“Legally Blonde” is a feminist film but missed the mark with diversity

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Two decades ago the film The revenge of a blonde has been published with excellent reviews. The movie was entertaining, with a hilariously told story, and the lead star had a wardrobe that would make any fashionista green.

One of the smartest aspects of the film is that it managed to focus on an important topic, while still being light-hearted and extremely funny.

Reese Witherspoon in ‘Legally Blonde’ | Tracy Bennett / Getty Images

here’s how The revenge of a blonde is a feminist film but missed the mark with diversity.

What is the film about ?

Fans of Reese Witherspoon and Luke Wilson have probably seen the movie so many times that they can pretty much recite the dialogue verbatim. For those who haven’t, let’s cover the basics. According to The Harvard Crimson, The revenge of a blonde is “iconic”.

It follows a final year student named Elle Woods, a fashion merchandising major who is awaiting a proposal from her handsome boyfriend, Warner. When Warner, who is heading to law school, breaks up with Elle instead, she is devastated, especially when she finds out that the reason is that she is “too blonde.” Rather than accepting what happened, she makes a plan.

She decides, much to her parents’ dismay, to follow Warner across the country to Harvard Law School, where she sets out to prove that she can be as smart as anyone and therefore win him back.

The other students, who at first glance genuinely doubted Elle and her intentions, are shocked when their law professor hires her as one of the few people working on a high-profile case in her office. Eventually, Elle ends up winning the case and leaves Warner in the dust – after graduating from Harvard with honors.

‘Legally Blonde’ May Be A Feminist Film But Has Missed The Target With Diversity

The revenge of a blonde deals with a common problem, but at the same time manages to overlook something so important. Initiated reports that the blockbuster movie poorly handles characters of color and isn’t really diverse at all.

The very select few characters of color that the film features are truly underrated, a prime example being the character of the judge. She only has a handful of lines in the entire movie, and she and the other main color character, Pool Boy Enrique, are described as “one-dimensional.”

All of Elle’s friends, both in California and at Harvard, are white, and the cast is notably lacking in diversity. Said the actor who plays Enrique, Greg Serrano “he couldn’t remember if the lack of diversity in the film was even an accomplishment for him”, although 20 years later it is very visible.

The film is actually a feminist film

Most people would probably describe The revenge of a blonde like a comedy. It may be true, but it goes a little further than that. In reality, the film is a feminist film, showing how someone who is known to refer to their favorite fashion magazine as “The Bible” can really get by and reach the top, academically and professionally.

The film is about “self-esteem and determination,” and according to the New York Times, tells the story of a character who is misunderstood simply because of his appearance, something that happens too often in the real world. who more than Most people have probably “angrily patted their Prada shoes from last season” when they think about it.

RELATED: ‘Legally Blonde’ Got Much Wrong About Law School

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