Elle Review
There’s something about Legally Blonde that makes it consistently popular and enduring today. Without a shadow of doubt, that thing is Elle Woods, the poppy, sparkling underdog who defied expectations and beat the odds. Reese Witherspoon’s hilarious and moving performance as the unlikely aspiring go-getter further made this inspired film iconic. That said, it felt like a return to the Legally Blonde world was warranted, following a curious 2009 direct-to-video sequel. Fortunately, Witherspoon and the Hello Sunshine company had something in mind when they came up with Elle for Prime Video. What comes out of this is a fun, if familiar, young adult coming-of-age comedy under the grunge and sparkles of Elle’s worlds.
Elle follows an up-and-coming Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) who’s put in a tough spot. After an incident causes Elle’s family to move to Seattle, California’s happy-go-lucky princess tries her best to fit in. However, she’s constantly bashed by senior Kimberly (Chandler Kinney), who thinks Elle’s shallow. Of course, nothing can keep Elle down and she’ll try to prove what everyone thinks of her wrong. Making “friends” along the way, like Liz (Gabrielle Policano), Miles (Jacob Moskovitz), and Dustin (Zac Looker), Elle must do her best to make Seattle her own.
From the first episode alone, it’s clear that Witherspoon and company made the perfect choice in casting Minetree as Elle. Minetree captures Elle’s poppy, magnetic mannerisms to a tee, never losing a step in bringing out her joy. Plus, Minetree and her class castmates have some great chemistry, allowing for those moments of slight positivity to make you feel good. This really shows in the main three relationships she has with Dustin, Liz, and Miles, who put Elle into a spin.
When Minetree’s Elle finds herself mixed in Dustin’s troubles, the banter between the two comes off mostly good-natured. Much like everyone at Elle’s new school, he’s down-to-earth and chill, but doesn’t fear to do what’s right, which Looker does a good job highlighting. There’s a specific moment in a later episode where Dustin really shows this, even though it ends up being somewhat disastrous for Elle. Furthermore, even though Dustin has this slight pessimism, Elle’s wanting to be helpful cautiously cracks open that other side. Some may recognize the hints at a peculiar dynamic forming between the two, but it’s mostly kept passive until the final few episodes.
This also goes for Liz, who’s just slightly more reserved because of a personal stake in regards to Season 1’s root dilemma. Policano shapes Liz as this somewhat stoic, yet troubled, character that’s got more to say than she lets on. Although she’s very held on to keeping things as it was, her growing friendship with Elle also feels natural as they both try to set friendship boundaries while understanding each other. There’s also a few moments between Elle and Liz that are not only helpful in understanding Liz’s more doubtful perspective, but also adds a sense of urgency that Elle needed to develop. She keeps her own desires close to heart, which she also has in regards to Kimberly.
There’s also so many handful of other storylines that intertwine. One of them, which lays the foundation for Elle, sees Liz’s mom, Donna (Amy Pietz), get scapegoated for the school’s issues. The ensuing events that build to this moment do show that Donna is the mom that Elle needs, despite what her real mom Eva (June Diane Raphael) does. Donna’s like a shepherd for where Elle needs to go, but Eva still provides that optimistic wisdom when needed to for Elle.
That said, what the show does with Eva is basically parallel to what Elle faces. She’s still integrated into the California-isms of it all, but her husband and Elle’s dad, Wyatt (Tom Everett Scott), finds himself loving Seattle. Tom, unlike Eva, is more of a loving, if familially unknowledgeable, character that easily fits into this grounded environment. Yet, he still shows enough sincerity in his small talks with Elle that makes him lovable. However, the focus on Eva’s influence on Elle is very integral.
Eva’s arc throughout Elle Season 1 does a solid job in solidifying the idea that it’s better to be genuine and empathetic to others. From her mess-up at the book reading to the moment Elle confronts her about her attitude later in the season, Eva’s storyline adds some depth. The creative team knows she can be more and gives ample room to both appreciate and be disappointed in what she does with Elle. Her team-up with the dean (who, of course, turns out to be corrupt) makes you hope that Eva can change just like Elle. Given how longer it takes for Eva to “adapt” unlike Elle, there’s more of a hook to her storyline.
Although Elle is somewhat of a high school love story, the romantic dynamics play out too closely. At certain points, especially after Elle’s new Seattle friend, Shannon (Danielle Chand), faces a traumatic dilemma, certain moments between Elle, Miles, and Dustin may be forced. However, the show does try to throw you off your toes a bit. For example, there’s a scene at the funeral where Dustin finds himself with Elle’s LA friend, Madison (Jessica Belkin), who tries to be a bit playful. Yet, it does make you think of all the choices that these three have made. Plus, with all the advances Miles makes towards Elle behind Shannon’s back, it starts to be a bit much. Season 2 has to carry all of this baggage given that cliffhanger.
Elle Season 1 is sufficiently poppy and punkrock thanks to Lexi Minetree’s great performance as Elle Woods, a wonderful ensemble cast, and its heartfelt lesson about being empathetic, being genuine, and standing out.
Rating: ★★★½
Elle Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.