Two Chick Flicks You Must See

by Alex Lemieux

If I were to say I have a guilty pleasure, I would have to say it would chick flicks.  A chick flick never fails to capture my heart with the romantic storyline or embrace me in the idea of girl power leading me to re-watching the film multiple times and never getting tired of it. In my opinion there are two chick flicks that are an absolute must to watch: ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘She’s the Man’. Both films instantly grabbed me and kept me enticed throughout.

Legally Blonde immediately comes to mind when I think of my favourite films, yet alone chick flicks, due to its inspirational message of never giving up on your dreams and that you don’t need to change yourself to succeed. If you’re unfamiliar with the storyline, a girl named Elle Woods, who could be considered a feminist, attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend with a law degree and towards the end of the film she must help clear the name of fitness instructor who has been accused of murdering her husband. Elle uses her hair care knowledge to discover who the real murderer was, demonstrating that all knowledge has the ability to be strength, even if it’s considered useless by some. Near the beginning of the film you see Elle visit her guidance counsellor and at no point is she told to give up on her ambition to go to Harvard and study law; she is simply told what she needs to do to achieve her goal and is accepted for being determined. 

Although she was doubted by many, Elle never gave up on herself and did not let people’s opinions of her get her down and instead took their opinions in her stride, making her a role model to girls. Moreover, at no point in the film does she change her personality or looks, demonstrating that you shouldn’t change yourself because you feel like you don’t fit in. Throughout her time at Harvard, Elle stays the beauty obsessed, pink enthusiast she has always been even though it could be said she stands out but this never stops her, and so, she is always true t herself. It also must be said that Elle is an independent female who is driven by the fact her ex-boyfriend doesn’t think she’s good enough to be going to the same law school as him despite the fact he needed his dad to assist him by calling the school in order for him to be accepted yet Elle got into the school all by herself. He tells her to give up on her dreams because she won’t make them when she wants to apply for an internship but Elle ignores what he says showing that she won’t let a man dictate her life and is driven even more by this as she wants to prove him wrong. Altogether, the film has a strong message that motivates girls all around the world to not be held back by men or not feeling good enough because Elle proved that if you want something enough, you will achieve it if you work hard and don’t let anything hold you back.

She’s the Man is a film that is based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and I was immediately connected to it due its girl power element but also the humour that came with it. A comedy that also incorporates a strong message will always be something that I will greet with a soft heart as the jokes never get old when I feel encouraged at the same time. The plot is a modernised Twelfth Night in short as the main characters all have the same, or similar, names and it is based around twins Viola and Sebastian where Viola dresses up as man and the idea of Olivia falling in love with Viola (disguised as a boy) and Duke Orsino being in love with Olivia. However, the twist with She’s the Man is that it is based on Viola’s girls football team being dropped by the school and Viola being refused from joining the boys team , as she is apparently not good enough, and so, she dresses up as her brother and pretends to be him at his school, while he is away in London, in order to prove that girls can play football. 

The first moment that I love in the movie is at the start when Viola performs the sharpest break up when her boyfriend laughs at her for wanting to join the team and says that she is not good enough to play for the boys. This mirrors the theme of Legally Blonde that men should not hold you back and as Elle did, Viola did all that she could to prove her ex wrong. Viola simply did not stand for what her boyfriend was saying and so, ended the relationship, showing the power of the female attitude. A more comic point in the film that made me fall in love with it would have to be the scene where Viola has to cover up why she has tampons in her suitcase and uses the excuse that they are really good for nosebleeds. For me, the scene is so memorable because you see Viola, in her rather entertaining man voice, panic and come up with the crazy idea that was rather genius if you ask me. You even see later in the film her roommate use her technique and look like an absolute idiot with a tampon up his nose but of course, this is very entertaining (especially because its Channing Tatum) and shows a less masculine side to the manly character of Duke. My most favourite scene would have to be at the end when Duke presents Viola with some Gouda which is the ultimate cringe moment as earlier in the film she says her favourite cheese is Gouda when she is trying to help Duke on his flirting as he is in love with Olivia but struggles to talk to her. At this point in the film, Viola has revealed her true identity but is heartbroken when Duke refuses to accept her due to her deception but he appears from the darkness and of course, they share a kiss. It’s the ultimate romantic moment and being the soft-hearted female I am, I melted into happiness. Ultimately, the film combines one of Britain’s best playwrights, a strong message for females and the comedy to create a film that is loved by both genders and supports the independent female to fight for herself but also can be used universally in the way that no one should let someone stand in their way and if someone does, that person should be removed from their life and proven wrong.