Is Legally Blonde ok for a 12 year old?

Parents need to know that Legally Blonde is a tongue-in-cheek comedy starring Reese Witherspoon. While it's clearly a girl-power story in the end, it does have some sexual references and stereotyping. There are references to lap dances, body parts, wet T-shirt contests, and long interludes in the hot tub. Elle's professor makes a pass at her. Elle's sorority life in California is all about mani-pedis, Prada shoes, and snagging the right guy. She decides to go to Harvard for the wrong reasons -- following a guy -- but she ultimately learns to value her brains, even if she continues to celebrate her successes with a shopping spree. There's college drinking and some profanity ("s--t," "t-ts," "ass," "a--hole," "balls," "bastard," "bitch," etc.).

October 25, 2019

WAY too mature for the current 12yo rating

I am fairly free with what I let my daughter watch and recently rewatched this with her and couldn’t believe the amount of direct sexual conversation, much less the innuendo. This should have been a hard pass until she is way older, even though I do love this movie.

This title has:

Too much sex

Too much swearing

3 people found this helpful.

April 19, 2022

ONLY FOR 17+!!!!

Very very very VERY inappropriate. Dont listen to the other rating’s. It is for 17+. Keep in mind your putting your childs sanity on the line! Do not let if they are not 17

This title has:

Too much sex

Too much swearing

2 people found this helpful.

September 27, 2020

"some" sexual references? hmmm...

Not a prude here - but almost every scene had a crass sexual reference or joke - beware for the younger kids who aren't ready for this. Further, the female roles are generally farcical caricatures and shallow stereotypes. There is growth and empowerment as the movie progresses, so teaching moments do exist, but there are far more negative stereotypes than positive ones overall. In short, I am a little surprised by the 4 star review and the age classification from Common Sense on this one.

1 person found this helpful.

September 6, 2019

Great movie, but they missed a lot in the overview

I love this movie, I’ve seen it a hundred times! I checked common sense (as I always do) and it seemed ok for my almost 11 year olds. However, I wound up having to fast forward through a few parts that weren’t mentioned. The scene in the jail where she tells them to “show them a picture of his [email protected]$” and the scene in the classroom where they talk about sperm donation and masturbation, overall though, my girls loved it!!

1 person found this helpful.

May 4, 2021

Fun, upbeat movie!

I really enjoyed this movie. Got totally hooked! The actors and story line was great! Not much inappropriate content. Little talk of murder and some kissing.

This title has:

Great messages

Great role models

September 20, 2020

Brilliant!

Watched this the other day. Many reviews state it may be far too sexual for little ones. The lap dance is only mentioned for 5 seconds. The sperm donor does not go into detail and the scene is very well made - meaning no one in the classroom laughs. Which is a very good message as it should be normalised talking about these things without laughing or making a mockery. With the sexual harassment, if you believe your child is alright with the scene then go ahead! Elle handles the situation perfectly and is a role model and shows you how to handle this. However there is a lot of swearing.

This title has:

Great messages

Too much swearing

June 27, 2020

Amazing

Thai is great in love this movie

This title has:

Great messages

Great role models

Too much sex

August 14, 2019

Funny, great film

This film is all about feminism, being blonde, and being able to look good and be smart at the same time. I love the fact that my kid has watched it, because I think it has great role models, and a great message. Most of the characters end up being really lovely, and the ex-boyfriend gets a terrible end. The whole film is super funny with only a few sex references and a little language! Definitely let your kid watch!

This title has:

Great messages

Great role models

Too much sex

March 31, 2019

One of the Best Movies Ever

Now, I have a soft spot for chick-flicks. And this is like a textbook example of one. It’s funny, charming, and enjoyable for everyone! Besides some language and minor innuendo, it’s a fun movie!

This title has:

Too much sex

Too much swearing

March 24, 2019

Watchable with younger kids, if you don't mind doing some explaining

I watched Legally Blonde with my almost seven year old daughter. She enjoyed the film, and considered it another kind of Barbie movie, and she's not really wrong. Elle Woods is very similar to the modern Barbie in that both are about achievement and kindness combined with heavy personal maintenance. It had been a while since I had watched the movie and had although I remembered the plot completely, I had forgotten some of the racier lines in the movie. But it was really not that bad. My daughter was a bit surprised at the adult language in the film - people calling each other "butthead" and saying "goddamn it." Some went over her head fortunately: when Elle insulted Vivian by calling her a "frigid bitch," and when Elle is referred to as a "walking felony" due to her sexy outfit and takes it as a complement. The only terms that my daughter didn't get that I had to explain were "liposuction," and "piece of ass." Liposuction was easy, and for "piece of ass" I said that it was a mean thing that people say about someone, to show that they don't think that person's thoughts or feelings matter and that people only hang out with them because they are pretty. She felt that this is a horrible thing to call someone, and she's right! Although there were references to offscreen sex, I don't think there was even a kiss on screen. The only sexual contact was Elle's professor putting a hand on her knee, and all characters are appropriately horrified. I can't remember any violence, other than a staged face slap, though the featured court case is a murder and people talk about the accused being "drenched in blood." The lesbian college student and gay dudes in the salon are cliche but not appallingly considering this movie is 20 years old. There isn't any smoking or drug use, and the only drinking is Elle taking one sip of champagne at her break up at the beginning.

This title has:

Great messages

Great role models

Too much sex

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