I have posted about this movie before; here. I watched it again the other night and I was again surprised to realize that it is more profound than it appears. The movie industry has lead us to expect a romantic comedy to be amusing, shallow, have doubtful morals, mild bad language and be unrealistic but believable. Legally Blonde is all these things but shallow.
The subtle message of the film is don’t allow the opinions of others to limit your potential. Elle, the main character, grew up pleasing others as most young girls do and she excelled at being attractive, popular and fun to be around. Her wealthy parents and peers didn’t encourage her towards high academic goals, and even her high grades didn’t seem to excite anyones’ expectations. Elle had come to believe that success and happiness were found in conforming to the life plan that her mother and thousands of women before her had followed. It all went badly wrong for Elle when her boyfriend not only didn’t propose but actually dropped her. This wasn’t just the end of a relationship but a total disillusionment in a system that promised love and security but had failed to deliver either.
Elle goes to Harvard in an attempt to win back her boyfriend but leaves with a whole new self-concept based not on other’s expectations, or defined by others’ opinions, but on her own unique gifts and abilities.
