“What, like it’s hard?”: LEGALLY BLONDE is a Manicure for the Soul

Everyone has that ONE movie that serves as a cinematic pep talk. It’s the one that makes you feel invincible by the time the credits roll. It’s the one you can put on during the throws of a bad breakup or weak moment or weird headspace, and it instantly makes you feel better. I have a few standbys for the bad breakups and weak moments.

 Heartbroken? A Cinderella Story it is, almost solely for Hilary Duff’s iconic locker room speech. You know the one. 

Weak moment? Practical Magic because it serves as a friendly reminder that “there’s a little witch in all of us.”

Sometimes, there are other movies I filter through, depending on the mood, but there is one movie that soars above the rest when I’m in a funk I can’t get out of. When I feel defeated. When I need a reminder of who. I. am. That movie is the one and only Legally Blonde, especially for the montage when Elle realizes Warner is trash, and she needs to do law school for herself, all set to the gloriously 2001 hit, Joanna Pacitti’s “Watch Me Shine.”

Right now, there are so many things going on in the world and in my personal life, and I’m feeling a little defeated. I’ve been in weird headspace the past few days, but at the same time, I feel like I’m finally finding my voice again, and I’m finally in a good creative space for the first time in ages. I’ve been racking my brain for the best way to keep this creative space going while giving myself the boost I’ve been needing. Then, it hit me. I needed to get back to my roots, of which Elle Woods has none. I needed to watch my ultimate standby and be re-baptized in the waters of french tips and girl power, and let me tell you, I feel born again. 

Legally Blonde isn’t perfect. There are a couple of examples of non-inclusive nomenclature I obviously don’t agree with in the least, there are a couple of stereotypes that need to be erased, and diversity is virtually non-existent. However, there’s so much good throughout. It obviously doesn’t take away from the aforementioned flaws, but it’s also indicative of a time where screenwriting wasn’t as thoughtful. But for us to have gotten what we did in this movie from this time is incredible. 

In a year where we were surrounded by college frat romps and sexist tropes, we have a movie where a strong female lead changes her entire course for herself after realizing her ex-boyfriend is trash. Does she still wind up with a love interest? Of course. That isn’t our focal point though. It’s more about Elle finding herself than finding a partner. It’s about the rich, popular, blonde not only having a heart of gold but brains, wit, and charm. It’s about beating a sexist professor. It’s about standing up for your beliefs. I could honestly go on and on. 

That’s why I think this movie serves as my ultimate pep talk. Elle Woods learns to do Harvard Law for herself, but she also does it her way. She doesn’t completely forfeit her identity to fit in. She evolves, but she doesn’t lose her [Herbal] essence. She is Elle Woods, through and through. That’s why this movie helps me. 

Now, like with anything, this movie doesn’t completely eradicate my depression or anxiety or funk, and it would be unfair for me to claim anything to the contrary; it helps though. For me, it makes me want to do anything from the small things I’ve been avoiding because of my headspace, like washing my face or cleaning my kitchen to big things like cutting my hair or, hell, even writing this article. 

That montage pumps me up when I have zero confidence left or feel like I can’t win for losing. Elle telling off Paulette’s ex makes me feel like I can at least get off the couch and take a shower. Elle obliterating Chutney gives me the strength to feel like everything is going to be okay, even if it isn’t right now. 

Again, I know how silly it sounds for a movie to contribute to your wellbeing, but isn’t that what movies are meant to do? The entire reason movies are made is to invoke some sort of emotion from us, be it fear or happiness or sadness, and Legally Blonde is no different. Also, just because this movie makes me feel a certain way doesn’t mean you have to feel the same way. For you, this movie may invoke annoyance. It may not even be on your radar, but again, that’s the beauty of movies, and honestly, art in general. 

Whether you like Legally Blonde or not, I’ll leave you with two pieces of advice. Firstly, don’t be afraid to do things for yourself (as long as they don’t hurt you or anyone else). Secondly, always remember “the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance [is] that you are forbidden to wet your hair for at least 24 hours after getting a perm at the risk of deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate.”