CONTAINS SPOILERS.
I didn’t realize until just yesterday how much I love Garry Marshall films. He has a very distinct touch — a sort of hopefulness and nostalgia built into his films that suspend reality and for a moment, you believe anything can happen to you.
This may sound silly, because I know Pretty Woman came out first, but I grew up on the Princess Diaries movies and I was surprised at the amount of similarities between the films, mostly in casting choice and camerawork aesthetic, although of course the My Fair Lady theme was the biggest.
In case anyone lives under a rock like I did, the basic premise of Pretty Woman is a cute Rom-Com centering around a millionaire (Richard Gere) who picks up a prostitute named Vivian (Julia Roberts) to get directions. Well, one thing leads to another and she ends up at his snazzy hotel for the night and, eventually, he asks her to stay the whole week he’s in town.
Naturally, a poor hooker can’t be seen in a high end hotel, so Vivian gets some “proper” wardrobe and etiquette help from the hotel manager named Barney (Hector Elizando) after a woman in an expensive shop refuses to assist her.
Ultimately, what I enjoyed most about this movie was the two vastly different lifestyles becoming enmeshed in a way that was confusing and fascinating to both leads. During a conversation about their jobs, Edward (who basically profits off of failing businesses) remarks that they’re not such different people, really. They both screw people for money.
Over the course of the week, Vivian and Edward get to know one another and each learns important lessons from the other. Vivian even breaks her one working rule — no kissing on the mouth — and becomes emotionally attached.
Now, I do have some qualms with Edward and how he was presented (see Richard Gere’s opinion here). For example, rather than being understanding when Vivian was uncomfortable and fidgety, he would often whisper harshly “Stop fidgeting!” and at one point commented “You’re not fidgeting. You look very beautiful and very tall.” What a backhanded compliment!
Now, this is 100% me overanalyzing a man who’s always bossed people around and cared more about outward appearance than moral character, but it was incredibly clear that Vivian was uncomfortable in a society she was unfamiliar with and his constant fidgeting comments came across as very uncaring. I also have ADHD and also “fidget,” so I’m probably reading into this one thing too much.
He was also portrayed as a bit of a white knight because my God, the man is loaded and can fix any problem with money alone. (Vivian does touch on this later, so probably an intentional flaw.) Last but not least, Edward has some poor boundaries such as just walking in on Vivian in the bath. I understand she is a hooker, but as Vivian asks, “Don’t you ever knock?”
I was completely invested in this movie from beginning to end. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere have undeniable chemistry and had a very believable interest in each other on a friendship and romantic level.
SPOILER ALERT for the ending.
I loved the fairytale ending, though I think I would have equally enjoyed this movie if it had ended in tragedy instead of romance. In very Garry Marshall fashion, the guy showed up for the girl, although he showed up a bit late. (Never Been Kissed, The Princess Diaries.. sensing a theme.)
Had this movie ended differently, it would have been beautiful regardless. I would love to read the original script someday. (A fun article about the film’s original ending here.)
I give Pretty Woman a solid 9/10 stars. It’s currently available to stream on Hulu.
The Midnight Review 