Legally Blonde – 2001 – ep 135

Old Millennials Remember Movies

Don’t hate her because she’s beautiful. Hate her because she’s the smartest person in the room. While the marketing for “Legally Blonde” suggested a movie about a ‘dumb blonde squaring off against academia,’ it’s clear from the onset that Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods is more than equipped to handle Harvard Law School and the spoiled rich kids who think wearing pink is a crime. The box office success of “Legally Blonde” propelled Witherspoon to the A-List (culminating in an Oscar win in 2005 for “Walk the Line.”) It’s also a pretty unusual movie with each of the three acts working in their own distinct genre. Act I is a rom-com setup with Elle trying to win back her superficial college boyfriend. Act II is a “college” movie where Elle struggles to connect with the other Harvard snobs. And Act III is set in the courtroom (never mind that Elle has only completed, maybe, a single semester of law school). Luckily, it’s all pleasantly comedic! Even after more than 20 years! Also, look! Sexism and toxic masculinity lives on forever! Old Millennials hosts Angela and Tyler examine the legacy of “Legally Blonde,” including how the movie drastically changes the tone of its source material (the book by Amanda Brown) and whether the great Jennifer Coolidge rescues the notorious “Bend and Snap” sequence. Also, one of the co-hosts is currently enrolled in law school! What’s realistic about the depiction? Why did Harvard agree to let their school seem… well… less than stellar? How the hell does anyone manage a near-perfect score on their LSAT exam? Seriously, that test is hard! It’s all here in the latest episode of Old Millennials Remember Movies, including a segment where Tyler tries to remember what he learned in Criminal Law (it goes poorly). Also, inexplicably, Tyler considers himself to be the “Elle Woods of his law school.” Good luck getting the Bar to consider your admission, Bud! Also discussed in this episode: Dune Part 2 (2024) (Dune Part 1 discussed in episode 115) Love Lies Bleeding (2024) Ricky Stanicky (2024) Damsel (2024) Spaceman (2024) True Detective: Night Country (2024 limited series) Loudermilk (Netflix) Star Trek: Prodigy (Netflix)