Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde

Last updated

Legally Blonde 2:
Red, White & Blonde
Legally Blonde 2 film poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Screenplay byKate Kondell
Based onCharacters
by Amanda Brown
Produced by
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
  • July 2, 2003 (2003-07-02)
Running time
95 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
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.

Contents

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.

Plot

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 Congresswoman 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 in order 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 which has been 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. Elle glances at the White House, winking at the camera as the movie ends.

Cast

Sequel

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]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 36% based on 158 reviews, with an average rating 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]

Box office

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 .

Soundtrack

Legally Blonde 2:
Red, White & Blonde –
Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedJuly 1, 2003 (2003-07-01)
Genre
Label Curb
Producer
Singles from Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "We Can"
    Released: October 28, 2003
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [12] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg

A soundtrack for the film was released on July 1, 2003, by Curb Records. [13] "We Can" was released as a single for the soundtrack by American country music recording artist LeAnn Rimes on October 28, 2003, by Curb Records. [14]

Track listing
No.TitleRecording artist(s)Length
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 #13:59
8."For What It's Worth"Candyskins4:00
9."Power to the People" John Lennon 3:21
10."America" Lou Reed 2:49
11."We Can" (American Mix)LeAnn Rimes3:36

Notes

  1. As depicted in Legally Blonde (2001)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reese Witherspoon</span> American actress (born 1976)

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.

<i>Sweet Home Alabama</i> (film) 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film

Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic comedy 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 a mixed critical reception, but was a success at the box office.

<i>Legally Blonde</i> 2001 film by Robert Luketic

Legally Blonde is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his feature-length directorial debut and scripted by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith from 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Coolidge</span> American actress (born 1961)

Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress. A character actress with performances across screen and television, primarily in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2023, Coolidge was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elle Woods</span> Fictional character in the "Legally Blonde" franchise

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.

<i>Legally Blonde</i> (musical) 2007 musical

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.

Tanja Reichert is a former Canadian actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tané McClure</span> American actress, singer

Tané M. McClure, sometimes credited as Tahnee Cain and Tané Cain, is an American actress, singer, producer, writer, director and film editor.

<i>Legally Blondes</i> 2009 film by Savage Steve Holland

Legally Blondes is a 2009 American direct-to-DVD teen comedy film directed by Savage Steve Holland. Filmed as a pilot to a cancelled 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Can (song)</span> 2003 single by LeAnn Rimes

"We Can" is the twenty-fourth single by American country pop singer LeAnn Rimes, released on October 28, 2003 by Curb Records from the Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde – Motion Picture Soundtrack and was included on Rimes' Greatest Hits album.

Legally Blonde may refer to:

<i>Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods</i> American TV series or program

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.

Type A Films was a film production company founded by actress and producer Reese Witherspoon in 2000.

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.

<i>Hot Pursuit</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

Hot Pursuit is a 2015 American action comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was written by David Feeney and John Quaintance. Its 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. It stars Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara.

<i>Legally Blonde</i> (novel) 2001 novel by Amanda Brown

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 a cancelled 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello Sunshine (company)</span> American media company

Hello Sunshine is an American media company founded by actress Reese Witherspoon and Strand Equity Founder and Managing Partner Seth Rodsky in 2016. Pacific Standard, the production company Witherspoon co-founded with Bruna Papandrea in 2012, is now a subsidiary of Hello Sunshine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moonie (dog)</span> Chihuahua canine actor

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reese Witherspoon filmography</span>

Reese Witherspoon is an American actress. She made her acting debut in The Man in the Moon (1991). Her second box office performance was with Kiefer Sutherland in Freeway (1996) in which Witherspoon played a youth troubled by victimization and neglect who has a violent murderous streak, but in the name of protecting vulnerable youth from sexual predation by seemingly perverted men. 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Legally Blonde 2 - Red White & Blonde (PG)". British Board of Film Classification . June 27, 2003. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Legally Blonde 2:Red, White and Blonde". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  3. "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Production Notes | 2003 Movie Releases" . Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  4. McNary, Dave (June 4, 2018). "Reese Witherspoon in Talks to Return for 'Legally Blonde 3'". Variety . Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  5. Hipes, Patrick (January 25, 2019). "'Morbius' & 'Ghostbusters' Solidify Summer 2020 Release Dates". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  6. D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 18, 2020). "'Legally Blonde 3': Mindy Kaling & Dan Goor Giving Fresh Take To MGM-Hello Sunshine Sequel". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  7. "Legally Blonde 2 - Red, White & Blonde". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  8. "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde". Metacritic . Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  9. "LEGALLY BLONDE 2 (2003) B". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  10. Nashawaty, Chris (December 22, 2007). "The 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  11. Legally Blonde 2: Motion Picture Soundtrack (CD). Various Artists. Curb Records. 2003. D2-78822.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. "Legally Blonde 2 - Original Soundtrack". Allmusic.com . Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  13. "Legally Blonde 2 - Motion Picture Soundtrack: Various Artists: Music". Amazon. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  14. "iTunes - Music - We Can (Remixes) by LeAnn Rimes". Itunes.apple.com. October 28, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2011.