In between my assignments, I’ve been rewatching legally blonde and I have refound my appreciation for it. Judge me all you like, but I like those movies!
I think what was so striking was how the character refused to change herself to “fit in”. She was so proud of herself. She stood up to what she believed and who she was, and despite having multiple compelling occasions to go with the herd and concede to the opinions of others, she continued to do things her way.
How she believed she could make a difference and strived for it, despite all the challenges thrown at her rejuvenated my hope, however fictional and temporary!
I know that it is just a story and that real life may not have a place for an Elle Woods, but I still can’t help but see some of these lessons that came through. She’s trying to be taken seriously while preserving her identity and that feels like a very very familiar road! Beyond everything, the tension between being oneself and the challenges that come with it including social rejection and ridiculing are beautifully highlighted throughout the movie and I feel like all of us have at some point faced such similar dilemmas. Whether to change. tobe accepted, or whether to preserve our identity and be met with adversity is a challenge we’re perhaps dealing with every day. And Elle Woods serves as an inspiration and example for us to not compromise on ourselves and our voice, no matter the challenge.
If you haven’t watched it yet, do check it out. The hot pink may burn your eyes, but the storyline and her upbeat attitude through thick and thin make it worth it!