Last week, the Vice President of Academic Excellence of my sorority planned a much needed de-stress night for us. We watched Legally Blonde and had a perfect movie night complete with pizza and snacks. It was the first time in a while that I had watched Legally Blonde, though like magic the words came back to me the way they do for an old song you haven’t heard since 2004. I left that night feeling full, happy, and less stressed than I had been going into it. I knew the worst of finals was yet to come, but somehow with Elle Woods on my side it all seemed like it would be okay. And that’s the thing about a movie like Legally Blonde. It’s timeless, and no matter what you’re going through, it gives you what you need to feel a little better.
So, since we’re all in the middle of finals right now, what we need is a little Elle Woods style law school level motivation to push through until brighter days ahead (OAP anyone?). Here are a few reasons why Legally Blonde has given us all the tools we need to succeed, in no particular order because this movie is perfect and I can’t rank perfection:
The Female Friendships
This movie is about female friendships and the amazing things we can accomplish when we support one another. Elle and Vivian become the closest of friends and Vivian helps take down the scumbag that is Professor Callahan (I’ll get back to him), Elle’s sorority friends show up to her court appearance, and although they do not know much about law, they’re there cheering her on. Not to mention Elle is always there for Paulette, teaching her the bend and snap and going extreme lawyer on her — let’s just say mean because I’m trying to be polite but you know what I’m thinking — ex-husband to get her her dog back (hello this movie has dogs what more do you want?!). The magical ladies in Elle’s life help her through just as she does for them, and all of them are better for it. So, in times of stress this finals season, don’t forget that your girl crew is there for you too, and don’t hesitate to reach out to them for that extra emotional support, study break, or shoulder to have your 25th breakdown on.
The Amazing Soundtrack
“On this perfect day, with nothing standing in my way”. This movie has the perfect songs from start to finish, amplifying what the plot is making us feel, which is pretty much always empowered and like we can conquer the world. Needless to say, finals season usually renders us all pretty hopeless and definitely not like we’re invincible. So, next time you’re sitting there writing a 10 page paper and trying to study for your final that’s coming up and are feeling like it’s all too much to handle, blast a little bit of that Legally Blonde soundtrack and remind yourself that you got this.
The 0 Tolerance for Professors Abusing their Power
Every time I watch the scene where Professor Callahan lets his true terrible garbage excuse of a personality show, I cringe. This gets worse the older I get and the more aware I become of the realities of sexual harassment and assault, not to mention abuse of power. So to see that Emmett doesn’t doubt Elle for a second when she tells him what happened, and that Brooke and Vivian help him find a way to get Callahan off the case afterwards is pretty great. The moment where he gets fired in court? Chills. It really makes you wish that was the norm, and not something I should have to point out as impressive, but here we are. We all know what’s been happening at McGill lately with the reports of Professors grossly abusing their power, just like Callahan, and yet still having jobs (I guess McGill’s administration hasn’t seen Legally Blonde). So with finals upon us, and all of us concerned with doing well and getting good grades, remember to know your worth and not brush these issues to the side. It’s important we keep talking about it and believing the brave individuals who have spoken out to share their stories. That shouldn’t stop because we have exams. The grade you get on your final won’t matter in 10 years. This will.
The Feminist Message
This movie is hilarious, and filled with amazing one-liners (What? like its hard?), but it’s also deeply inspiring and has an important message underlying it: that you can do anything you want, be whatever you want to be, and that you should never let other peoples’ ignorance stand in your way. Sure, the reason Elle applies to law school is because she hopes to get back with Warner. But that’s not what this movie is about. Its about her finding herself and realizing she’s more than that. And that’s not easy for her to do. People judge her and try to fit her into a box, but she refuses to be categorized in such black and white terms. Because guess what? You can like shopping and be in a sorority, and know exactly what happened on the last episode of Days of Our Lives, and be an intelligent resourceful amazing lawyer and friend, not to mention anything else you want to be. Women are not one-dimensional: we are complex and multifaceted, and anybody who tries to tell you you can’t do something because you’re too dumb or too smart or too skinny or too fat or too nice or too mean or too whatever else they think of is wrong, plain and simple.
So remember that and go write those exams with the force of Legally Blonde behind you, driving you to success.
Images Obtained From:
https://giphy.com/gifs/reese-witherspoon-legally-blonde-a3HwA77QREoo
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/191543790377558331/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/90705379965075974/