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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.
534:, 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
294:
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."
240:; 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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955:"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
Maryland, where she attended elementary school before attending junior high in
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927:"About Netflix - JACKIE VAN BEEK and MADELEINE SAMI TO DIRECT AUBREY PLAZA IN FEATURE COMEDY "HOPE" FOR NETFLIX"
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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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698:"Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah: The Screenwriting Duo You Should Know About"
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873:"Q & A with Screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith"
782:"What we learned from watching 'Legally Blonde' with the people who made it"
673:"This Iconic Hollywood Screenwriting Team Should Be Household Names By Now"
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903:"Aubrey Plaza to Star in Netflix Rom-Com Hope from Legally Blonde Writers"
848:"'Legally Blonde' Almost Had a Different Ending, Says Film's Screenwriter"
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502:"CC Interviews "10 Things I Hate About You" Writer Karen McCullah Lutz"
194:, her boyfriend at the time, which ultimately led to the title of her
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Beckerman, Jim. "This blonde is having more fun as a screenwriter",
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817:"Legally Blonde writers explain how the bend and snap was created"
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to modernize and outlined their plans while sitting on a beach in
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581:"Walter N. Lutz and Karen McCullah - Madison Scholarships Hub"
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549:, September 7, 2008, p. F-8. Accessed September 7, 2008.
190:. As a high school student, she maintained in her diary
306:'s Los Angeles Semester. Her future projects include
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752:"Urban Cinefile LUKETIC, ROBERT: LEGALLY BLONDE"
560:"Montpelier - James Madison University Magazine"
272:McCullah and Smith had already started adapting
170:, where her father had been assigned with the
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326:, all with her screenwriting partner Smith.
302:McCullah's is currently a faculty member at
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110:most known for co-writing comedies such as
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526:"N.J. writer puts her mark on Hollywood"
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102:(born December 5, 1967) is an American
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278:(the novel) for film by the time
207:In 1988, McCullah graduated from
996:Scripts & Scribes Interview
846:Strause, Jackie (June 6, 2015).
758:. March 25, 2020. Archived from
1023:People from Oakland, New Jersey
1018:James Madison University alumni
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823:. April 2, 2018. Archived from
788:. April 9, 2018. Archived from
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420:Twelfth Night, or What You Will
146:with her screenwriting partner
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398:(2004) - screen adaptation of
383:(2001) - screen adaptation of
192:10 Things I Hate About Anthony
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1013:Screenwriters from New Jersey
953:N'Duka, Amanda (2019-05-21).
696:Taylor, Hayley (2020-09-11).
671:Bennett, Alana (2018-12-03).
637:Brown, Jameson (2015-05-13).
500:Romero, Ariana (2013-03-31).
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1028:American women screenwriters
901:Sneider, Jeff (2019-08-16).
222:How to Write for Film and TV
220:after reading a book called
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1063:Syracuse University faculty
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546:The Record (Bergen County)
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469:a screenplay of her novel
413:(2006) - an adaptation of
365:(1999) - an adaptation of
362:10 Things I Hate About You
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243:10 Things I Hate About You
201:10 Things I Hate About You
113:10 Things I Hate About You
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178:, and she graduated from
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322:, a comedy picked up by
209:James Madison University
180:Indian Hills High School
152:James Madison University
150:. After graduating from
78:James Madison University
993:, the personal homepage
372:The Taming of the Shrew
262:The Taming of the Shrew
218:Albuquerque, New Mexico
76:Marketing B.A. (1988),
471:The Bachelorette Party
341:The Bachelorette Party
226:The Bachelorette Party
585:jmu.academicworks.com
562:. Jmu.edu. 1999-03-31
877:Zamm.com | My Movies
821:Entertainment Weekly
615:Los Angeles Semester
232:Screenwriting career
998:with Karen McCullah
613:Syracuse University
415:William Shakespeare
367:William Shakespeare
304:Syracuse University
184:Oakland, New Jersey
156:Syracuse University
702:Blue Bear Magazine
444:Crazy Kind of Love
400:Gail Carson Levine
324:Paramount Pictures
172:United States Navy
991:karenmccullah.com
792:on April 19, 2020
722:"Blonde Ambition"
349:978-0-312-32621-0
314:rom-com starring
213:Alpha Gamma Delta
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320:Party Girls
288:Luke Wilson
168:Philippines
65:Nationality
58:Philippines
1007:Categories
964:2021-03-18
936:2021-03-18
912:2021-03-18
882:2021-03-18
831:October 2,
736:October 2,
707:2021-03-18
682:2021-03-18
648:2021-03-18
620:2021-03-18
590:2021-03-18
566:2014-03-07
511:2021-03-18
478:References
459:(upcoming)
453:(upcoming)
162:Early life
47:1967-12-05
387:'s novel
343:(2006) -
280:10 Things
196:1999 film
959:Deadline
907:Collider
857:April 6,
796:April 7,
766:April 6,
417:'s play
249:Clueless
108:novelist
92:Novelist
68:American
330:Writing
318:, and
312:Netflix
786:EW.com
447:(2013)
439:(2009)
431:(2008)
347:
335:Novels
267:Mexico
355:Films
186:, in
176:Japan
986:IMDb
859:2020
833:2018
798:2020
768:2020
738:2018
457:Hope
345:ISBN
310:, a
308:Hope
255:Emma
140:and
106:and
41:Born
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369:'s
182:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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