Comparison of The House Bunny and Legally Blonde
Anna Faris and Reese Witherspoon Characters Have Much in Common
Jun 8, 2009
Comparisons and contrasts seem inevitable between House Bunny and Legally Blonde, two light romantic comedies about pretty blondes out of their element on college campuses.
Similarities Between The House Bunny and Legally Blonde
In both films, attractive blonde women in their twenties known for getting by on their appearances try to fit into the college campus scene like fish out of water. In The House Bunny, Shelley Darlingson (Anna Faris) becomes a sorority house mother after being displaced from the Playboy Mansion. In Legally Blonde, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) prides herself on her social activities within her sorority until she decides to enter Harvard Law School in order to prove to her former boyfriend that she can be a serious student.
Although Shelley and Elle have knowledge within their own sheltered worlds, they are both naïve about life outside. Shelly is ridiculed for her ignorance about college life and her limited vocabulary. Elle becomes the butt of many jokes for her cute pink outfits, scented resume, and casual West Coast attitude toward law school.
Despite their inexperience in life, both women help others with their knowledge of good grooming and social interaction with men. Although their skills may be limited to fashion and seduction, when called upon, Shelley and Elle go out of their way to assist others.
People are quick to judge Shelley and Elle based on their outward appearances. All the pink, lace, fur, fluff, glitter, and cleavage make people assume they have little to offer besides their attractive exteriors.
Despite major setbacks – including teasing and cruel pranks – both women manage to draw on inner qualities they didn’t know they possessed. Their adventures help them learn more about themselves, and as they learn to love their new personas, naturally they find romantic love as well.
Differences Between The House Bunny and Legally Blonde
Seeking a real family for most of her life, Shelley was first an orphan and then later attempts to fit in with the other women at the mansion. Eventually she takes on the role of house mother to the younger women of the Zeta house. Elle, on the other hand, has lived a life of luxury, growing up with her wealthy family in California where her mother and father pampered her.
Shelley never went to college, but enters the campus at age 27 in order to find a mini Playboy mansion, that is, a sorority house resembling the mansion, in which to live for awhile. Elle attended a four-year college, and although never a serious student until she ventures into Harvard Law School, she earned her undergraduate degree.
After she is cast out of the Playboy mansion, Shelley finds herself with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Circumstances mostly out of her control have led to her current predicament. Conversely, Elle has created her own problems. By following the boyfriend who dumped her and entering an academic program for which she is ill suited, she has no one to blame but herself.
Shelley Darlingson and Elle Woods
Screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith created two outwardly similar characters in comparable circumstances. Their individual quirks (such as Shelley’s trick for remembering names and Elle’s extensive knowledge of hair care) reappear throughout the films, and help add to the humor in addition to giving the women their unique identities.
Despite a few differences, Shelley and Elle have one very important thing in common: They look deep within themselves for answers even when everyone else refuses to see beneath their surface beauty.
The House Bunny (2008)
- Starring Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Beverly D’Angelo, Katharine McPhee, Rumer Willis, Tyson Ritter
- Director: Fred Wolf
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for sex-related humor, partial nudity, and brief strong language)
- DVD Bonus Features Include Deleted Scenes; Featurettes; Music Video “I Know What Boys Like,” and Trailers.
Legally Blonde (2001)
- Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, Holland Taylor
- Director: Robert Luketic
- Run Time: 96 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for language and sexual references)
- Special Edition DVD Bonus Features Include Deleted Scenes; 2 Featurettes; 2 Audio Commentaries, Music Video “Perfect Day,” Trivia Track, and Original Theatrical Trailers.
For more information on Legally Blonde and The House Bunny, visit Internet Movie Database.
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