I recently watched Legally Blonde for the first time since childhood. I didn’t really remember much about the movie other than how it centered around Elle going to law school to win her ex-boyfriend back. I have recently made the decision to apply to law schools next year so, when I saw “Legally Blonde” come up on my suggested movies on Netflix I knew I had to watch it. The movie turned out to be much more than I remembered. This wasn’t just a story of a Elle trying to win back her ex; this was a story about Elle becoming who she was always meant to be.

It is true that Elle originally decides to go to law school so that Warner, her ex-boyfriend will find her “good enough” to marry into his important family, Elle works really hard to get there. She started the application process late and did not have long to study for the LSATs, but, unlike what is expected from a girl like Elle, she buckles down and puts in the work. She even studies through some of her last sorority functions. She ends up receiving a 179 on her LSATs, only one point away from a perfect score. She does all of this without support from anyone in her life. Her sorority sisters help her study but still don’t believe she will ever be a lawyer, and her parents flat out tell her she is making a mistake.

Elle is accepted into Harvard Law school. Once she is there she struggles to be taken seriously for her intellect. Elle presents herself in a very feminine manner. She wears bright pink clothes, likes to get her nails done, and isn’t shy in talking about her sorority. Because of these traits, Elle is never seen as good enough to be at law school, despite her nearly perfect score on the LSAT. Even the other women at Harvard treat her like she is inferior because of these trains. Elle has no one in her corner and almost gives up because of it.

Eventually, Elle stops working for her law degree to impress Warner and starts working for her law degree because she wants it. After she takes this step for her own future, Elle finds her passion in law. She takes on the challenge of defending Brooke, a sorority sister on trial for the murder of her older husband. Brooke is thought to be guilty by everyone but Elle, but Elle doesn’t give up on helping Brooke and finds a way to prove her innocence. By defending Brooke, Elle gains confidence in herself and her ability to be a lawyer. The movie ends with Elle graduating from Harvard Law with a job lined up.

I loved revisiting “Legally Blonde.” There were so many things that I didn’t notice as a child watching the movie—like the fact that Elle actually worked really hard to get into law school and almost got a perfect score on her LSAT. Watching it now, knowing that I will likely be going through the same process next year, really opened my eyes to the real moral of Elle’s story. She was able to inspire young women for 20 years now to use their brain and still dress in bright pink.

Article by Marissa Mayfield