It seems that a blond-haired Elle Woods truly captures our heart. Twenty-one years later, we still enjoy and love the sassy, independent, and pretty girl from California. We don’t want you going in circles, so here we create the top picks for you. Here, you will find movies centered around comedy, romance, and drama.
Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde is a 2001 blockbuster and classic film that still touches viewers’ hearts up to this day. It follows the journey of Elle, who is judged to be a misfit and underestimated sorority girl.
But later, she proved everyone wrong when she succeeded in going to Harvard Law School. Yes, you heard us right. Harvard Law School. Period.
Being unique, Elle Woods seems to be a surprise to her intelligent and competitive classmates. But with her unstoppable power and determination, Elle managed to overcome.
Later, this 2001 film develops a sequel: Legally Blonde: Red, White & Blonde (2003). So, we understand if you’re hooked on this great movie.
To celebrate a more than a decade of film, we are here to give our picks of movies like Legally Blonde. Each movie that we choose features the lasting power of women, with a blend of romance and drama. We are 100% sure these films will melt your hearts with their iconic scenes.
So, as Elle Woods will always say, Bend and Snap! Here are the 15 best movies like Legally Blonde.
1. Sydney White (2007)
English 1h 48m IMDb
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Stars: Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, Matt Long
On the top list of the best movies like Legally Blonde involving girls, sorority, and independence, is none other than Sydney White. If you cannot get away with Elle Woods’s bravery, let’s get rolling and find what this movie offers.
With its running time of one hour and 48 minutes, the movie is a modern adaptation of Snow White. A college freshman, Sydney White (played by Amanda Bynes), attempts to fight against the superior mentality of mean girls in the school’s sorority.
Through the help of seven misfits, Sydney won and became the campus queen. Having the courage and character of Elle Woods, Sydney is successful in transforming her school’s misguided hierarchy.
This film, directed by Joe Nussbaum, will surely take you into a story of a girl’s glamorous power in comedy and romance. Happy watching!
2. The House Bunny (2008)
English 1h 37m IMDb
Director: Fred Wolf
Stars: Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone
Directed by Fred Wolf, The House Bunny is another similar film you can watch if you can’t get enough of Legally Blonde. With a touch of comedy, independence, and romance, the movie follows the story of a woman named Shelley.
Glowing and blooming, Shelly grows into a wild fox at the Playboy Mansion. But things are not getting her way. On her 27th birthday, she was cast out of the mansion. Too desperate, she grabbed the opportunity to work as a housemother full of misfits. The question then leaves hanging: Will she finally succeed?
Like Legally Blonde, the courage to be authentic and be oneself goes a long way in this movie. With a 5.5/10 rating on IMDB and 100,000+ ratings on rotten tomatoes, The House Bunny is a great movie that you will love and enjoy!
3. Miss Congeniality (2000)
English 1h 49m IMDb
Director: Donald Petrie
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Michael CaineBen, Jamin Bratt
Starring Sandra Bullock, Miss Congeniality is a classic film that you must tick off your list if you are into movies featuring empowered women. You surely do not want to miss this movie, with a 69% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.3/10 ratings on IMDB.
Featuring action, crime, romance, and comedy, the movie follows the lead of an F.B.I. agent Gracie Hart. She doesn’t have any ounce of femininity in her body.
To combat terrorism, her colleagues assigned Agent Gracie to go undercover in none other than the Miss United States Beauty Contest. Sandra Bullock shows off her appealing looks in hilarious scenes in this film.
Released on December 22, 2000, in theaters, Miss Congeniality is a girly girl film that will surely spark the humor in you.
4. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
English 1h 49m IMDb
Director: David Frankel
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Adrian Grenier
Here’s another movie that might capture your interest if you enjoy Legally Blonde. The Devil Wears Prada revolves around the simple, naive, newly graduated woman Andrea (played by Anne Hathaway).
Just right after graduation, Andrea Sachs landed a job as an assistant to no other than the ruthless executive of the Runway fashion magazine. And she’s Miranda Priestly (Meryl Steep).
This movie is truly a hit, getting 19 wins and being nominated for two Oscars. Get your world upside down as Andrea navigates life, love, career, and growth like Elle Woods.
With Hell on Heels, The Devil Wears Prada bagged an A.F.I. Awards in 2007 as the Movie of the Year. So, the next time you are in front of your big screen, don’t forget to watch this movie.
5. Mean Girls (2004)
English 1h 37m IMDb
Director: Mark Waters
Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, Rachel McAdams
Next on our list is a movie featuring the colorful life and love in high school, Mean Gurls. Striking a 7.1/10 rating on IMDB and a 66% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Mean Gurls is about Cady Heron (starring Lindsay Lohan). She makes a terrible mistake a 16-year-old girl should never do.
Unintentionally, Cady falls in love with Aaron Samuels (played by Jonathan Bennett). Aaron happens to be the ex-boyfriend of the campus queen bee Regina George (played by Rachel McAdams).
On another note, she even joins The Plastics, a group led by Regina. Will Cady survive her high school life? Will Cady be able to make it through?
Released on April 30, 2004, with a running time of 1h & 37 m, join Cady as she fought for her battle and survival like Elle Woods.
Recommend: 10 Best Movies Like Mean Girls.
6. Clueless (1995)
English 1h 37m IMDb
Director: Amy Heckerling
Stars: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy
Are you looking for an entertaining, hilarious, but iconic on your next stop for movies? Directed and written by Amy Heckerling, Clueless is a 1995 American comedy film featuring the life of a witty teenage girl.
At the onset, the film follows Cher, a high-school student in Beverly Hills who has a unique ability. She’s good at handling relationships. Considering herself a matchmaker, she tried to make two teachers date each other.
She’s pretty, rich, and don’t forget a blonde like Elle Woods. In this film, Cher (Alicia Silverstone) discovers that there’s more to life than sparkling dresses and popularity.
7. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
English 1h 44m IMDb
Director: P.J. Hogan
Stars: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter
Confessions of a Shopaholic takes us into the story of a college graduate who suffers from shopping spree obsession. As a result, she landed herself in an enormous pile of debt.
Rebecca (played by Isla Fisher) faced the reality of her collapsing income. She worked as a magazine writer. This movie will take you into another dimension, an exciting exploration of fashion, style, and shopping.
Released on February 13, 2009, and filmed in Miami, Florida, this movie is about reaching dreams and fighting the odds.
So, if you’re on the chase for a woman fighting for happiness and independence, you are on the right track. Grab your popcorn and try watching Confessions of a Shopaholic.
8. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
English 1h 37m IMDb
Director: Gil Junger
Stars: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Next on our list, we introduce another classic film featuring a female lead. 10 Things I Hate About You is a movie based on a novel, The Taming of the Shrew, written by William Shakespeare.
It all starts when a guy named Cameron falls in love at first sight with Bianca Stratford. However, Bianca cannot date unless her shrew sister, Kat, dates. But here’s the deal. Kat likes Indie Rock and feminist prose and would not subject herself to conformity.
But like Elle Woods, you will indeed find Kat being herself, no matter what other people might say or think. She’s refreshingly genuine and a breath of fresh air.
So, get ready to binge-watch this movie, giving us a blast of romance, comedy, and drama.
9. Step sisters (2018)
English 1h 48m IMDb
Director: Charles Stone III
Stars: Megalyn Echikunwoke, Eden Sher, Lyndon Smith
We have Stepsisters next on our “must-watch” list for some more girl power in a sorority. A 2018 American comedy film, Stepsisters, focuses the spotlight on Jamilah.
Resembling Elle Woods, Jamilah has already planned her whole life. Overall, Jamilah is like a top A-student with her next plan to go to Harvard Law School.
But when she feels like everything falls into place, things begin to crumble. Jamilah’s school ordered her to teach challenged girls not just to dance, but to win the most competitive dance competition, the Spectacular.
Directed by Charles Stone III, Stepsisters was released on Netflix on January 19, 2018. For lots of love and laughs from girlfriends like Legally Blonde, Stepsisters is worth watching.
10. The Princess Diaries (2001)
English 1h 55m IMDb
Director: Garry Marshall
Stars: Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo
Now that we are in the middle of our movie entries, we have a classic Disney film in 2001 starring Anne Hathaway, The Princess Diaries. A tale of hope like Legally Blonde, this movie is about a girl Mia Thermopolis who discovers that she is an heir to the throne.
Like Elle Woods, Mia seems to be a misfit in ascending the throne. She has terrible hair and no self-esteem at all. But with determination and persistence, Mia conquers everything.
This fairytale movie is charming and genuinely entertaining. One of the most significant screenplays, it follows a sequel in 2004, The Princess Diaries Part 2: Royal Engagement. So, featuring a royal life, you are cordially invited to watch this film!
11. Election (1999)
English 1h 43m IMDb
Director: Alexander Payne
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein
Here’s another movie starring Reese Witherspoon way back in 1999 before Legally Blonde. In this film, Reese portrays the character of Tracy Flick, an active student politician.
It feels like in this movie Reese Witherspoon prepared for the coming of Elle Woods on the stage. Tracy is 100% sure that she will win the student elections in the upcoming Class President Election.
But situations happen. Things are going out of the blue. Will Tracy have what it takes to win the Election?
A clash between a student and her high-school teacher, Election is a movie that has been nominated for Oscars, with 16 wins, and a striking 7.3/10 rating on IMDB.
For an ambitious Reese Witherspoon found in a high school setting, try watching Election.
12. Wild Child (2008)
English (United Kingdom) 1h 38m IMDb
Director: Nick Moore
Stars: Emma Roberts, Aidan Quinn, Natasha Richardson
Wild Gurl explores the story of a rebellious princess that her father sends out to a strict boarding school, Abbey Mount. Directed by Nick Moore, this film features comedy, drama, and romance.
It follows the story of a Malibu brat girl named Poppy Moore (Emma Roberts). Since her mother’s death, Poppy has been seen in her worst behavior. Out of exasperation, her dad, Gerry, shipped her off to a boarding school for girls. But still, there’s no change.
Will her father’s decision change her life? For more fun and adventures, try watching Wild Child.
13. Uptown Girls (2003)
English 1h 32m IMDb
Director: Boaz Yakin
Stars: Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning, Heather Locklear
You may also Catch Brittany Murphy in this 2003 movie, Uptown Girls. In this film, she portrays a wild, privileged party girl who turns her life into chaos.
Having huge debts and pending bill payments, life for Molly seems like a whirlwind. So, she needs to get everything back into shape. Just grow up and be serious.
Attempting to change the course of her life, Molly grabbed a job opportunity of being a nanny for an 8-year-old kid. But this kid seems to be far more mature than her. Are you in the mood for a female-centered movie featuring a friendship never bound by age?
We guess that you are on the right track. Discover drama, romance, and comedy on Uptown Girls.
14. John Tucker Must Die (2006)
English 1h 29m IMDb
Director: Betty Thomas
Stars: Jesse Metcalfe, Ashanti, Arielle Kebbel
Unleashing the power of Elle Woods, here’s a similar movie that talks about the power of women. A film directed by Jeff Lowell, John Tucker Must Die, shows what will happen if girls play joint forces.
The movie starts when Kate (Brittany Snow) catches John Tucker, a notorious playboy dating three different girls at the same time.
Standing up for her fellow woman, Kate decided that she would not remain idle. Together with John Tucker’s ex-girlfriends, they planned to give John a lesson. A lesson that he should never underestimate women.
Hailed as Teen Choice Awards in 2006 and 2007, try adding John Tucker Must Die to your movie must-watch list.
15. Bring It On (2000)
English 1h 38m IMDb
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford
We are down to our last entry of movies like Legally Blonde: Bring It On. Bring It On navigates sport, romance, and comedy with a 64% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.1/10 IMDB rating.
It all begins when an undefeated cheerleading squad discovers that their previous captain stole their stunts and routines. Things start to turn into a blur. Will the team develop new practices and win this year’s championship?
Join them in navigating life, teenage romance, sports, and championships. In 2001, the movie was hailed as a winner in the Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth.
Wrapping Up
A classic film like Legally Blond will genuinely last in our minds and souls for the years to come. A story of hope that comes with thrilling humor and comedy, the movie explores that there’s more to what the human eye can see.
In this movie guide, we have gone through the 15 best movies like Legally Blonde. We are nothing but confident that you will love them!
If a film like Legally Blonde comes into mind, please let us know. Comment down below your favorite preferences on our movie’s suggestion.