Legally Blonde (2001)

Perm-care trivia wins the big trial in Legally Blonde, which is absurd, and it’s also one of the most satisfying courtroom wins in any comedy. The weaker stuff sits around it. Warner is a cardboard cutout of a snob, Emmett is pleasant wallpaper, and an uncomfortable subplot with Elle’s professor gets wrapped up way too neatly. But Reese Witherspoon is unstoppable. She plays Elle as smart from the jump, never a ditz who wises up, and the joke is always on whoever underestimates her. Her flat, puzzled reply when someone is shocked she got into Harvard is perfect. Jennifer Coolidge gives Paulette a goofy sweetness that nearly steals the movie, and Selma Blair turns Vivian from rival to ally with real grace. It made $142 million worldwide on a reported $18M, with an A minus CinemaScore. A 7.1 because it’s a sharp, kind comedy about being underestimated, and Witherspoon nails every beat. $621 says you consider spraying perfume on your next résumé and talk yourself out of it at the very last second.

What works: Reese Witherspoon makes Elle smart from the start, and Jennifer Coolidge and Selma Blair turn small roles into highlights.

What doesn’t: Warner and Emmett are paper-thin, and the uncomfortable subplot with Professor Callahan gets resolved far too neatly.

Who it’s for: Anyone who has ever been underestimated in a classroom, and friends planning a pink-themed movie night.