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Paulette should be, pitching "scene after scene" of crime plots that "all felt very tonally weird." Later, while brainstorming at a bar in Los
Angeles, McCullah came up with a solution: "What if Elle shows a move so she can get the UPS guy?" On the spur of the moment, Smith invented a move, standing up and demonstrating what would become the bend and snap. Smith explains, "It was a spontaneous invention. It was a completely drunken moment in a bar."
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they all agreed a new conclusion was necessary. "It was just kind of a weak ending," explained McCullah. "The kiss didn't feel right because it's not a rom-com — it wasn't about their relationship. So test audiences were saying, 'We want to see what happens — we want to see her succeed.' So that's why we rewrote for graduation," which became the movie's new ending.
545:, July 20, 2009. Accessed August 4, 2011. "Screenwriter and former Oakland resident Karen McCullah Lutz is the first to admit she owes New Jersey a big debt of gratitude. Spending four years at Indian Hills High School sparked her love of Springsteen and the Paramus Park Mall, but Lutz is particularly grateful for an even more lasting Garden State gift."
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sorority and majored in marketing. Though she would become a writer, she received a C in creative writing. She has said her experiences at university strongly influenced her screenwriting, and she donates a yearly scholarship to the school. Before screenwriting, McCullah worked in "marketing and PR,
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as the love interest during casting. Originally, the "bend and snap" scene — where main character Elle explains to her new, older friend
Paulette how to get her crush's attention — almost didn't make it into the movie. At first, the writers spent a week or two trying to figure out what the plot for
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The film originally ended with Elle winning the movie's pivotal case and sharing a victory kiss with Emmett, then starting a Blonde Legal
Defense Club at law school in the future. After test audiences revealed they didn't like this ending, McCullah and Smith consulted with the production team and
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went to theaters. Of writing the main character, McCullah said: "It was fun to play with that dynamic with being the underdog, having to prove herself to other people even when she was completely capable." They spent two days on
Stanford's campus in the spring of 2000 doing research for the
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The duo's modern day writing process generally involves co-writing a first draft, editing it separately, and redrafting it, usually turning in a 6th or 7th draft. McCullah's personal preferred way to write is outside in the sun, as she states "It’s hard for me to be funny in the rain."
251:; they met when Smith read one of McCullah's scripts as part of Smith's job in 1996. After letters and phone calls, the two met for margaritas and started their first script (a woman-led action-comedy) on a cocktail napkin. Though the first script did not sell, they wrote
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painting furniture sold in galleries in New Mexico, travel writing, and teaching creative workshops to teen gang members," as well as various fast food jobs. She began writing in
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as they knew they wanted to write a teen comedy with a twist on a classic story. With a title already set from McCullah's high school diary, the duo picked
Shakespeare's
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McCullah describes many of the characters she's written as, essentially, “badass and full of mirth.” Most of her published screenplays have been co-written with
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while living in separate cities by mailing pages of the draft to each other. They admired and were considering following in the footsteps of
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966:"Paramount Snags 'Party Girls' Film Pitch From 'Legally Blonde' Scribes Kirsten Smith & Karen McCullah; Todd Garner Producing"
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performing counterespionage duties. She grew up in
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with a degree in marketing, McCullah worked various jobs before beginning to write. She is a faculty member at
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They were actively involved during filming, sometimes rewriting in the middle of the night and suggesting
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since there were no local jobs available in her field. In 2005, she wrote her first novel,
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709:"Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah: The Screenwriting Duo You Should Know About"
884:"Q & A with Screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith"
793:"What we learned from watching 'Legally Blonde' with the people who made it"
684:"This Iconic Hollywood Screenwriting Team Should Be Household Names By Now"
914:"Aubrey Plaza to Star in Netflix Rom-Com Hope from Legally Blonde Writers"
859:"'Legally Blonde' Almost Had a Different Ending, Says Film's Screenwriter"
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Beckerman, Jim. "This blonde is having more fun as a screenwriter",
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to modernize and outlined their plans while sitting on a beach in
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592:"Walter N. Lutz and Karen McCullah - Madison Scholarships Hub"
560:, September 7, 2008, p. F-8. Accessed September 7, 2008.
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317:'s Los Angeles Semester. Her future projects include
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763:"Urban Cinefile LUKETIC, ROBERT: LEGALLY BLONDE"
571:"Montpelier - James Madison University Magazine"
283:McCullah and Smith had already started adapting
181:, where her father had been assigned with the
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337:, all with her screenwriting partner Smith.
313:McCullah's is currently a faculty member at
121:most known for co-writing comedies such as
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537:"N.J. writer puts her mark on Hollywood"
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113:(born December 5, 1967) is an American
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27:American screenwriter and novelist
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289:(the novel) for film by the time
218:In 1988, McCullah graduated from
1007:Scripts & Scribes Interview
857:Strause, Jackie (June 6, 2015).
769:. March 25, 2020. Archived from
1034:People from Oakland, New Jersey
1029:James Madison University alumni
834:. April 2, 2018. Archived from
799:. April 9, 2018. Archived from
431:Twelfth Night, or What You Will
157:with her screenwriting partner
409:(2004) - screen adaptation of
394:(2001) - screen adaptation of
203:10 Things I Hate About Anthony
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1024:Screenwriters from New Jersey
964:N'Duka, Amanda (2019-05-21).
707:Taylor, Hayley (2020-09-11).
682:Bennett, Alana (2018-12-03).
648:Brown, Jameson (2015-05-13).
511:Romero, Ariana (2013-03-31).
1039:American women screenwriters
912:Sneider, Jeff (2019-08-16).
233:How to Write for Film and TV
231:after reading a book called
1074:Syracuse University faculty
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557:The Record (Bergen County)
542:The Record (Bergen County)
480:a screenplay of her novel
424:(2006) - an adaptation of
376:(1999) - an adaptation of
373:10 Things I Hate About You
254:10 Things I Hate About You
212:10 Things I Hate About You
124:10 Things I Hate About You
189:, and she graduated from
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169:'s Los Angeles Semester.
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475:Screenplays (unproduced)
333:, a comedy picked up by
220:James Madison University
191:Indian Hills High School
163:James Madison University
161:. After graduating from
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1004:, the personal homepage
383:The Taming of the Shrew
273:The Taming of the Shrew
229:Albuquerque, New Mexico
87:Marketing B.A. (1988),
482:The Bachelorette Party
352:The Bachelorette Party
237:The Bachelorette Party
596:jmu.academicworks.com
573:. Jmu.edu. 1999-03-31
888:Zamm.com | My Movies
832:Entertainment Weekly
626:Los Angeles Semester
243:Screenwriting career
1009:with Karen McCullah
624:Syracuse University
426:William Shakespeare
378:William Shakespeare
315:Syracuse University
195:Oakland, New Jersey
167:Syracuse University
18:Karen McCullah Lutz
713:Blue Bear Magazine
455:Crazy Kind of Love
411:Gail Carson Levine
335:Paramount Pictures
183:United States Navy
1002:karenmccullah.com
803:on April 19, 2020
733:"Blonde Ambition"
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179:Philippines
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69:Philippines
1018:Categories
975:2021-03-18
947:2021-03-18
923:2021-03-18
893:2021-03-18
842:October 2,
747:October 2,
718:2021-03-18
693:2021-03-18
659:2021-03-18
631:2021-03-18
601:2021-03-18
577:2014-03-07
522:2021-03-18
489:References
470:(upcoming)
464:(upcoming)
173:Early life
58:1967-12-05
398:'s novel
354:(2006) -
291:10 Things
207:1999 film
970:Deadline
918:Collider
868:April 6,
807:April 7,
777:April 6,
428:'s play
260:Clueless
119:novelist
103:Novelist
79:American
341:Writing
329:, and
323:Netflix
797:EW.com
458:(2013)
450:(2009)
442:(2008)
358:
346:Novels
278:Mexico
366:Films
197:, in
187:Japan
997:IMDb
870:2020
844:2018
809:2020
779:2020
749:2018
468:Hope
356:ISBN
321:, a
319:Hope
266:Emma
151:and
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