3 ways Legally Blonde 3 could be more relevant than you think
By Reed Gaudens
Reese Witherspoon’s working to bring back Elle Woods for Legally Blonde 3 when the world needs the fearless Gemini vegetarian most.
Whoever said reboots and revivals are the new sequels was seriously disturbed. In case your appetite for nostalgia wasn’t plenty satisfied, Reese Witherspoon continues to give us everything we want. According to Deadline, the actress and producer has neared a deal with MGM to return to the iconic pink attire of Elle Woods for the long-anticipated Legally Blonde 3. As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Witherspoon’s getting the creative team behind the 2001 classic back together for the potential third film. What, like it’s hard?
Of course, whenever another one of these revivals are announced, you’ll find the cynics among us bemoaning the necessity of the latest reach into the past: “Do we really need Legally Blonde 3?” “These dumb rom-coms don’t need sequels.” “Why couldn’t she adapt the musical instead?” These are fair points, but do we need 800 superhero movies? No, we don’t “need” anything. But we do need Reese Witherspoon to keep telling women’s stories, and Elle Woods couldn’t be a better or more relevant mouthpiece for the current social climate.
1. Feminism
If you find yourself wondering what Legally Blonde 3 would mean almost two decades after the original’s initial release, remember that Reese Witherspoon doesn’t do anything without a purpose. An Elle Woods comeback wouldn’t be an affront to fans of the film for a mere cash grab. Since Witherspoon started making a conscious effort to bring more films and television series starring and created by women to the forefront, she’s been reignited as an indomitable artist with powerful messages in her work.
Let’s not forget that in Legally Blonde, Elle Woods realized her transfer to Harvard became less about chasing a man and more about discovering the true outlets for her passionate fervor. Another sequel would further the feminist messaging of Elle’s story. As a former fashion design and merchandising student, she was looked down upon by her fellow studious, “serious” students at Harvard Law. Without losing her essence, Elle proved that despite her spirit — and hair color — she had just as much right to hold space for herself than anyone else.
2. Time’s Up
Second of all, Legally Blonde 3′s nostalgia factor has the potential to anchor a timely story. While the possible second sequel certainly could be about Elle struggling to balance life as a working mother and feature zero social relevance at all, that seems highly unlikely. Given the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements (the latter of which Witherspoon has been closely involved with), Elle’s own experience with sexual harassment in the first film could come back to inspire her to fight the good fight.
Considering Witherspoon’s recent history with telling honest stories, whether it’s producing Gone Girl or sharing the screen with a crop of talented women in Big Little Lies, it’s not a stretch to believe Elle will be sharing the spotlight and spreading the love. She could be taking on a mentor role for a misguided law student like herself (no makeovers, please) or teaming up with a group of women to dole out some justice. We can count on Witherspoon to welcome new characters with rich driving forces, and maybe even bring back old ones, like Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington.
3. Politics
Finally, in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Elle furthered her law career by taking on Capitol Hill, with her eyes trained on a move to politics. She hints that she knows of a house she could move into: The White House. Could Elle Woods be president in Legally Blonde 3? There’s no telling what she could have achieved over the past 15 years, but we shouldn’t count her out. It’s a wonder that during a time when truth and trust in politics have taken an unfortunate backseat, Witherspoon’s looking to revive the one story that could tackle it all in style.
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We like to dog on all of these reboots, revivals, sequels (who isn’t guilty of nostalgia exhaustion?), but more often than not, revamping something from the past means it has something to say in the present. A new series without the luxury of a built-in audience usually can’t. Will & Grace still has something important to say for LGBTQ+ rights in 2018. Murphy Brown has something to say about the news in 2018. Hell, as polarizing as it was, Roseanne had something to say about working class families in 2018.
More so than maybe a lower stakes but similarly adored Sweet Home Alabama sequel, Reese Witherspoon wants to use her breakthrough character to undoubtedly speak up, take a stand, and make a statement. No one could do that quite like everyone’s favorite Gemini vegetarian. Whether it’s defending her sorority sister in a murder trial or battling for animal rights, Elle Woods has something to say. Are you going to listen?
Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde are available to stream wherever movies are sold.