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cinematicct · 7 months

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Gods and Monsters (1998)

🎬🧟‍♂️

Based on the Christopher Bram novel Father of Frankenstein, this period drama film from writer/director Bill Condon is a semi-fictionalized account of the final days of world-famous film director James Whale, known for directing the pre-Code horror film Frankenstein and its sequel Bride of Frankenstein in the 1930s.

A distinguished cast includes: Sir Ian McKellen as James Whale, Brendan Fraser as ex-Marine/gardener Clayton Boone (a fictitious character) and Lynn Redgrave as Hungarian housekeeper Hanna.

Ian McKellen (whose marvelous performance garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) is one of the greatest thespians of our time who doesn’t disappoint in his startling portrayal of a dapper though ailing filmmaking legend. Brendan Fraser, typically known for his comedic chops, makes it crystal-clear that he is just as capable in dramatic roles. Lynn Redgrave (who, like Ian McKellen, received an Oscar nomination for her scintillating performance) is nothing short of extraordinary in the role of a devoted, albeit dour, caretaker.

The script (which won the Oscar for Beat Adapted Screenplay) is well-written in tackling the conflict of coming to terms with old age and diminished capacity. The film demonstrates this through flashbacks of James Whale’s working-class childhood, service in World War I and Old Hollywood glamour whilst experiencing mini-strokes and seizures.

In terms of observing the complicated friendship between a retired filmmaker and a young man with his whole life ahead of him, Mr. Whale takes a great interest in Clayton, the latter of whom is initially skeptical of his employer’s homosexual desires. However, despite the separation of sexual orientation, this uneasy yet poignant connection changes both their lives forever.

Bill Condon’s creative direction allows him to visually convey the real and imagined sensibilities of James Whale, whose flair for horror left an indelible mark on the film industry. Although warm reception of the British in Hollywood was customary during the talkie era, James Whale’s open gayness was the subject of controversial debate in a civilized yet closeted society. Through his declining health, Mr. Whale views Clayton as a guy whose God-like physique stands out from the other young men in his life. What’s more, he sees Clayton as his own monster of Frankenstein, specifically one that could give him the perfect ending to his latest drama. Clayton, who had been disillusioned about his future after being discharged from the Marines, achieves a newfound sense of hope through his admiration for James Whale’s artistic talent.

Lastly, the finer details of the film may be fabricated, but there are definitely interwoven truths about the story of James Whale’s life. All in all, I certainly recommend this hidden gem of a movie to every Ian McKellen/Universal Monsters fan.

“To a new world of gods and monsters!”

-Dr. Pretorius (Bride of Frankenstein)

#Gods and Monsters 1998 #based on a novel #period drama #Bill Condon #Ian McKellen #James Whale #brendan fraser #Clayton Boone #brenaissance #Lynn Redgrave #1950s Hollywood #homosexuality #film history

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wornoutspines · 7 months

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The Bikeriders | Trailer

As much as I'd like to get on that ride, I might walk a little bit. The 1st trailer for The Bikeriders by Jeff Nichols starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer & Tom Hardy is out and it looks...I don't know you should see for yourself. #OfficialTrailer

Writer: Jeff Nichols (Screenplay), Danny Lyon (Book) Director: Jeff Nichols Stars: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook I wish this movie interested me more than it actually does because I’ve liked Nichols’ direction in the past, Midnight Special was amazing, but I haven’t found what’s compelling about this one. I guess I have to see it for it to make sense…

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hookedonapirate · 1 year

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Lady Cassidy's Lover

Summary: 1919 England, Emma Cassidy, wife of a baronet, finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage after the war leaves her husband, Neal, paralyzed from the waist down and unable to produce an heir.

Despite the obstacles, she sticks by her husband's side at Goldby Hall, his family's estate, but when she meets former army lieutenant and Neal's aloof gamekeeper, Killian Jones, she feels curiously drawn to his distant blue eyes and quiet demeanor.

At first, she seeks him out for reprieve from her soulless, mundane existence at Goldby Hall, but what starts out as purely physical quickly turns into more than either of them expects.

But Emma is a baronetess, wife of an aristocrat and Killian is a working class servant. Their love affair is frowned upon, and she risks losing her title, her wealth and her position in the world by being with him. But she is determined to get her happy ending with the man she loves. Even if it means losing everything else in the process.

A/N: Despite Emma's last name and marriage to Neal, this NOT a swanfire fic! This definitely ends with Captain Swan so if you're expecting swanfire, this is not for you.

This is the Lady Chatterley's Lover au no one asked for. I had never read the novel but when I watched the newest movie adaptation (there are 4 that I know of), I simply had to write this for CS even though I already have a mountain of wips in my doc. This fic will mostly be following the 1981 and 2022 versions. If you haven't watched the 2022 version, I highly recommend it, if no other reason than to watch Jack O'Connell.

This fic deals with mature themes (some of which the book was banned for back when it was written), adultery, postwar, language, smut.

Hope you enjoy!

Catch up: Ch 1 I Ch 2 I Ch 3 I Ch 4 I Ch 5 I Ch 6 I Ch 7 I Ch 8 I Ch 9 I Ch 10 I Ch 11 I Ch 12 I Epilogue

We've got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen—D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover

Chapter One

Emma releases a heavy sigh as she slumps down onto the sofa, relieved the ceremony is over with. If only the day were done too, so she wouldn't have to be subjected to dancing and all the other useless traditions of a wedding reception. Now she has to listen to dreadful toasts and her and Neal's family drone on about how perfect she and her new doting husband are together.

"So, how does it feel?" One by one, her sister, Mary Margaret unbuckles Emma's shoes and pulls them off her tired feet.

Emma shakes her head. "I don't know. Ask me tomorrow." Perhaps then she'll feel differently about exchanging vows with a man she barely knows.

She and Neal had met and courted shortly before he was shipped off to war, and during his leave, he had confessed he'd hated being without her and asked her to marry him. She had said yes and they were quick to get married before he returns to the front. Their fathers may have had a hand in rushing things along as well. Britain declared war with Germany three years ago, heightening Sir Rumpelstiltskin's long-held desire to see his only son marry and produce heirs to their fortune.

Emma's father, Sir Leopold, wants her to have a stable husband, and who better than a man with a hereditary rank and title? She and Mary Margaret were raised in Kensington by Sir Leopold, a royal academician and their mother, Eva, a well-educated socialist, and had what one might call an aesthetically unorthodox childhood. They had been taken to Paris, Florence and Rome to breathe in art, and to the Hague and Berlin for socialist conventions where the speakers spoke in every civilized tongue.

Emma comes from wealth and Neal from aristocracy, so some could say it's the perfect match, except for the fact she has not known him long enough to truly love him. But from her perspective, this marriage is the perfect arrangement. The perfect way to get her father off her back about finding a suitable husband like her sister's. Furthermore, she does not have to worry about getting hurt by someone she does not love. She has experienced what it's like to lose someone she loves. She lost her mother ten years ago to illness and had to witness her father almost become a shell of a man without her. Emma made up her mind long ago she would never give her heart to a man. She would never submit to him emotionally.

She has been with men before, of course, but none she had loved.

A man is like a child, and if he doesn't get what he wants, he whines and fusses, exposing an unpleasant side of himself. But a woman can yield to a man without yielding her inner, free self. A woman can take a man without truly giving herself away. Certainly, she can take him without giving herself into his power. Rather, she can wield the power over him.

"You need to eat something."

"I need to get out of this dress first." She doesn't quite care for the high-waisted empire line, the tiered skirt made of dreadful lace or the sleeves that fall to her elbows. It reminds her of a tablecloth rather than a dress. Don't get her started on the extravagantly large bouquet of flowers that nearly touched the ground when she held it. And she'd tossed away the Juliet veil as soon as she had returned to the bridal suite.

Mary Margaret agrees as she takes her hand and pulls her up, helping Emma out of her wedding gown and into a simpler dress for the reception.

"How do I look?" Emma asks once she's in it, twirling around in the green dress to give her sister the full effect.

Mary Margaret smirks. "Well, I doubt Neal will want to stay long at the reception."

Emma's cheeks warm as she stands in front of the mirror and removes her earrings, replacing them with emerald ones that will match her dress. She and Neal have not even had sex yet, so tonight will be their first time. "You don't think his mother would've approved?" Neal's mother was the daughter of a viscount before she died.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure I do."

Emma rolls her eyes at her sister as she recoats her lips in red lipstick. "Are we talking about the dress...or the wedding?" Not everyone can find their prince charming as she did. Mary Margaret's marriage to David was definitely not forced or rushed. They are true love, as she always likes to boast. "We had to marry quickly before he returns to the front in the morning."

"Yes, but couldn't you have just had sex with him instead of marrying him?"

Emma laughs. "Mary Margaret! Be serious." She studies herself in the mirror, turning and running her hand over her dress, deciding to leave her blonde hair braided into a crown atop her head. She looks like herself, but somehow different now that she's married. She had honestly never thought this day would come.

"I am. It's much less commitment, and it's all Neal will want anyway."

"Neal's not like that. He's kind and thoughtful. He makes me feel safe."

"You mean safe from getting hurt?"

Emma looks up to see Mary Margaret's reflection in the mirror as the brunette narrows her eyes. But Emma knows she can't lie to her sister. Mary Margaret would see right through her. Emma stands and turns around to face her. "Precisely."

Mary Margaret places her hands on Emma's shoulders. "See, that's just it. If you never open that heart of yours up to anyone, you'll grow old and gray without ever experiencing the wonderful things life has to offer."

"I do experience the wonderful things life has to offer." Not that sex is really that wonderful. It has always been merely a way to let off some steam.

Mary Margaret tilts her head. "I'm not talking about sex. I'm talking about love."

The clearing of a throat interrupts their conversation when Neal steps into the room with a tray of three wine glasses. "I brought reinforcements."

The two women blush when they realize he must have heard the tail end of their conversation.

Mary Margaret goes over to Neal and grabs one of the glasses, taking a sip. "You read my mind."

"I nearly drank yours on the way up," he tells her, chuckling as he hands one to Emma and takes the other one for himself. Setting down the tray, he clinks his and Emma's glasses together. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Emma smiles at her new husband and takes a sip.

"Our fathers are preparing their toasts."

Emma groans, not looking forward to going downstairs. "Can we face them together?"

"Of course." He smiles at her, and she has to admit, Neal is not the worst man she could've chosen for a husband. He's handsome and charming, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiles. She can tell he cares for her. "You look beautiful, Ems."

She offers a smile in return. "Thanks."

After they finish their wine, she takes his offered hand, allowing him to lead her downstairs, where their fathers give speeches and announce their hope for a new heir to Goldby.

~*~

Two years later

Dearest Mary Margaret,

I knew the war would change us all, I just didn't know how much. It feels as though it ended half a lifetime ago, not half a year. Neal and I have already moved away from London, and we've just arrived at Goldby, his family estate. Once we get settled in, I expect to write to you often.

Your loving sister,

Emma

Lady Cassidy gazes vacantly through the window as the motor-car winds through the park of oak trees. The sky is about as gray and murky as the future, for who knows what tragedies it may hold. Clouds of smoke rise from the chimney of the pit in the distance where Misthaven village struggles to stay afloat beyond the park gates.

The car pulls up in front of the eighteenth century home made of brown stone that sits on the top of a knoll, overlooking the park. This is her new home in the smoky Midlands where she and Neal will finally begin their married life at Goldby Hall, the family seat. His father had died of heart failure, and Neal is now baronet. But he claims his father died of chagrin since he and Emma are without a child. And they most likely will be childless forever. Not only did they never get the chance to consummate their marriage the night of their honeymoon since she had been too exhausted and he had been too anxious about returning to war, they never will.

The chauffeur opens Emma's car door and grabs her luggage.

"Thank you." She steps out, taking in her new home. This place is nothing like her childhood house in London. Goldby certainly needs a lot of work.

The housekeeper, Mrs. Potts, who worked for Rumpelstiltskin, approaches with her husband to greet them. "Welcome, Sir Neal. We've been praying for you."

Mr. Potts helps him out of the car, picking him up and placing him into his wheelchair. An explosion during the war left Neal paralyzed from the waist down, and the doctor said he may never be able to walk again.

Emma tries not to think about that, however. She tries not to think about how she may never get pregnant or be able to give birth to a child as long as she's with Neal. She will never get to raise children or watch them grow up and run around the park at Goldby. She can't think of herself anymore though. She is married to a baronet, whom she vowed to have and to hold, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health until they are parted by death. After he returned from war, he told her he could never lose her, and she promised he never would.

She will spend the rest of her life keeping that promise.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potts, this is my wife, the new Lady Cassidy."

Mrs. Potts turns around to greet her with a curtsy. "It's so nice to meet you, milady."

Emma smiles, bows her head and steps toward her. "Nice to meet you."

Neal wheels himself over to his wife, and the four of them avert their attention to the worn-looking house towering over them. "There's plenty of work to be done," Neal comments. "Hire back all the workers we can, Mrs. Potts. Old girl's seen better days."

Emma places a hand on the back of his chair and tries to be optimistic. "We'll bring her back to life."

~*~

"Killian Jones." Sir Neal looks up from the application in his hand from where he sits at the other side of the desk. "You, uh, worked for my father before the war?"

"Aye, sir. For two years." When he returned, he heard Rumpelstiltskin had passed and that Neal would be taking over and hiring new staff.

"And you were an army lieutenant?"

Killian nods. "I was very sorry to hear about your father. My condolences, sir." He wishes he could say Sir Rumpelstiltskin was a good man, but that would be a lie. He was ridiculous, chopping down trees in the forest and weeding men out of his colliery to shove them into the war while he, himself, was a coward who stayed safe at home and buried his country in heaps of debt while claiming to be patriotic.

"Thank you." Neal looks at him skeptically. "Do you honestly believe returning to gamekeeping will be satisfying after your time as an officer?"

Killian shrugs, his fingers drumming along his wool cap. If he could, he would leave. Every night, he dreams of escaping to a new place where a new voice says his name with warmth, where eyes filled with love look at him instead of ones filled with hatred and betrayal, where he is not dismissed. There is no freedom here, there never will be. Milah doesn't love him, but nevertheless she holds him close. One more possession.

"Bit of quiet would do me good. I've seen enough of what war does to men." Not only had he seen men brutally die in battle, but his brother had been one of them. Every day, he tries to push away the horrific images that have plagued him since the war. Every day he tries to forget. About the war, about her. Being a gamekeeper, tending to the animals, breeding them, enjoying the quiet of the forest while protecting it will be therapeutic for him.

"Hmm. As have I." Sir Neal has learned firsthand what war can do to men. He himself was paralyzed from the waist down.

Rumors about his injury had spread before Neal came to Goldby.

Neal sets the application down and joins his hands on the desk. "Very well then. Welcome back, Mr. Jones."

"Thank you, Sir." Killian turns around and heads out of Neal's study, moving past the long line of men seeking employment. He was lucky the baronet had hired him so quickly, and he is grateful. Killian receives a monthly war pension, but since he and Milah are still legally married, she's entitled to half of it. So now he is stuck in Misthaven, barely skimming by to make ends meet while Milah prances around with various menfolk of the village, spending the money he had earned by going to battle and risking his life.

Now he spends restless, lonely nights in his cottage, thinking about his brother and the war and everyone else he has lost.

But at least he has Jolly to keep him company.

He returns home to his cottage, where she's waiting for him at the door. His lips crack into a big smile when he sees her. "There's my good lass." He kneels down to ruffle a hand through her fur as she yaps, wagging her tail excitedly.

She truly is a good dog and the best companion he could hope for. She's loyal and trustworthy and always appreciates his affections, unlike his wife who betrayed him to be with other men.

After everything that's happened, Jolly is the one good thing in his life.

All he has left.

#cs ff #captain swan #lady chatterley's lover au #based on a novel

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four2andnew · 1 year

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A Rose in Winter

Act ii: part 1

Footsteps echoed behind Ginny as she hunched over a stone flower pot, willing herself not to retch. The steps slowed as they neared her, hesitant even. The unfamiliar scent of leather and something vaguely woody alerted her to the presence of Lord Potter even before his gentle touch to her shoulder. She turned her head to glance at him, all too aware of how terrible this must look, running away from her own wedding dinner to vomit in her husband’s flowers.

“Are you alright?”

His voice was still hoarse, as if he didn’t use it often and his vocal chords had dried up from disuse.

“Do I bloody look alright,” she replied viscously, jaw clenched against the bile rising.

Lord Potter shifted uncomfortably and sighed, before brushing back the few wisps of hair that escaped her pins from her face as she retched again. Ginny felt shame flood her body at the kind gesture, wishing for all the world she could take her ugly words back. His fingers were warm against her neck, gentle in their touch as he moved closer to brush her hair back on the other side of her face. When she straightened, he quietly handed her his handkerchief, a rather plain muslin square embroidered with his monogram. Ginny took it gratefully, dabbing at her mouth and refusing to meet his eyes as she handed it back.

“My apologies, my Lord, for my harshness. I fear I’m not the nicest person when I am feeling ill.”

“Harry.”

Ginny looked up sharply, his shadowed gaze fixed on her in the dying light.

“I’m sorry?”

“You are my wife. Call me Harry.”

Read the full chapter on AO3 | Start at the beginning

#yes I upped the chapter count #edwardian era au #arranged marriage #harry x ginny #hp fanfic #based on a novel #a rose in winter

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milliondollarbaby87 · 8 months

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Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) Review

A feud between Alex Claremont-Diaz the son of the American President and Prince Henry part of the British monarchy gains international media attention due to an incident, they must work together in order to repair the American/British relationship but it was never going to be that simple. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading Untitled

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tcmparty · 2 years

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@tcmparty live tweet schedule for the week beginning Monday, August 01, 2022. Look for us on Twitter…watch and tweet along…remember to add #TCMParty to your tweets so everyone can find them :) All times are Eastern.

Friday, Aug. 05 at 8:00 p.m. THE THIRD MAN (1949) A man's investigation of a friend's death uncovers corruption in post-World War II Vienna.

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filmista · 1 year

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The Shining (1980)

“The most terrible nightmare I ever had. It's the most horrible dream I ever had.”

A large, snowbound hotel built on a Native American burial site with a labyrinth next to it and a family inside that takes care of it during the winter. There is a mother, a father who comes to write and their son, Danny, who hears the voice of his imaginary friend Tony.

The latter warned him about the hotel. Danny knows that voice was right as he traverses the long corridors on his tricycle. Waves of blood streaming from the elevator shaft, sudden apparitions, forbidden rooms. In another room, a typewriter is ticking. The father also begins to hear voices. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, types the writer who begins to lose his mind. Endlessly repeating the same sentence. He sees things and hears voices telling him to slaughter his wife. And his son.

Stephen King grabbed his pen and, as is his cold-blooded habit, terrified his readers. Stanley Kubrick turned it into a major horror classic in 1980. King, incidentally, was not pleased with Kubrick's adaptation, which did not follow the book at all. The image of Jack Nicholson grinning broadly at his victim through the door that he has just chopped to pieces, on the other hand, is burned onto many retinas. Just like the naked woman who degenerates into a rotting corpse in his hands and like his terrified wife who runs for her life. The actors, Nicholson in the lead, are simply sublime and manage to portray complete madness and frantic terror. In the case of Duvall.

This isn't just about the transition from sane to crazy. The duality, after all, is always there. Nicholson lives in the past during the film when he visits the bar full of former hotel guests, and in the present. There are the two twin sisters who appear to Danny (Come play with us. Forever and ever and ever.).

There is the double image due to the many mirror effects. When Nicholson talks to his son, for example, or when he's holding the corpse, we always see three characters, one Nicholson and the other. So this is an intriguing horror thriller pur sang. Kubrick chases the viewer until he has gnawed the cuticles off his nails. But there's more. Kubrick wants to tell the viewer something about himself. After the movie, with a photo of Nicholson at the party with the hotel guests as the last image, keep watching the credits.

The moment the viewer is supposed to have found his breath again and starts chatting, you suddenly hear other chatter. You realize that it is the sounds of the hotel guests. Kubrick compares us to them. We are the guests of the Overlook’s 4th of July ball. We have always been there and we have lost sight of something. We stand on it, on the Indian burial ground and yet we look over it. This film is about the American colonials, who massacred the native Indians en masse. This is a film about murder and at the meta level about genocide.

The references abound. From the start, in a beautiful panoramic view, the writer and his family drive towards the Overlook hotel in a yellow Volkswagen. They are talking about snowbound colonials who practiced cannibalism. Upon arrival, their guide literally says that in order to build the hotel, a few Indians had to be slaughtered. Before swinging the hatchet afterwards, Nicholson calls his drink the white man's burden. And Danny, who escapes into the labyrinth by retracing his steps. Winnetou couldn't have done better.

Horror, double entendres, social criticism. And we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun.

#the shining #the shining 1980 #stephen king #based on a novel #stanley kubrick #shelly duvall #jack nicholson #horror #80’s horror #horror movie #movies #films #film #cinema #film review #filmista

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k-wame · 11 months

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CHARLIE HUNNAM as Lin Ford 2022 • Shantaram • S1·EP6 • dir. Iain B. MacDonald

#charlie hunnam #shantaram #shantaramedit #gorgeous #beautiful #lin ford #tvedit #apple tv #based on a novel #male beauty #guys with long hair #tvgifs #beautiful men

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ruleof3bobby · 1 year

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WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS (2019) Grade: C-

This movies leaves you still waiting FYI. It had great potential but just couldn't find enough likable characters. Had some good sequences and scenes between actors. I’m sure it was a better book.

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epestrefe · 1 year

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Από τη πρώτη τηλεοπτική σειρά "Μαντάμ Σουσού" με την Άννα Παϊτατζή στον ομώνυμο ρόλο και ο Δημήτρης Καλλιβωκάς ως Μηνάς Κατακουζηνος.

Το 1972, πριν από τον "Άγνωστο Πόλεμο", αρχίζει να προβάλλεται η "Μαντάμ Σουσού", βασισμένη στο σατιρικό μυθιστόρημα του Δημήτρη Ψαθά που δημοσιεύτηκε πρώτη φορά το 1939 στο περιοδικό "Θησαυρός" με τη μορφή εβδομαδιαίων αυτοτελών ευθυμογραφημάτων. Στη σειρά τον ρόλο της φαντασιόπληκτης Σουσούς που θέλει να εγκαταλείψει τον Βύθουλα για να σαλπάρει για το Κολωνάκι κρατούσε η Άννα Παϊτατζή και αυτόν του ιχθυοπώλη συζύγου της Παναγιωτάκη ο Ιάκωβος Ψαρράς. Παίχτηκαν 65 επεισόδια και από αυτά σήμερα δεν σώζεται κανένα. Το 1986, μετά από τις σειρές βασισμένες σε έργα του Ψαθά ("Η Θέμις έχει κέφια", "Μια υπέροχη γλωσσού"), και την ίδια χρονιά με την "Οικογένεια Βλαμένου", η "Μαντάμ Σουσού" επαναλαμβάνεται με την Άννα Παναγιωτοπούλου σε έναν από τους καλύτερους ρόλους της και τον Θανάση Παπαγεωργίου, σε 26 επεισόδια.

#Μαντάμ Σουσού #τηλεοπτική σειρά #1972 #Άννα Παϊτατζή #Δημήτρης Καλλιβωκάς #Δημήτρης Ψαθάς #1939 #βασισμένο σε μυθιστόρημα #ελληνική τηλεόραση #greek tv #old series #based on a novel #70s

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lifewithaview · 2 months

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Colin Firth and Emilia Fox in Pride and Prejudice (1995) Episode 5

The following day, the Bingleys and Georgiana (Darcy's sister) arrive at Pemberley. Soon after, they call upon Elizabeth, who is staying nearby at the inn in Lambton. The visit is a success: Elizabeth immediately warms to Georgiana and Mr Bingley is clearly delighted to see Elizabeth again.

*The green and white striped Spencer with scalloped sleeves worn by Susannah Harker (Jane Bennet) is the same one worn by Sally Hawkins (Anne Elliot) in Persuasion (2007).

#Pride and Prejudice #1995 #tv series #episode 5 #Colin Firth #Emilia Fox #Georgiana Darcy #invitation to dinner #relationships #elopement #Lydia Bennet #drama #period drama #romance #just rewatched #Mr Darcy #based on a novel #Jane Austen

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cinematicct · 8 months

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Legally Blonde (2001)

👱‍♀️👙💼

Based on the fictional novel by Amanda Brown, this comedy film stars Reese Witherspoon as sorority girl Elle Woods who decides to enroll at Harvard Law School to try to win back the guy who broke up with her.

The supporting cast includes: Luke Wilson as junior attorney Emmett Richmond, Selma Blair as overachieving law student Vivian Kensington, Matthew Davis as Elle’s boyfriend Warner Huntington III, Jennifer Coolidge as manicurist Paulette Bonafonté, Victor Garber as the arrogant Professor Callahan and Holland Taylor as the stern yet inspiring Professor Stromwell. What’s more, the canine star of the film is a chihuahua named Moonie who plays Elle’s pet dog Bruiser.

Reese Witherspoon radiates just the right amount of witty pep and nuanced energy to take on the role of a sunny but determined blonde who goes from majoring in fashion merchandising to studying practice of law. Luke Wilson plays a mild-mannered character who doesn’t judge Elle for her perceived superficiality. Selma Blair as Vivian is portrayed as both a total snob and (later) a supportive colleague. Jennifer Coolidge is priceless in her portrayal of a self-conscious yet brassy woman who becomes a trustworthy confidante. Bruiser (the dog) is quite the precious attention-stealer as Elle treats him like a human being and carries him around wherever she goes.

The movie (along with the original novel) is an introduction of overturning discrimination against blonde stereotypes. Elle Woods is first seen expecting a marriage proposal from her long-term boyfriend Warner, only to be dumped since he saw her blonde identity as a burden to his future aspirations and (more importantly) his familial expectations of being a senator. Elle then puts her mind to work on her pursuit in becoming serious enough to not just prove her former beau wrong, but also to fight for the dignity of other blondes. However, she realizes that fitting in at Harvard is a lot harder than she thought it would be.

The story even contrasts Elle’s frivolous Southern California lifestyle with the intellectual tradition of her East Coast peers. For instance, Elle is fooled into wearing a Playboy Bunny outfit for a “costume party” in Cambridge. Not only that, but she finds Warner engaged to the preppy Vivian Kensington as his preference of an intelligent woman, igniting the old blonde vs. brunette rivalry (otherwise known as the beauty vs. brains dichotomy).

Throughout the course of the film, Elle sets out to change societal beliefs about blondes being too shallow to be smart or have a care in the world. Along the way, she defends fellow blonde/sorority sister/role model Brooke Taylor-Windham being accused of murder. What’s more, the hostility between Elle and Vivian gradually ceases as they come to see past their external differences.

The soundtrack contains a list of both original songs and cover versions of classic hits. The track list includes: “We Could Still Belong Together” by Lisa Loeb, “Watch Me Shine” by Joanna Pacitti, “Sex Machine” (a cover version of the James Brown song) by Mya and “One Girl Revolution” by Superchick to name a few. But one specific original song that plays as the theme of the film is “Perfect Day” by Hoku. Moreover, Elle helps Paulette to get the attention of her crush (a UPS delivery man) by teaching her a particular move called the “Bend and Snap”, during which the whole salon joins in.

Lastly, the memo of the whole storyline is you don’t need to change your identity, but to commit yourself to the fullest to achieve great potential. In Elle Woods’ case, she is able to rely on her looks, optimism and deep intelligence to succeed. That said, I justifiably recommend this solid girl-power movie to every fan of Reese Witherspoon.

If anyone were to ask how I came up with this, here’s my response: “What, like it’s hard?”

#legally blonde #Legally Blonde 2001 #based on a novel #amanda brown #elle woods #Reese Witherspoon #bruiser woods #Paulette bonafonte #Jennifer Coolidge #delta nu sorority #harvard law school #comedy film

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