This line from Legally Blonde saved a person’s life — and thank you, Elle Woods

Elle Woods taught us so much. The bend and snap, obviously. But also more meaningful lessons, like not judging a lawyer by her hair color and fierce fashion sense — and, apparently in one case, that things can get better when life seems unbearable. The classic movie’s co-writer recently shared that she heard from a fan who said one line in particular from Legally Blonde saved his life.

As Karen McCullah, Legally Blonde‘s co-writer, told Entertainment Weekly, she was once contacted by someone who had been struggling but found hope in the line from the movie where Elle defends her fitness maven client by arguing that being active keeps unhappiness at bay:

"I got an email from a guy who said that he was really depressed and was about to hurt himself when a friend called and asked him to go dancing," McCullah said. "He said no, he didn’t want to go out."

"And then after he hung up the phone, he remembered the line, 'Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.' So he called the friend back, went dancing, had a great time, decided not to kill himself, and wrote me a letter saying, 'That line saved my life.'"

The full line — “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands” — was already one of Legally Blonde‘s most memorable. But McCullah explained that she was surprised the line made such an impact. “What an offhand line to end up being so meaningful to someone. That blew my mind,” she said.

This actually isn’t the first time Legally Blonde has left a Prada heelprint on someone beyond thoroughly entertaining them.

One devotee and reporter wrote her dissertation on the movie, for instance (and showed it to Reese Witherspoon herself). And it inspired others to go to law school. Basically, Elle Woods made the world a happier, smarter, more stylish, and even safer place.

This story just proves that you never really know what tiny kindness or humor will resonate with someone who needs it. And that we need more Elle Woods in the world.