A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
some
There's more to a person than their outward appearance/behavior. Integrity and intelligence are more important than pleasing others. Doing something just to pursue a guy isn't worth it; you should do it for yourself.
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Positive Role Models
some
Elle defies gender stereotypes -- she likes fashion and talks about boyfriends while demonstrating leadership, integrity, and intelligence. She learns to value herself and her intellect while being true to herself. She's also kind to everyone she meets, overcoming differences to form sisterhoods with former rival Vivian and sidekick Paulette.
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Diverse Representations
a little
Elle is a strong, intelligent lead who defies gender stereotypes, and the screenplay was written by two women. But the cast is almost entirely White. A couple of LGBTQ+ characters are presented as cliches (hairdresser, flamboyant, catty).
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Violence & Scariness
very little
Verbal bullying. Elle's professor makes a pass at her, and a character talks about having to give a lap dance to a professor to pass a class.
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See AlsoKid reviews for Legally Blonde -
Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Sorority girls are shown in their underwear as they get ready for their evenings. Many references to body parts, sex, wet T-shirt contests, and long interludes in the hot tub. Elle's professor makes a pass at her, and a character talks about having to give a lap dance to a professor to pass a class.
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Language
some
Crude language includes "s--t," "t-ts," "ass," "a--hole," "balls," "bastard," "bitch," "boobs," "damn," "dammit," "Goddammit," "hell," "jerk," "piss," "prick," and "slu*t."
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Products & Purchases
a lot
The list of goodies is long and numerous since Elle and her friends go shopping to reward themselves. Cosmopolitan magazine, Clairol, Opi nail polish, Prada, Porsche, Harvard, Malibu Barbie, Apple products (Elle's ibook is very prominent), Taco Bell, Clinique, etc.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Lots of scenes in which college kids engage in casual drinking: keg parties, blender drinks, etc. Elle's dad always has a martini in hand. Elle shares a beer with Paulette.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Legally Blonde is a tongue-in-cheek comedy starring Reese Witherspoon as aspiring lawyer Elle Woods. While the story revolves around Elle finding empowerment in staying true to herself and her values, it does have some sexual references and stereotyping. There are references to lap dances, body parts, wet T-shirt contests, and long interludes in the hot tub. Elle's professor makes a pass at her. Elle's sorority life in California is all about mani-pedis, Prada shoes, and snagging the right guy. She decides to go to Harvard for the wrong reasons -- following a guy -- but she ultimately learns to value her brains, even if she continues to celebrate her successes with a shopping spree. There's college drinking and some profanity ("s--t," "t-ts," "ass," "a--hole," "balls," "bastard," "bitch," etc.). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In LEGALLY BLONDE, Southern California sorority girl Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is about to graduate with a major in fashion marketing. Her biggest challenge is what to wear for what she thinks will be a marriage proposal from her beau, Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis). But he's decided to break up with her before he leaves for Harvard Law School because she's not "serious" enough to help him in his political career. Elle decides that the only way to get Warner back is to join him at Harvard. So she studies hard, aces the LSATs, and, with the help of a very unique application essay, is admitted. Her new classmates are skeptical and tease her. Worst of all, Warner reveals that he's engaged to Vivian (Selma Blair), a preppy girl who looks like an ad for Town and Country magazine. But Elle surprises them all -- and herself -- by becoming a first-class law student and lawyer while staying true to herself. She ends up defending a murder suspect with whom she has a special rapport and conducting a cross-examination that would impress Perry Mason.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Elle didn't have higher aspirations for herself at the beginning of Legally Blonde. What role did her parents play in shaping the way she thought about her future?
Talk about Elle's choice to keep her client's secret, even when it put her defense at risk, and about the mistakes people make when they judge other people based on appearances. How did Elle's ability to hold to her values help her succeed where other, more experienced, lawyers fell short?
What does the way Elle responds to a practical joke show viewers about her?
What kinds of assumptions did people make about Elle based on her appearance? What were they, and how did she prove them wrong? Have there been times when you've been judged on your appearance? How did that make you feel?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 13, 2001
- On DVD or streaming: November 6, 2001
- Cast: Luke Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair
- Director: Robert Luketic
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Comedy
- Character Strengths: Integrity
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: some crude humor and language
- Last updated: November 16, 2023
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