It Takes a Village

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Legally Blonde went from being a light, rompy chick flick 20 years ago, to now being considered a feminist masterpiece. Of course, Reese Witherspoon’s performance gave the movie that wonderful quirky charm that it needed, but the underlying messages of female solidarity are what elevated the movie and turned it into something truly inspiring. Let’s take a look at some of the other women that subverted their assigned character archetypes to help make this movie special!

Serena and Margot

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Despite fitting into the ditsy, sorority stereotypes that accompany young, hot, rich girls from the valley, Margot and Serena are both vital to Elle. Their unconditional support for her journey is what helps get her to Harvard in the first place. Even though they weren’t given much screen time, Serena and Margot use the moments they had to show the strength and love of female friendships. 

Brooke

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Introduced as another stereotype of the young, hot, blonde trophy wife with the much older husband, Brooke shows herself as a force to be reckoned with. She’s independent with her own business and no reason to need a rich husband; she simply wanted one. She has a lot of conviction and faith in the people she trusts. As soon as she learns that her big shot lawyer is actually a sexual harasser, she immediately fires him and brings on the student he harassed to defend her case.        

Vivian

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The first half of the movie would have the viewer believe that Vivian is, as Elle described, “a frigid bitch” and for a while, that was true. Vivian was cold, stuck up, and antagonistic, acting as a foil to Elle. We watch her become a warmer person by the end but outside of that, Vivian also has another role to play in the movie. She’s a privileged girl going to an elite school with an Ivy League legacy as her fiancé, but she’s also a woman. Operating in a primarily male-dominated field, we see how Vivian is treated by the men around her, specifically her male law professor. Constantly being made to do menial tasks and fetch coffee, Vivian shows how women who are trying to break into a law career have to work that much harder than their male peers.  

Professor Stromwell

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One of the more underrated characters was Professor Stromwell, who ended up being pivotal to the movie. She’s introduced as a scary and no-nonsense professor that cements the truth to Elle about Harvard being the polar opposite of her home back in L.A. Towards the end when Elle almost turns away from everything she’s worked for, Stromwell is there to tell her in very simple words that she can be stronger than that.   

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