Lexi Minetree stars as Elle, and she is spot on when it comes to Witherspoon’s mannerisms and way of speaking. And sometimes she looks just like a young Reese Witherspoon. The casting is phenomenal.

The show starts in 1995 at Elle’s fabulous – and pink – 16th birthday party. It is exactly what viewers expect from the flashy girl. From there, the series takes a different turn, as does Elle.

After her plastic surgeon father (Tom Everett Scott) botches a nose job on a famous person, the Woods family moves to Seattle to wait for everything to die down. It is there where Elle faces a new life, new friends, a new school, and nothing like Rodeo Drive shopping.

To soften the blow, her parents give her a puppy. This fellow does not know it yet, but he is going to be her longtime companion. She names him Bruiser!

When Elle went to Harvard, she was a fish out of water, but managed to pull herself up and forge through. Where did she get that stick-to-it gritty determination? Apparently she got it in Seattle where she is not the most popular girl, nor is she even liked by many students. She is one tough cookie, though.

June Diane Raphael is Elle’s mother Eva, the woman who is the architect of her daughter’s snootiness and pink passion. She is the typical nose-up-in-the-air rich entitled woman, but there is a soft and a compassionate side to her which does emerge.

The Woods family must find a way to blend into Seattle life. But their way of blending in is not what most people expect. On the contrary. They are able to keep their L.A. traditions while molding them into life in this new environment.

While most people there see Elle as a conceited L.A. girl, deep down she is a well-meaning girl. It just happens that she has a different way of looking at life and doing things.

It is fun for fans of the films to see this younger Elle.

Witherspoon, who produces the series, has said she had the idea to explore Elle’s high school days after watching the series “Wednesday” which looked at the Addams Family character growing up. She said it was interesting to explore what Elle would have been like before her college days, when the movie introduced the character to the public.

Her production company, Hello Sunshine, has a history of producing hit shows, and “Elle” will most likely be added to that list. It has been one of the summer’s most anticipated new series.

The comparisons between Witherspoon and Minetree are bound to be front and center as viewers watch the show however, as much attention has been on Witherspoon, the focus now will shift to Minetree who picks up the mantle of the lovable Elle Woods. As Elle meets challenge after challenge, viewers get to see the foundation on which the movie was formed.

Whether navigating Law School as she did in the film, or navigating the halls of a new high school, there is no doubt Elle Woods is a formidable girl/woman.

“Elle” is streaming on Prime Video, where viewers can also stream “Legally Blonde.”