Legally Blonde 2 Analysis
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the reviews: the sequel, Legal Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, is disappointing. I thought the jokes fell flat (although most people laughed at the theater). The premise that the blonde bombshell is much smarter than she looks was barely strong enough to support the first film and couldn`t support the sequel. But you know what? I think the film is a valuable contribution to pop culture and I`m glad it was made. Let`s not forget that pop culture is the greatest teacher the world has ever known. Most people get most of their information and opinions from news and pop culture sources. As many studies (under the heading “cultivation theory”) have shown, people forget that the data on which they base many of their opinions comes from fictional stories on television or in movies. They do not “remove” this data to account for the fact that it comes from fiction. In a different theoretical approach to cultural theory (“active audience”), viewers give the material their own twist and often arrive at interpretations different from those intended by the creators of the film or television show. How many films have dealt with the legislative process? There have been quite a few movies and TV shows about the presidency and others about the Supreme Court, but how many can you name about Congress? It`s true.. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), the classic by Frank Capra and James Stewart. Maybe one in a thousand young people has seen it. The same is true of Advise and Consent (1962), which concerns the Senate`s consideration of a presidential appointment.
And now, what else do you have? A few interesting films are about congressional campaigns – The Candidate (1972) and Bulworth (1998) come to mind – and there have been a few films about congressional investigations (HUAC in particular) – but what about the images dealing with the legislative process? Other than Mr. Smith and a few old westerns like Gene Autry`s Rovin` Tumbleweeds (1939) and a few forgotten TV shows and parodies of Simpson, I don`t see any. Given the centrality of pop culture in our bourgeois lives and the enormous importance of what`s happening at Capital Hill, that`s a huge gap. Not only did this sequel carry one of the worst titles of the year, but it also ran on the tail of a fringe film held back by the will and charm of its star, leaving expectations low at first. And there you have it – “Legally Blonde 2” is one of those rarities – a more solid sequel than the original. This flag-waving film is still as light as a bubble, but new screenwriter Kate Kondell (Amanda Brown characters, Eve Ahlert story, Dennis Drake and Kate Kondell) and new director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld (“Kissing Jessica Stein”) play the winning aspects of “Blonde” and create a more cohesive confectionery. The opening credits are disturbing when the hands of Elle`s friends turn the pages of an album and tell their exploits of the first film, as if the audience was as bubble-headed as Delta Nu. Step into the irrepressible cubit by swinging a pink diamond (not heart-shaped like JLo – no imitating fashion statements here) and the hearts of his new law firm`s secretarial pool. After a hilarious slideshow presentation with Bruiser`s abandoned background as an indictment of the company`s client, It`s Magnificent, Elle`s new job is gone, but her fiancé Emmett (Luke Wilson, “Charlie`s Angels: Full Throttle”) stands behind his DC crusade and makes his way to the office of Congresswoman Victoria Rudd (Sally Field). She dresses for her first day at the Capitol of the Nation and judges different outfits.
“In Nancy. To Hillary. To Monica. Too perfect! ” she announces a pink suit inspired by Jackie-O and a pillbox, but in a running gag, everyone she meets shows her in room 216 for internal recording. Rudd`s congressional adviser, Grace (Regina King, “Daddy Day Care”) is horrified when Rudd gives Elle her seal of approval, but she wins the mouse Renna (Mary Lynn Rajskub, “Punch-Drunk Love”) and Timothy (J Barton). When she begins her fight to win Energy and Trade Committee Chair Libby Hauser (Dana Ivey, “Two Weeks Notice”) and Congressman Stanford Marks (Bruce McGill, “The Legend of Bagger Vance”) to her cause, Elle`s political loyalties under the radar give her unexpected friends and enemies. While one wishes Witherspoon would move on to the avant-garde indie fare that first caught her eye, she turned Elle Woods` character into a sitzy dichotomy of blonde ambition. She de Witherspoon is always optimistic and able to raise or lower the mood of the audience with the corners of her mouth.