to stay but she refuses. She goes to say goodbye to Paulette at the beauty salon, unaware that Strongmile (the teacher who threw her out of her first class) can hear what she says. Strongmile makes herself known and says something which knocks Elle back into line: "If you're going to let one stupid prick ruin your life, you're not the girl I thought you were!" Emmett and Vivian go to see Brooke and they formulate a plan to get Elle back and to expose Callahan. They all go back to court for the rest