MovieChat Forums > Legally Blonde (2001) Discussion > Vivian's 'transformation'

Vivian's 'transformation'

posted 11 years ago by SheldonCooper_Bazinga
13 replies | jump to latest

What was up with Vivian's completely sudden 180 degree personality change? She spends the first part of the movie being a "frigid b***h" but then, about an hour into the movie, she comes into Elle's room and suddenly she's a nice person. That really caught me my surprise and I thought she must be up to something manipulative. But nope, she stayed that way until the end. Explanation? A gradual change I could understand but the way it happened was like a completely different character.

[–] johnston.scot 11 years ago

The basic thrust of the movie (or one of them), is that Elle is so charming and good-hearted that she wins everyone over. In some cases, this is detailed out with some exposition (e.g. her interaction with the Jennifer Coolidge character, the funny bit with the big goofy guy and the girls, etc.). In others, we're just supposed to fill in the blanks a bit. They could have added some scenes where Elle gradually wins Vivian's affection, but there's only so much screen time available.

[–] Samuraibro 9 years ago

And there was the fact that she learned what kind of person Warner was and that Elle wasn't going to try and "steal" him from her.

[–] happyphantom9 11 years ago

I think it was partly influenced by Vivian realizing what kind of a person Warner really was. Vivian was a stuck-up snob, but she seemed to have ethics at least. She reacted with disgust when she heard Warner's comments about how Elle should forget about keeping her word and only look out for herself.

[–] Prismark10 11 years ago

At first I thought she was friendly with her in order to weasel some information from her but she seemed to be genuine.

Its that man again!!

[–] Cloudburst2000 11 years ago

I think initially Vivian was a biatchto Elle because she was worried that Elle was going to steal her man. I think she saw Elle as a blonde bimbo and nothing more. Her attitude toward Elle began to change when Elle stuck to her guns and wouldn't break her promise to Brooke. I think Vivian admired Elle's ethics and finally considered that perhaps she had misjudged her. It also revealed to her Warren's lack of ethics when he told Elle to reveal the alibi and look out for only herself. Vivian did not seem impressed with Warren when he did that.

[–] sarizonana 11 years ago

So agree with this actually Vivian tells to Elle that she was impressed or liked that Elle didn't tell Brook's secret and yeah she first treated her as love Rival, you know many say how everything is fair in love and war. and exactly at the moment where Warner tells Ellie that she just have to look for her Vivian Realized Warner wasn't a man worth to fight for.....

Their hate started because of Warner and ended because of him as well funny isn't it ?

[–] bsharporflat 10 years ago

What was up with Vivian's completely sudden 180 degree personality change? She spends the first part of the movie being a "frigid b***h" but then, about an hour into the movie, she comes into Elle's room and suddenly she's a nice person. That really caught me my surprise and I thought she must be up to something manipulative. But nope, she stayed that way until the end. Explanation? A gradual change I could understand but the way it happened was like a completely different character.

This isn't so unrealistic. Human beings act differently based on their loyalty of the moment.

Vivian didn't become "nice". Once she latched onto being on Elle's side, she was just as bitchy and cold to Elle's enemies- i.e. Professor Callahan and Warner, as she had been toward Elle.

That's the difference between being nice (or mean) and acting nice (or mean).

Nice people and mean people treat everybody the same all the time. Most people are not like that. Most people use niceness and meanness as tools or weapons to get what they want from other people.

[–] ricky_says_hi 10 years ago

Vivian's attitude towards Elle was probably the same as most people's - they underestimated her. They assumed because she was a pretty rich blonde girl that she was just dumb and didn't care about being a lawyer. But Elle proved herself to be very capable in her classes - capable enough to get picked for an internship. And they had been taking the same classes for months at that point. Vivian had probably realised that Elle wasn't a nasty person but never really talked to her

I'm gonna die of long hair!

[–] isiscloud-1 9 years ago

She redirected her attitude toward the people who deserved it. Warner was an idiot (wait-listed) and dropped Vivian when Elle won the case and Callahan was a pervy, sexist a**hole.

Just sitting there among the zinnias, but the old Chinese man sold it to me anyways. For $1.95.

[–] amdetata 10 years ago

I think she realized that Elle was a sweet person when she wouldn't reveal Brooke's alibi to Callahan. That's when she started warming up to her....

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Moonlighty 10 years ago

You are surprised no one mentioned something when actually the third post mentions it?

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Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.

[–] Lwchapelhill 8 years ago

At first Vivian was cold and hostile towards Elle, I assume because Elle was the former girlfriend. During the first year of law school, Vivian observed both Elle and Warner more closely, and realized Elle was okay, and Warner was not such a catch.