Lexi Minnetree is perfectly cast, playing Elle with kindness, optimism, and wisdom.Jessica Brooks/Provided
The worst thing about Prime Video’s new youth-biased series Elle is that it doesn’t feel like a prequel to Legally Blonde. On paper, that’s true, but in reality, it erases everything that made the 2001 Reese Witherspoon movie so special.
Elle stars Lexi Minnetree as the title character and stars Tom Everett Scott and June Diane Rafael as her parents, Wyatt and Eva Woods. When plastic surgeon Wyatt is ostracized after a botched nose job, the family flees Bel Air and heads to rainy Seattle. There, Elle begins attending high school among a crowd of grunge and Nirvana fans who don’t immediately approve of her pink princess act. That’s especially true of local bully Kimberly, played by Chandler Kinney, whom younger fans will recognize from Disney’s Zombies series.
Like Legally Blonde, this is the story of a young girl finding her place in the world while fighting stereotypes and finding her voice. Unfortunately, it throws all the movie and book canon out the window. Elle Woods is described as a character who grew up in a privileged little corner of the world and was never exposed to outside influences.
Like Legally Blonde, this is the story of a young girl finding her place in the world while fighting stereotypes and finding her voice.Jessica Brooks/Associated Press
By moving her to Seattle and forcing her teenage self to deal with these situations, the TV show rewrites who this character is. The gist of the movie is that Elle Woods arrives at Harvard happily, without worrying about how others perceive her. She is optimistic by nature, but not because life has made her so. This is in direct contradiction to the character, a longtime fan favorite that spawned two sequels: a Broadway musical and a reality show.
This approach will be familiar to anyone who’s been disappointed with other Prime Video films, including The Lord of the Rings, Every Year After, and A League of Their Own. It’s about taking a beloved property, changing its DNA, and hoping nostalgic viewers will come along. But reinventing a character’s past isn’t the same as deepening it.
Witherspoon’s involvement as an executive producer is also a shame, given the inevitable expectations that come with her involvement. Adding some Easter eggs to the original movie, the show never lets viewers forget that these are supposed to be the same characters.
The good news is that if you’re not a die-hard movie fan and can get past the inconsistencies within the series, Elle is still a fun, light show that fits perfectly into Prime Video’s current young adult library.
Minetree is perfectly cast, playing Elle with kindness, optimism, and wisdom. She may be the underdog in Seattle, but she’s not willing to compromise who she fits in with. The character is a solid character for a new generation of young women to look up to, and includes plenty of nods and references to the ’90s that older generations will still be excited to watch.
Elle Woods is a solid character for a new generation of young women to look up to.Jessica Brooks/Associated Press
The visual contrast between Elle’s bright world and dark Seattle, established in the opening credits, gives the series a unique look, and the soundtrack is packed with ’90s bangers from Oasis and Pearl Jam to Lisa Loeb and No Doubt.
Co-showrunners Caroline Dries and Laura Kittrell do a great job of expanding the world of the characters, especially when it comes to Elle’s mother. Rafael is also perfectly cast, adding a grown-up perspective to the challenges of trying to be a good parent while unexpectedly fitting in and starting over.
As for the high school characters, they lean heavily toward “mean girls,” with references to cafeteria seating hierarchies, bullying, and weird friends that everyone else ignores. It’s comforting because it’s familiar, but the author isn’t breaking the mold at all.
That’s especially true when Elle falls in love with her new friend’s boyfriend, Miles (Jacob Moskowitz), and struggles with her feelings to try to be a good person. The series leans too heavily into that conflict in too many episodes, rather than giving Elle any meaningful challenges or opportunities for growth.
By the end of the eight-episode series, it feels like we’ve spent time with a new and likable heroine, but she’s not the Elle Woods you previously imagined. Stripped of the Legally Blonde branding, this is a fun coming-of-age story with great leads, an interesting cinematic look, and a great soundtrack.
Don’t mistake this for an Elle Woods origin story.
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