Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde
July 13, 2001
MGM
Comedy
DVD
B-

Fifteen years after a blackface C. Thomas Howell made it from an L.A. party school to Harvard Law School, Reese Witherspoon follows in his footsteps but strikes quite another blow for "diversity."  As Elle Woods, the blonde of the title, Witherspoon is sweet and bubbly, not to mention smarter and more determined than anyone gives her credit for.  The movie, like Soul Man, manages to both embrace and question stereotypes, although the script (by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith of 10 Things I Hate About You) is much sharper and of course more plausible.  (Then again, there are moments when Plan Nine is more plausible than Soul Man.)  Blonde includes not just the juxtaposition of Elle's Cosmo Girl outlook with the seriousness of the law, but also little moments that bounce off its peers, like the Josie and the Pussycats references, and the moment when Elle, like Bridget Jones, mistakenly shows up at a party dressed as a Playboy bunny.

I came close to giving this movie a B, but in the end I decided that, like Bridget Jones's Diary and Miss Congeniality (the latter almost the funhouse mirror reflection of this movie), this is something I enjoyed more at the time, enough to see the sequel as well.  That I laughed harder at a couple moments on the commentary than anything in the actual movie is telling.  Similar to Elle herself, the movie is likable and pleasant to be around, but I can't see forming a lasting attachment.

I decided not to go with the "romance" tag, since, although 29-year-old Luke Wilson is also likable as Emmett, the movie is actually more about Elle forming and preserving friendships with all sorts of women.  Among them is Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington, initially her preppie rival, but won over by Elle's sweetness like almost everyone else.  Victor Garber, who plays Professor Callahan, had Goldie Hawn as his first wife in The First Wives Club, and this is another "bland sleazeball" role.

John Kapelos, who plays the punningly named Dewey Newcombe, was Chuck in Roxanne.  Alanna Ubach, as Elle's friend Serena, is almost unrecognizable compared to her role as Noreen, Marcia's lesbian friend, in The Brady Bunch Movie.  Ted Kairys, who's Gerard here, was an Eastern European Technician in the first Austin Powers movie.  Corrine Reilly was the Aquarium Tour Guide in Josie and the Pussycats and is a Reporter here.  Wayne Federman, who's an Admissions Guy, would be Smart Tech Customer in The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Gemini vegetarians

The First Wives Club

The First Wives Club
September 20, 1996
Paramount
Comedy
VHS
C+

I really liked this movie at the time, as did many others, including Katha Pollitt, but that doesn't mean we were blind to its faults, faults that are more obvious a couple decades later.  As directed by WKRP's Hugh Wilson, it is very much a cinematic sitcom, with easy resolutions and cardboard characterizations.  Although it's based on a book (which I've never read), the most serious flaws have to do with the writing, many of the implausibilities and inconsistencies centering around Brenda (Bette Midler).  To begin with, is she Italian or Jewish?  If both, why isn't this established earlier?  And how is ir that her husband (Dan Hedaya, for a change in my movies actually typecast) fails to recognize her boss, even the name?  Also, the whole timeline is screwy, from Yellow Submarine coming out in '69 (rather than '68), to the central trio of first wives (Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton) all about 45, although this seems to be contemporary and they've been out of college for about 27 years.  I'm not even clear how much time is passing in the main story, although there's a vague time pressure (even vaguer than in Don't Tell Mom).  Maybe this is all clearer in the book.

The movie is of course notable for its presentation of the exes, particularly the ex of their suicidal friend Cynthia, as being shallow, insensitive, and ruled by their lust for younger women.  (Sarah Jessica Parker is playing against type as a dumb and tasteless blonde.)  But the wives don't come across as much better and, as in The Women almost 60 years earlier, it's unclear why they regret the loss of such awful men.  Yes, I like seeing the cast, and the theme of female friendship and empowerment is good, but it's often lost in slapstick and stereotyping.  And this isn't 9 to 5, where the stock characters are given believability.  There are nice little moments (like how accepting Keaton is of her lesbian daughter), and even occasional insights about how aging women are viewed, and Maggie Smith proves she can do a lot even with a tiny role, but it just doesn't add up to much.

I don't have any other movies with James Naughton but it's a nice touch to make him Cynthia's cheating ex-husband, since he was Angela Bower's ex on Who's the Boss?  (Cynthia is played by Stockard Channing.)  Victor Garber, who plays Goldie's ex, would be Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde.

Anne Shropshire, who's an A Certain Age cast member, was Mrs. Crawley in Tootsie.  Peter Frechette, who plays the Broadway Director, had his big-screen debut as none other than Louis DiMucci in Grease 2.  (He found a lot of other work in between of course.)  Aida Linares also played a maid in Clueless.

Marla Sucharetza, who's Exercising Woman, would be School Reporter in In & Out, while Debra Monk is Jilted Lover here and would be Mrs. Lester there, and  J. Smith-Cameron is Miss Sullivan here and would be Trina Paxton there.  Rob Reiner plays Hawn's plastic surgeon.  And, yes, that's 41-year-old J.K. Simmons in the small role of a Federal Marshall.