Legally Blonde

"No more boring suits or pantyhose, I'm trying to be somebody I'm not."

We all love a good chick-flick right? Well, Legally Blonde is definitely that type of movie and I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed it. Yes, it had all of the classic, cheesy cliches and tropes, but it still made me happy and even brought a sense of nostalgia too. The movie came out when I was 10 years old and through the years I had seen bits and pieces and knew about it and even saw Legally Blonde: The Musical in 2010 (the whole thing is on youtube by the way) and I loved the way they turned into a musical. I actually enjoyed it more than I did the film, or at least what I had seen of it. And so, in a recent watch, or rewatch, I found that I really enjoyed it, and I made the connections with certain things in the movie to the musical, so that was fun because now I have them in a different context. 

I love how it starts out with Elle initially going to Harvard to win Warner back, but she ends up taking it seriously and she proves that she is good enough to be a lawyer, regardless of what Warner said. Everyone said it was too serious, but her knowledge of fashion, actually helped them in the case they worked on, so that just shows that it's good to have other talents/skills that can be used when others wouldn't even think about that particular thing.  

Warner was a first rate jackass and I enjoyed all the times when Elle told him off and proved him wrong when he said she wasn't good enough. She proved him and everyone wrong and it was so inspiring to me and gave me so much confidence because while it is a chick-flick, it made me feel like there wasn't anything I couldn't achieve. Reese Witherspoon did a wonderful job playing Elle and rewatching it as an adult, gave me a new perspective and it was there when I needed it. 

Best Picture Winners: Million Dollar Baby

"If there's magic in boxing, it's the magic of fighting battles beyond endurance, beyond cracked ribs, ruptured kidneys and detached retinas. It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you."

I went into this movie thinking it was going to be a typical film about boxing, the underdog goes the distance and faces adversity to achieve the title, and this was sort of like that, but a little different. When I think of movies like this I think of the Rocky movies, since there are so many of them and they have the typical plot that I am familiar with. Well, when it came to Million Dollar Baby, I was surprised. It was about boxing, but it was a different story than the Rocky films. As it should be. They both have raw, emontional, relatable stories, just told and portrayed differently. For one thing, Million Dollar Baby is about a girl boxer and a hardended trainer who doesn't want to help her. 

So, why would a boxing movie win Best Picture? Well, this isn't your typical boxing movie...or maybe it is and Rocky did win Best Picture in 1976. So, what makes movies like this so good and relatable for people? Well, it's about going after a dream. Even if it's a dream you have all by yourself and no one else believes in you and you want that dream more than anything. It's about proving yourself. Showing how through determination and adversity we can succeed and yeah, we will almost always have obstacles that get in our way, but we get there one way or another. 

In Maggie Fitzgerald's (Hilary Swank) case, she got there, but then almost lost it all when she did. And Frankie (Clint Eastwood) learned how to be the father he never could be to his own daughter. 

The acting in this movie was phenomenal and I personally loved how Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman) narrated the film and how it was all basically told through his perspective. Then in the end we find out he is writing to Frankie's daughter and showing her how great of a man he truly was. That was some cool symbolism right there and I wonder if he knew where she was and whether he would also get the same "Return to Sender" notice on the letter. 

What was so emotional about this movie was not only the fact that Frankie warmed up to Maggie and grew to care about her as his own, but that Maggie ended up the way she did. At least she got a shot. Not the title, but a shot and that is what she wanted. That's why she was so persistent and determined to have Frankie train her because she believed that he could get her there. She didn't want to continue living the way she was, just existing. Not being able to move. Then Frankie having to do it. I also love that he loved what "mo cuishle" meant right before he gave her the shot to make her go to sleep. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful moment. 

This film was exceptional well acted by everyone involved and it deserved to win Best Picture of the year for 2004. It touches us, makes us cry, makes us think and relate. That's what a good movie does and this one hit all of those things. 

I wonder if Frankie ever reconnected with his daughter Katy again...I guess we'll never know.