When Is Elle Set? The Legally Blonde Timeline, Explained
In 2001, Reese Witherspoon became a household name thanks to her turn as perky and positive blonde Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
Based on the book by Amanda Brown, Legally Blonde is a fictionalised take on Brown’s own experience of going to Stanford Law School. The film was a massive hit and is a ‘00s nostalgia staple for millennials everywhere.
Now, 25 years after the first movie, comes Elle, a television series diving into Miss Woods’ life before she was Delta Nu president. Although not arriving on Prime Video until July 1, Elle has already had a second season greenlit. In today’s cancellation happy society, getting a second season before airing a single episode is an impressive feat and shows that there is a lot of faith that Elle will be well-received by fans.
But what exactly is Elle about, and where does it fit into the Legally Blonde universe?
When, and Where, is Elle Set?
Although there are several YA novels in existence that chronicle the adventures of young Elle Woods, for Elle, showrunner Laura Kittrell has gone in a different direction. Rather than depict the picture perfect life of the bubble-gum princess of Bel Air, the story follows the formula of the movie, placing Elle as a fish out of water in the grunge scene of 1995 Seattle. Rainy Seattle couldn’t be further from sunshine-soaked California, and Elle and her pinkness struggle to fit in amongst all of the plaid.
Set six years before Legally Blonde, Elle must navigate junior year at her new school, where sarcasm and cynicism are the default modes of interaction. Of course, Elle Woods is not one to let a challenge stop her, and she sets about winning her new classmates over, with variable results.
Billed as a coming-of-age dramedy, Elle is set to be the new teen show to get everyone talking. Best of all, given the 1995 setting, Elle’s audience won’t exclusively be teens, with those of us who lived through the decade tuning in to get that nostalgia hit from the fashion and music featured.
Who is Playing Elle Woods?
Stepping into the pink kitten heels of Reese Witherspoon’s iconic role is no easy task. The search for someone capable of playing younger Elle Woods was exhaustive, with most of young Hollywood rumoured at some point or another.
Eventually the role was won by Lexi Minetree, an actress better known for her stage credits than her film or TV work. Minetree’s filmography to date includes a lot of short films, as well as TV movie The Paramedic Who Stalked Me, crime thriller The Murdaugh Murders, and indie horror All Alone Together. While she might be unknown now, playing Elle Woods is certain to see Minetree’s star power rise very quickly.
The Elle cast includes more new faces in the form of Gabrielle Policano, Zac Looker, Jessica Belkin (next to be seen in the Baywatch reboot), and Jacob Moskovitz, with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin star Chandler Kinney rounding out the teen cast.
The roles of Elle’s parents are played by Tom Everett Scott and June Diane Raphael. Both are great character actors and their combined credits include projects such as Weapons, That Thing You Do!, 13 Reasons Why, and Freakier Friday. Finally, Elle’s cast also features the last performance of the late James Van Der Beek, who made his mark on the teen drama scene playing Dawson Leery in landmark show Dawson’s Creek.
How to Watch the Rest of the Legally Blonde Movies
Ahead of the launch of Elle, Prime Video have handily collected up all three films in the Legally Blonde universe. Technically each of them is set after the events of Elle, but who can resist an opportunity to hang out in the world of Elle Woods?
Legally Blonde is obviously where it all began and finds sunny personality Elle getting into law school in the hopes of winning back her ex-boyfriend, Warner. Initially judged based on her shiny façade, it soon becomes clear that Elle actually has exactly what it takes to become a formidable lawyer.
For the sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Elle moves to Washington to take on Capitol Hill so that she can get an anti-animal testing bill passed and rescue the mother of her beloved chihuahua, Bruiser. Though not quite as strong as the original film, this sequel is a ridiculously easy watch and the runtime flies by.
The truly committed can also check out Legally Blondes, a 2019 spin-off which follows Elle Woods’ younger cousins as they move from California to England. Upon arrival, they find themselves framed for a crime at their new prep school and they must rely upon the Woods brand of smarts to clear their names.
