When a film is termed as ‘successful,’ it’s at best seen from the lens of its box office collection or how many people saw it on its opening day. A few greats adorn the veritable IMDb top 100 movies of all time list, underlining their immense contribution to the world of cinema. Not to mention the insurmountable regret cinephiles face on their deathbed, if they didn’t tick the list. Legally Blonde, a sleeper box office hit when it came out, is nowhere on this list (Yes, I checked twice).

And even though I’m no lawyer like Elle, I object!

A ‘chick-flick’ classic that’s drowned in various shades of pink and oozing with frothy frivolity, the film has, over the years, gained the stature of the quintessential ‘comfort food,’ watched best when one craves the fuzzy blanket of fairytale endings, needs a booster shot of endorphins in their system, or wants a warm hug of sisterhood and belonging.

And yet, this beguiling comfort-food-of-a-movie has engraved itself forever in our hearts with its pink furry pen and a character that continues to inspire millions across the globe. From blonde women choosing a career in law after watching it, to closet girly-girls embracing their feminine side without batting their eyeshadow-swept eyelids, this 2001 release created a pink heart-shaped dent in the world when it shattered stereotypes about ultra-femme women, by cleverly employing them.

But, breaking stereotypes aside, which many films have done in the past and continue to do so, LB’s unique value proposition still remains the iconic archetypal character it gifted us with – Woods, Elle.

Personally speaking, it was my search for identity and the desire to not be boxed into any labels that led me to a perpetual fascination with this character, making it the number one film on my list. And if I had to describe Elle Woods in one word, it would be limitless. A blonde from Bel Air whose signature colour is pink, she–like a magician pulling out an endless string of colourful scarves from under his sleeve–unravels a multitude of shades that compose her unique personality.

A self-proclaimed ‘Cosmo-girl’, she traverses the hallowed corridors of Harvard Law School in her pink heels and confidence that cannot be feigned. A walking contradiction, her depth of hair care knowledge (I’m looking at you, Ammonium Thioglycolate) is toe-to-toe with her understanding of subject matter jurisdiction. Her surreal existence, hard to believe for many, leaps across the deep trenches of ‘labels’ and ‘identity,’ capable of swallowing even the alphas of the pack.

One would ask though – What is it that makes her limitless? Why her? Why this sperm? (I walked right into this one, didn’t I?) Is she a special case or is there more to this seemingly frothy film after all?

The answer lies in her blonde hair and love for fashion, of course! A fashion merchandising student with a 4.0 GPA and an interesting list of extracurriculars to her credit (She designed a line of faux fur panties for her sorority’s charity project, remember?), it’s Elle’s passion for fashion, and her being dialed-in with herself that leads her to Harvard. While others try to fit in an external box, she crafts the box around her personality, helping her stand out from the crowd of grays and blacks all around her. Her ability to recall hundreds of important details at the drop of a hat isn’t a trivial trait she dismisses. In fact, it becomes one of her biggest strengths when she defends her client who’s framed for murder, and wins! Now isn’t that killer?

I think yes.

To shine light on this very strength in her Harvard admissions video, her friend asks her “Hey Elle, do you remember what happened on Days of Our Lives yesterday?” Elle responds by saying “Why yes Margot, once again we join Hope in search of her identity, who has been brainwashed by the evil Stefano.” Aren’t we all Hope in that sense, searching for our real face? One that, as life happens, gets buried under the many ‘masks’ or ‘identities’ we put on, to survive. Elle, to me, represents a face that thrives, instead of survives, radiating a glow that cannot be attained by luminescent powders, bronzers or highlighters alone. Reena, in LB part two echoes this sentiment when she exclaims “She’s so shiny!”

What makes her sparkle beyond the normal human range?

I believe one shines on the inside, which reflects on the outside. And Elle’s source of inner light; her secret to being limitless, is her own gaze towards herself. A risk taker who shocks everyone by saying “I don’t need back ups, I’m going to Harvard,” Elle doesn’t see herself like others do. While we see her passion for fashion, her spiritual connection to shopping, and how manicures or spas transport her to her ‘happy place,’ she knows she’s not limited to these ‘identities.’

In fact, whatever she achieves in her life – reaching Harvard, getting the internship, or winning her case – are all outcomes of who she is on the inside; a strong and compassionate woman, fiercely supportive girlfriend, a loyal confidant, a match-maker (Paulette and the UPS guy are so adorable together), and a true feminist who stands up for herself against her scumbag (Brook’s words, not mine) professor. What’s more refreshing is that her radius of feminism doesn’t exclude the opposite gender (remember when she stood up for David?). It’s how she never loses sight of this self-gaze, that makes her everything she is. Now is there anything she cannot do? No, unless you’re talking about giving up her signature colour!

Pink, for Elle, isn’t merely a colour, but an attitude she wears; one that’s rooted in her gaze.

And like our physical features, this attitude is something we’re all born with. But as we grow up, like our poreless skin of childhood, it slips away from us without a warning. Adulthood, more often than not, becomes synonymous with disappointments and failures, as life throws at us many curveballs. It’s how we hit them, our reaction to these events, that holds the key to retaining this attitude. When we dodge them by shrinking ourselves, doubting our abilities, or latching onto an ‘identity,’ it goes MIA, leaving us as lost and confused about life as Warner is (He got waitlisted, remember?). Well, is there another way?

Elle yeah!

Like a ninja dressed in pink, she deflects these negative events by looking at them through a rose-tinted lens instead. For instance, when professor Stromwell tells her to leave the class on her first day as a ‘serious law student,‘ she doesn’t wallow in self pity, or curl into a ball of nothingness, or worse, start hating her professor. Instead, her rose-tinted glasses make her see the tough road ahead clearly, allowing her to focus and take small steps towards her goals. I believe our lives would become rosier, if we simply cultivate, in Elle’s own words, “A little attitude please.”

But having this attitude, and retaining it is easier said than done. Especially in the hyper-connected world we live in now, where bullying, trolling, shaming and negative experiences have become the surround sound to our own voice. How does one, amidst all this, stay pink on the inside? Even though Elle herself isn’t immune to such heartbreaks and embarrassments, she shows us a ‘fluffy’ way around them.

When she finds out about her ex’s engagement, she drives to a nearby salon, and comes back not only with a manicure, but also a positive energy that propels her forward. On other such occasions, we see her eat a box of chocolates, or talk to her bffs. These incidents are a window to Elle’s approach to life – nurture your happy place to bounce back from disappointments. Her passionate devotion to; finding the right dress for her first day of the internship, reading her Cosmo, getting her highlights, or teaching the salon girls her famous ‘Bend and Snap’ move, bestows her with the greatest ability of all – to not take herself too seriously. The fact that she ends up achieving the most among all her classmates, while doing all this fluff stuff, demands a separate article called ‘the funny business of seriousness’ (well, it’s a working title).

This ‘fluff’ is her protective layer that keeps her connected to her own voice, even when it gets louder on the outside. Despite being called ‘Malibu Barbie’, or being made fun of for being a blonde, she walks tall because those voices don’t penetrate her inner core; only possible when you don’t let go of who you are. This is perfectly captured in the iconic line by professor Stromwall “The law leaves much room for interpretation, but very little for self-doubt.” And what’s more, she ends up making real friends by holding on to her inner light!

Just like her infectious energy, her inner light isn’t confined to her own existence, but extends its brilliance towards those around her, giving a whole new meaning to being limitless. The way she goes above and beyond to help Paulette get her dog back, or to boost her confidence in approaching the UPS guy shows her immense capacity to feel for others. Her open heartedness towards a former enemy, Vivian, is proof of how she doesn’t let first impressions ruin her chances to form deeper friendships. And, it’s her faith in herself and others that enables Emmet to come out of his own limited world, and start his own law firm. Looks like the idiom ‘when you’re a light to yourself, you’re a light to others’ was tailor-made for Elle!

Stellar outfits, shoes, and pink furry pens aside, I believe that Legally Blonde’s cult fandom lies in our core need to feel limitless and live up to our full potential. Isn’t that why some climb mountains while others take to adrenaline sports like sky-diving? The feeling of overcoming oneself, to reach the highest peak, or to fly at 40,000 ft above the ground is what being limitless is. But once you’re back from your ‘expedition’, it’s only natural to feel the urge to go for the next one, to experience it all over again. Is it possible though, to experience it while sitting in your pink pjs, with a chihuahua in your lap, and the latest Cosmo for company? I’ll let Elle Woods have the closing remarks to answer this question in her own iconic and timeless style –

“What, like it’s hard?”