Elle Woods (Witherspoon) has all the appearances and accessories of the archetypal all-American girl.

She's the president of her sorority, a Hawaian Tropic girl, Miss June in her campus calendar and - the cherry on the cake - a natural blonde.

The top Valley Girl dates Warner (Davis - Tigerland)- the cutest fraternity boy on campus - and her intention is to become Mrs Warner Huntington III.

However, there is one problem. Warner is blue-blooded East Coast (think the Kennedys), while Elle is dyed-in-the-wool West Coast (think Pamela Anderson with brains).

His family think the thing to be done is hobnobbing in the Hamptons... her's think it's enough just to live across the street from Aaron Spelling.

Warner can't make things appear any clearer when he packs up for Harvard Law School and hooks up with a "more suitable" old sweetheart from prep school.

Elle - in a move that sets the American feminist movement back decades - rallies her resources and gets a place in Harvard in order to win him back.

Predictably, she stands out a bit in the hallowed halls of Harvard - what with her fuzzy pink phone and pet chihuahua, Bruiser.

As well as the pompous brainboxes (who sneer at her pink, heart-shaped jotter), Elle also has to contend with Warner's new gal - the sober Vivian Kensington (Cruel Intentions co-star Blair).

This Polyanna-style tale is a popular theme in America and that it succeeds is largely down to the excellent Witherspoon.

She showed her comedic mettle in the sublime Election and maintains her edge, to give what is an essentially shallow character real depth.

Compared to the vastly inferior American Pie 2, some of the jokes are pretty sophisticated and the usual fish-out-of-water cliches are nearly circumnavigated.