Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson) in Legally Blonde is the best fictional boyfriend in the world. Every Valentine’s Day, I adopt him as my own boyfriend, and I highly suggest you do the same.
Emmett and Elle, iconically, never share anything physical on screen. Legally Blonde is not a rom com, it’s just a com. While Elle thinks that her perfect man is her dumb ex-boyfriend Warner, it’s actually sweet and supportive king, Emmett.
The most striking thing about Emmett is that, well, he isn’t even Elle’s boyfriend—at least not yet. The movie tells us in the last scene that they’ve been dating, but when we are dropped into their relationship, it is the very beginning. They have just met. They are colleagues working on a case together.
So, why is Emmet the best?
He is emotionally intelligent
While men like to pretend that they don’t know how to not be creepy towards women in public, I want to point to Emmett as an example of how to be a normal fucking person. Emmett sees Elle sitting on a bench, clearly in distress, and politely asks if she is okay. He is not pushy, he is not flirty, he is simply offering some comforting words to someone who is spiraling, probably not an uncommon thing that happens on those fucking benches. Which brings me to my next point…
He gives good advice
Emmett knows these professors and knows their quirks. He tells Elle to speak up in Callahan’s class, because he really likes people who are opinionated. We see Elle doing this multiple times in Callahan’s class, and it’s really in those classroom scenes where we see Elle finding her confidence as a law student.
He supports Elle
The bench advice is just one example, but he is incredibly supportive of Elle throughout the movie. He pushes her to follow her instincts. He even advocates for her when she isn’t around, which is perhaps one of the most supportive things anyone can do for anyone.
He supports Elle when it is inconvenient to him
Even more shocking (although it shouldn’t be) is that we see Emmett supporting Elle...in a way that puts his own career in jeopardy! Emmett is an associate at Callahan’s law firm, and directly opposes Callahan in the final courtroom scene. He also orchestrates taking matters into their own hands when it becomes clear that Callahan is a piece of shit
He is mad when he hears about sexual harassment
How often do we see men on screen actually upset about someone they know experiencing sexual harassment, abuse, or assault? It feels like…almost never. And how often do they unequivocally believe it when they hear it?
After Elle tells Emmett that Callahan made a move on her, Emmett says, “Callahan did what?!” He is in shock, he is upset. He also believes her, and doesn’t try to convince her that “oh, Callahan is just like that,” or that “Callahan sometimes gets handsy but it’s worth it to be able to work with him,” or that Elle must have misunderstood the situation, or exaggerated it. Emmett is simultaneously angry that Callahan harassed Elle, and tries to convince Elle that she is good at law, despite her feeling that Callahan only gave her the internship because he is attracted to her.
Furthermore, when Vivian tries to make a joke about the situation the next day, Emmett immediately brings the hammer down. He tells Vivian, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” And he lays out the situation for Brooke: “Elle quit. Callahan hit on her, so she quit.” Vivian realizes that she completely misread the situation, and Brooke, Emmett, and Vivian hatch their plan to get Callahan ousted from the trial
I have a lot more thoughts on the Elle and Vivian dynamic, especially as it relates to the Callahan incident, but my friends, that is an essay for a different day!!!!!!!
He is a minor fucking character
Emmett has a few scenes, but not many! He is essentially a minor character, slightly more elevated than say, a David Kidney or an Enid Wexler, but he is filling the most supporting of supportive roles. This movie isn’t about his relationship with Elle—this movie is about Elle’s journey. We get one mildly romantic moment in the whole movie: after they drive to the Berkshires to interview Mrs. Wyndham, they banter about the power dynamics of blondes and brunettes in the car ride home. After Elle gets out of the car, as Emmett drives away, she lingers watching the car, and you can see her wheels spinning as she starts to see Emmett as an intriguing guy. It’s a brief moment, but it holds a lot of weight and is very cute.
He is hot!!!!!!
Need I say more?!!? This is Luke Wilson in his PRIME. We were #blessed. I love my fake boyfriend!
