Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde | |
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Directed by | Charles Herman-Wurmfeld |
Screenplay by | Kate Kondell |
Based on | Characters by Amanda Brown |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Elliot Davis |
Edited by | Peter Teschner |
Music by | Rolfe Kent |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | MGM Distribution Co. (United States) 20th Century Fox (International) [1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $45 million [2] |
Box office | $125.9 million [2] |
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (also referred to simply as Legally Blonde 2) is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld and written by Kate Kondell. It is a sequel to the 2001 film Legally Blonde and the second film in the Legally Blonde series. It stars Reese Witherspoon (who also served as the film's executive producer) alongside an ensemble cast featuring Sally Field, Regina King, Jennifer Coolidge, Bruce McGill, Dana Ivey, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Bob Newhart, Luke Wilson, and Bruce Thomas, with Coolidge, Wilson, and Thomas reprising their roles from the first film.
Although the story is set in Washington, D.C., the film was shot in the offices at the Delta Center and the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. The supposed "aerial views" on Washington buildings were scale models built by the crew. [3]
The film opened on July 2, 2003, to generally negative reviews from critics. Nevertheless, it was a box office success, grossing $125 million worldwide. It was followed by a 2003 television pilot, starring Jennifer Hall, and a 2009 spin-off, Legally Blondes , starring Camilla and Rebecca Rosso, while a sequel is in development, with Witherspoon, Coolidge, Wilson, and Thomas reprising their roles.
After graduating from Harvard Law School, [lower-alpha 1] Elle Woods wants her Chihuahua, Bruiser, to reunite with his mother, hoping both dogs will attend her wedding to her fiancé Emmett. Elle hires a detective to find Bruiser's mother, only to discover that her owner is C'est Magnifique, a cosmetics company that uses Bruiser's mother for testing. Discovering her law firm represents the corporation, she urges the firm to drop them as a client but is dismissed.
Elle decides to leave Boston for Washington, D.C., to work on Bruiser's Bill. Elle takes it upon herself to be the "voice for those who can't speak" and to outlaw animal testing. While working for Congresswoman Victoria Rudd, Elle is met with skepticism and other barriers common to Washington politics. Rudd's member of staff, Timothy, sarcastically calls her "Capitol Barbie". After a variety of ups and downs including a failed attempt to improve her work environment by having her co-workers write compliments about one another and place them in the "snap cup", Elle starts to lose her faith in Washington politics.
Elle discovers that Bruiser is gay, after she is paged by "The Paws That Refreshes: A Doggy Day Spa". He has been affectionate with Leslie, a Rottweiller owned by Congressman Stan Marks, the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce which has jurisdiction over Bruiser's Bill. Elle also finds that Congresswoman Libby Hauser, the Ranking Member of the same committee, was a member of Elle's sorority Delta Nu. As a result, both Marks and Hauser warm to Elle and eventually come to support Bruiser's Bill.
Elle also discovers that Rudd has actually been working against her. She has been trying to satisfy the interests of a major campaign donor named "Bob" (with whom Rudd has several telephone conversations).
However, Rudd is eventually blackmailed into supporting Elle's petition thanks to her Chief of Staff, Grace Rossiter. She has a recorded conversation during which Rudd admits to Elle that she has been working against Bruiser's Bill to help her sponsors who want to continue testing on animals.
As Grace is appalled that Rudd lied to Elle and blamed it on her, Grace and Elle eventually reach a place of mutual respect, especially after Grace admits she came to Washington, D.C., with an enthusiasm not unlike Elle's, but later lost that idealism when she discovered how dirty politics could really be.
With the help of her friends, Elle's discharge petition is successful, and Bruiser's Bill is brought to the floor of the House. Bruiser's mother and the rest of the dogs are released by C'est Magnifique Corporation.
Elle and Emmett get married in a park in D.C., albeit not at Fenway Park as they had planned, but standing on the home plate delivered to D.C. by Paulette's husband. Emmett asks Elle where she wants to live since they are now a married couple, and he goes on to suggest the cities of Boston, Beverly Hills, and Washington DC.
In June 2018, Reese Witherspoon entered negotiations with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to produce and star in a third installment in the Legally Blonde film series. Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith were hired as co-screenwriters. [4] MGM later confirmed in a Twitter post that Legally Blonde 3 was set to be released on May 8, 2020, [5] though it did not meet this date. In May 2020, it was announced that Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor would write an entirely new script for the film. [6]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 36% based on 158 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The site's critical consensus states: "This blonde joke is less funny the second time around." [7] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 47 based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [8] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B" on scale of A+ to F. [9] Entertainment Weekly ranked it at number 21 on their list of "Top 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made" (2006). [10]
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde hit theaters on the Wednesday before the Fourth of July in 2003 and grossed nearly $40 million by Monday. The following weekend ticket sales were half of that, and the film quickly left theaters in the coming weeks. Grossing about $90 million in the U.S., the film was a success for the studio, though many expected it to perform just as well as Witherspoon's last big film, Sweet Home Alabama .
The film was released on DVD and VHS in November 4, 2003. The video sold 2 million copies earning a profit of over 35.4 million dollars. [11] The film was released on Blu-Ray in March 29, 2011.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
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Soundtrack album by various artists | |
Released | July 1, 2003 |
Genre | |
Label | Curb |
Producer |
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Singles from Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic [13] |
A soundtrack for the film was released on July 1, 2003, by Curb Records. [14] "We Can" was released as a single for the soundtrack by American country music recording artist LeAnn Rimes on June 16, 2003, by Curb Records. [15]
No. | Title | Recording artist(s) | Length |
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1. | "We Can" | LeAnn Rimes | 3:40 |
2. | "Breakthrough" | Hope 7 | 2:45 |
3. | "Atomic Dog" (Dogs of the World Unite Remix) | George Clinton (featuring Coolio) | 4:23 |
4. | "Me Against the World" | Superchick | 2:58 |
5. | "I'm Just a Bill" | Deluxx Folk Implosion | 3:26 |
6. | "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" | Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin | 4:53 |
7. | "More Bounce (In California)" | Soul Kid #1 | 3:59 |
8. | "For What It's Worth" | Candyskins | 4:00 |
9. | "Power to the People" | John Lennon | 3:21 |
10. | "America" | Lou Reed | 2:49 |
11. | "We Can" (American Mix) | LeAnn Rimes | 3:36 |
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film, set in New York City among rich high schoolers, is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015, and Forbes listed her among the world's 100 most powerful women in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, Forbes named her the world's highest earning actress, and in 2023, she was named one of the richest women in America with an estimated net worth of $440 million.
Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic film directed by Andy Tennant. Written by C. Jay Cox, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey. The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. It was released in the United States on September 27, 2002, by Buena Vista Pictures. The film takes its title from the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same name. It received mixed critical reception, but was a success at the box office.
Legally Blonde is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, based on Amanda Brown's 2001 novel of the same name. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge. The story follows Elle Woods (Witherspoon), a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Davis) by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School, and in the process, overcomes stereotypes against blondes and triumphs as a successful lawyer.
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress. Known for her work in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
Elle Woods is the protagonist of Amanda Brown's 2001 novel Legally Blonde and the 2001 film of the same name as well as the 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde. Woods is also the protagonist of the 2007 Broadway adaptation of the film. Woods is also the basis of a series of young adult fiction novels by Natalie Standiford. The character is mentioned but not seen in the 2009 direct-to-video sequel, Legally Blondes, which portrays the adventures of her twin British cousins. In 2018, Ariana Grande referenced Elle in several scenes of her "Thank U, Next" music video.
Legally Blonde is a 2007 musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach. It is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name.
Tané M. McClure, sometimes credited as Tahnee Cain and Tané Cain, is an American actress, singer, producer, writer, director, and film editor.
Legally Blondes is a 2009 American teen comedy film directed by Savage Steve Holland. Filmed as a pilot to a canceled television series, it is a spin-off of the Legally Blonde film series. Reese Witherspoon, who played Elle Woods in the first two Legally Blonde films, serves as a producer. The film stars Milly and Becky Rosso as Elle's British twin cousins.
"We Can" is the twenty-fourth single recorded by American country pop singer LeAnn Rimes, released on June 16, 2003, by Asylum-Curb Records from the Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003). It was penned by Diane Warren and produced by Dann Huff. It would also be included on both 2003's Greatest Hits and 2004's The Best of LeAnn Rimes. It is an empowerment song about how people can do the impossible.
Legally Blonde may refer to:
Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods is an MTV program created in order to cast an actress to replace Laura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show debuted on June 2, 2008.
Charles Herman-Wurmfeld is an American film and television director. He directed the movies Kissing Jessica Stein and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. His sister is producer Eden H. Wurmfeld.
How Do You Know is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed, written and produced by James L. Brooks, and starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson in his final film role to date. It was the third film to feature Witherspoon and Rudd following Overnight Delivery and Monsters vs. Aliens. The plot follows softball player Lisa (Witherspoon), who is caught in a love triangle between two men—the charming baseball player Matty (Wilson) and George (Rudd), a businessman who is charged for stock fraud.
Hot Pursuit is a 2015 American action comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Written by David Feeney and John Quaintance, the story follows a police officer assigned to protect the widow of a drug boss from corrupt cops and criminals who want her dead as they race through Texas to avoid detection. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara.
Legally Blonde is a 2001 romantic comedy novel by American author Amanda Brown, with a copyright credit also going to Brigid (Bridget) Kerrigan.
Legally Blonde is an American media franchise created by Amanda Brown. It consists of American comedy films, a Broadway musical, a reality television series, and an upcoming television series. The films include two theatrical releases, one musical television film, one straight-to-home video release, and a third theatrical film in development. The installments follow the comical adventures of Elle Woods, portrayed by actress Reese Witherspoon in the films, a blonde California University of Los Angeles sorority president, who enrolls in law school.
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Moonie, also known as Moondoggie, was a canine actor. He was a Chihuahua best known for his role as Bruiser Woods in the films Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, appearing alongside actress Reese Witherspoon. He lived with Gidget, another Chihuahua who was famous for her Taco Bell commercials.
Reese Witherspoon is an American actress. She made her acting debut in The Man in the Moon (1991). After featuring in the Disney production A Far Off Place (1993), she starred as a violent youth in Freeway (1996). She then rose to prominence in 1999 with Cruel Intentions and for her portrayal of Tracy Flick in the black comedy Election, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical nomination. She achieved fame for her work on romantic comedies with her role as Elle Woods in the comedy Legally Blonde (2001) and its 2003 sequel, as well as her starring role in Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in the 2005 biographical musical film Walk the Line. She also received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 2014 drama Wild.
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