Legally Blonde

Movie Details:

Based on	Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Comedy, Romance
Release date	July 13, 2001
Running time	1hr 36min
Age rating	PG-13
Starring	Reese Witherspoon Luke Wilson Selma Blair Matthew Davis Victor Garber Jennifer Coolidge
Directed by	Robert Luketic
Screenplay by	Karen McCullah Lutz Kirsten Smith
Produced by	Marc Platt Ric Kidney
Cinematography by	Anthony B. Richmond
Edited by	Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
Music by	Rolfe Kent
Production Company	Type A Films Marc Platt Productions Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributor	MGM Distribution Co. (United States) 20th Century Fox (International)

Cast & Characters:

• Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods
• Luke Wilson as Emmett Richmond
• Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington
• Matthew Davis as Warner Huntington III, a Harvard student from 5 generations of senators
• Victor Garber as Professor Aaron Callahan
• Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette Bonafonté
• Holland Taylor as Professor Elspeth Stromwell
• Ali Larter as Brooke Taylor-Windham
• Jessica Cauffiel as Margot Chapman
• Alanna Ubach as Serena McGuire
• Oz Perkins as David Kidney
• Linda Cardellini as Chutney Windham
• Bruce Thomas as UPS Guy
• Meredith Scott Lynn as Enid Wexler
• Raquel Welch as Mrs Windham-Vandermark
• Francesca P. Roberts as Judge Marina R. Bickford
• Wayne Federman as Harvard Admissions Counselor
• Kimberly McCullough as Amy
• Greg Serano as Enrique Salvatore
• Allyce Beasley as CULA Advisor
• Moondoggie as Bruiser Woods

Storyline:

Elle Woods is a fashionable sorority queen of her college — she has it all, a handsome boyfriend, wealth, and status. Things begin to change for Elle when her boyfriend, Warner dumps her and he starts dating Vivian, a law student. Elle decides to win back her former boyfriend by applying to Harvard Law School, she is able to pass her test and get into Harvard. Being in Harvard may not be easy for Elle, she soon falls in love with Emmett and she befriends Paulette, a manicurist at the nail salon. Along the way, Elle decides to take her studies more seriously and she must take on a court case when her role model Brooke Windham is accused of murdering her husband. Elle is determined to prove Brooke’s innocence.

About Movie:

Legally Blonde is an American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his feature directorial debut and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. Based on Amanda Brown’s novel of the same name, the film stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge.

The idea for Legally Blonde was inspired by Brown’s experiences as a blonde attending Stanford Law School, where she embraced her love for fashion and beauty despite clashing with her more traditional peers.

In 2000, Brown’s manuscript caught the attention of producer Marc Platt, who helped develop it into a novel before bringing on screenwriters McCullah Lutz and Smith to adapt it for film. Luketic, an Australian director, joined the project after making his mark with his short film Titsiana Booberini.

Luketic said he was “terrified” on his first day of filming. “I come from making a ten-minute short with a crew of ten people to a crew of 200 and having enough trucks and trailers to wrap around a city block.”

Although the film was primarily set at Harvard University, campus scenes were filmed at USC, University of California, Los Angeles, California Institute of Technology, and Rose City High School in Pasadena, California. Production initially lasted from October to December 2000.

Released on July 13, 2001, Legally Blonde was a commercial success, grossing $141 million worldwide on an $18 million budget. It received moderately positive reviews, with praise directed at Witherspoon’s performance, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and a win for Best Female Performance at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards.

The film’s popularity led to a 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, a 2009 direct-to-DVD spin-off, Legally Blondes, and Legally Blonde: The Musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2007.

In 2020, it was announced that Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor would write a third film, initially set for release in 2022, though it has since been delayed without a new release date.

Budget & Box Office Collection:

Budget	$18 million
Domestic Opening	$20,377,426
Domestic Collection	$96,520,674
International Collection	$45,254,005
Worldwide Collection	$141,778,188