Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde 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 installment in the Legally Blonde franchise. It stars Reese Witherspoon, who reprises her role from the first film, 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 also reprising their roles.
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 aerial views of Washington buildings were scale models built by the crew.
The film opened on July 2, 2003 receiving mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $125.3 million worldwide. It was followed by a direct-to-video spin-off, Legally Blondes, released in 2009, while a direct sequel is in development.
Plot
After graduating from Harvard Law School, 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 that 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. She 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 various 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 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 been working against her. She has been trying to satisfy the interests of a significant campaign donor named "Bob".
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, she and Elle eventually reach a place of mutual respect. This is 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 be.
With the help of her friends, Elle's discharge petition is booming, and Bruiser's Bill is brought to the floor of the House. C'est Magnifique Corporation releases Bruiser's mother and the rest of the dogs.
Elle and Emmett are married in a park in D.C., albeit not at Fenway Park as planned, but standing on Fenway's 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 suggests the cities of Boston, Beverly Hills, and Washington, DC. As they pass the White House, Elle winks at the audience, hinting at a possible presidential run.
Cast
- Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods
- Moonie as Bruiser Woods
- Sally Field as Victoria Rudd
- Regina King as Grace Rossiter
- Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette Bonafonté
- Luke Wilson as Emmett Richmond
- Bob Newhart as Sid Post
- Bruce McGill as Stan Marks
- Dana Ivey as Libby Hauser
- Jessica Cauffiel as Margot Chapman
- Alanna Ubach as Serena McGuire
- Gidget as Bruiser's Mom
- Bruce Thomas as UPS Guy
- Mary Lynn Rajskub as Reena Giuliani
- J. Barton as Timothy McGinn
- Sam Pancake as Kevin
- Octavia Spencer as Security Guard
- Nicole Bilderback as Congresswoman
Production
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 aerial views of Washington buildings were scale models built by the crew.Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 35% based on 157 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." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 47 based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B" on scale of A+ to F. Entertainment Weekly ranked it at number 21 on their list of "Top 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made".Box office
The film grossed a total of $125 million worldwide.Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde hit theaters on Wednesday July 2, 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.