Pretty Woman (1990)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Garry Marshall

Writer (WGA):

J.F. Lawton (written by)

Release Date:

23 March 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Who knew it was so much fun to be a hooker?

Plot:

A man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Prince | Escort | Polo | Money

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Edward Lewis
Julia Roberts	...	Vivian Ward
Ralph Bellamy	...	James Morse
Jason Alexander	...	Philip Stuckey
Laura San Giacomo	...	Kit De Luca
Alex Hyde-White	...	David Morse
Amy Yasbeck	...	Elizabeth Stuckey
Elinor Donahue	...	Bridget
Hector Elizondo	...	Barney Thompson
Judith Baldwin	...	Susan
Jason Randal	...	Magician
Bill Applebaum	...	Howard
Tracy Bjork	...	Female Guest
Gary Greene	...	Male Guest
Billy Gallo	...	Carlos (as William Gallo)

Also Known As:

$ 3,000 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and some language. (director's cut)

Runtime:

119 min | USA:125 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Japanese

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

617 S. Olive Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

When Stuckey slams the door to his car they actually had to replace it, because the window broke.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the polo match Edward is shown wearing a straight-collar and the tie that Vivian gave to him as a gift, tied with a half-windsor. A later shot shows Edward with a spread-collar and that same tie, but with a full-windsor knot. As the scene progresses, the shot of Edward alternates back and forth between the straight and spread-collar (even with a shot of the spread-collar with a half-windsor knot).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Magician at party: No matter what they say, it's all about money. So let's imagine, ladies, that you're a savings and loan officer. Watch - one, two, three; see, you've got it all, and we've got nothing. You've got all four, take a look.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Romy and Michele: In the Beginning (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Five For Louie

An entertaining motion picture that had women calling out the delights of true love...

"This is Hollywood where people come to fulfill their dreams! Some dreams come true and some don't! Believe in your dreams!"

While visiting Los Angeles for a week, Edward Lewis borrows his friend's car and gets lost on Hollywood Boulevard... He asks a hooker for directions... She proposes to help him for 5 dollars... For $20, she accepted to show him where the stars live...

Edward invites her to join him in his hotel suite, but not for sex...

Enjoying her company, he offers her to be his 'date' for a series of business activities including a strategic dinner and a pool match... Out of the 'bargain,' she gets $3,000 cash, a classier wardrobe and a visit to the opera...

All the characters of the film are convincing, original and sympathetic, feeling comfortable with each other... Director Gary Marshall did a great job...

Ideal for the role is Richard Gere... He plays the terrific rescuer who 'free' Vivian from the streets conducting her to his penthouse suite... He is handsome, charming and shy... 'Henry Higgins' at his best... But Edward Lewis is a millionaire... He buys companies that are in financial difficulty... He takes them apart and sells the pieces for more than he paid for the whole... "It's strictly business", he tells Vivian... "You and I are both such similar people. We both screw people for money." Edward's only defect is that he hurts what he loves... He wins a certain imaginative power by how painful that treason is...

Julia Roberts plays Vivian Ward, an attractive and smart hooker with a heart of gold... She gives her character a great sense of humor, charming Edward with her honesty... She is intensely appealing and amusing, making any man feel comfortable...

Into the snobbish clothing store, she delivers a great exit line, just devastating the saleswomen... The song is terrific as the scene... In the hotel lobby, she walks in a 'killer' red dress... She learns which fork to use in the formal dinner meeting, projecting an escargot through the air... At the opera she innocently asks: "Where's the band?"

There's more than a touch of Eliza Dolittle in her role, specially when she decides she wants more from Edward than money... She gets the perfect rescue scene with a limousine, a fire escape, a balcony, birds, music and red flowers...

Hector Elizondo turns a supporting role into more than that... He plays the formal, intolerant hotel manager... He takes an affection to his best customer's "niece" and trains her on which fork to use at a fancy dinner... His amusing performance as Edward's smooth competent hotel manager nearly shapes Roberts and Gere...

Ralph Bellamy is incredibly good as the aging millionaire, creator of a small company Edward is trying to take to pieces...

Laura San Giacomo plays Vivian's pal roommate, her first role since she played the amorous sister in "sex, lies & videotape."

"Pretty Woman" is a contemporary Hollywood fairy tale, a sweet romantic comedy, an innocent love story in the middle of self-interest and agreement... It remains as an entertaining motion picture that had women calling out the delights of true love...

Keep on dreaming!