Pretty Woman (1990)

Such a hard film to not like; purely enjoyable

You literally wanna discuss the same exact movies every single year. Just go watch the movie.

R2 I am watching! Now streaming on Hulu. And this is my first time posting about this film

It's one of those movies that would have never worked with any other actresses.

Richard Gere held no sex appeal for me. As exciting as a block of wood.

R5 No! Richard Gere was extremely attractive and stoic in this!

Please he was still hot. A hot Daddy that had to be kinda horny. And I always liked seeing him getting ready for his blowjob. She just so commanded the movie that almost every other part seemed ineffectual Save for Hector Elizondo who was nearly Oscar nominated himself in the fairy godfather role.

Reg. Bev. Wil.

[quote]It's one of those movies that would have never worked with any other actresses.

Many others were considered, including Molly Ringwald.

^she was actually the original choice but it would not have worked with any out of the long list.

50 bucks Grandpa for 75 the wife can watch.

This movie is perfectly cast. Period.

Imagine this film with No Julia. No Richard. No Hector. No Jason. No Ralph.

It would have failed miserably.

I think it would have worked with Ringwald but it wouldn't have had a similar effect to Ringwald's career as it ended up having for Roberts'. It ignited Julia's career; it would have simply elongated Ringwald's by one last film.

I’m proud that I’ve never seen it. And never will.

I’m equally proud that the same applies to:

Game of Thrones

Squid Game

Orange is the New Black

Any Fast and Furious movie

Snobby saleswoman #2: “It’s [italic]very[/italic] expensive.” (LOVE!!!!)

I’m usually an insufferable film snob, but Pretty Woman is one of my comfort films, even though I hate Julia Roberts (but don’t tell anyone!)

R9 I remember Molly Ringwald turned down PRETTY WOMAN and GHOST, both among the Top 10 grossers of 1990, to do STRIKE IT RICH and BETSY'S WEDDING, which both flopped badly.

Thus ending her film career in the '90s.

I watched a few seasons of Game of Thrones, R14, until Mellisandre or whoever entered, at which point I sort of lost interest. As for the others on your list, I haven’t seen them, either, because they never interested me, though I’m not sure why I should be proud of the fact 🤔

Garry Marshall

I love how r14 thinks anyone cares about them from that pedestal they've placed themselves upon.

The only other actress I can remotely see PW working with is Sandra Bullock.

The original script was much darker. I believe Jennifer Jason Leigh was a contender for the role of Vivian when they were considering making that version -- before Disney picked it up.

I hate this film. Edward treats Vivien like a child.

R21 you're probably thinking of "Whore" with Theresa Russell, which came out a year later.

Also, Touchstone Pictures made "Pretty Woman," not Disney.

Love the soundtrack.

Laura San Giacomo’s performance is totally underrated. She steals every scene she’s in.

R23, no, PW originally had darker themes. Diane Lane was attached when they were considering going with that version. It was originally pitched as a cautionary tale about sex work in LA, but was changed when Disney got ahold of it.

[quote]Also, Touchstone Pictures made "Pretty Woman," not Disney.

Touchstone was a distribution label under Disney. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the then-president of Walt Disney Studios, insisted that they re-write the script as a modern day romance.

Richard and Julia discuss here between the 1-1:45 minute mark about how the script evolved from the more darker themes to lighter fair when Disney bought it.

There’s a long deleted scene here beginning at the 3 minute mark where Edward and Vivian stop by the Blue Banana in the limo and are confronted by Carlos and his thugs.

*lighter fare

This would have been an excellent "Let's Be" thread.

Julia looked her best here.

And yet here you are talking about me, r19

Oldest (cunt's) trick in the book, r32. Don't fool yourself — the object lesson is far more interesting than you are.

Isn't it every whore's dream to book a weekend with a rich john and fall in love?

And every man's dream to have a whore in the bedroom and a lady on the street. That's why it appealed to the masses. Pygmalion told trashy but cute.

And it was turned into a Broadway musical!

Why didn't they use Julia's body in the poster?

The musical was ATROCIOUS. Embarrassing for everyone involved.

R33 I think you just fell for “the oldest trick in the book.”

Again!

R38 it wasn't very good, all the new music sucks

The stage musical is currently on tour in the US and UK.

This was the film film of the great American character actor Ralph Bellamy.

He started acting in silent films, but went on to appear in classic "talkies" such as The Awful Truth, The Wolf Man, His Girl Friday, Sunrise at Campobello, Rosemary's Baby, Trading Places, and, of course, Pretty Woman.

In short, he was a class act.

95% of this thread is one person. The fact he keeps doing this is scary. And he made this same exact thread a year ago b

They probably forgot to change sock puppets, r43. I just assume the fraud's happening and just engage with the content. There's some unwell people with lots of time on their hands who get dopamine hits from these shenanigans, and that's just how DL rolls.

Even though I was quite young when I first saw this movie, I recognized it from the beginning as a ridiculous, distasteful fantasy.

R43 OP here. I did not make this thread last year. Last night was the first time I watched Pretty Woman. Also, this is about my fourth comment on this thread.

I'm sorry someone keeps posting the same thread topic, but it was not me.

R42 that's a good looking man, I shouldn't mind him bending me over a grand piano. No charge.

I would have rather seen a movie based on the original script 3000

This is a fun movie but I much prefer Whore

R48 it would be interesting, I think I read a copy of the original and he literally throws her out of her limo and into the gutter at the end. The last scene was Vivien and Kit on a bus going to Disneyland, miserable.

Never seen it. And this thread isn't do anything to encourage me to give it a go.

I recently saw it again after twenty years or so, and I really enjoyed it. When it came out, I was dating a Muslim who said, when I asked what the film was about, “it is about a disgusting prostitute and we are not going to see that”. Wow. I would have said that Pretty Woman was so innocently done that it is practically family viewing,

R52 was your boyfriend a gay?

[quote]I would have said that Pretty Woman was so innocently done that it is practically family viewing,

Yes, but that's exactly what makes the movie so horribly false, sort of like an old-time Disney movie about a hooker.

I saw the movie playing on ABC Family one year and near fell off the couch.

I don't think it's completely unrealistic, just very unlikely. Julia being so beautiful and her character having lots of good qualities helped sell the fantasy.

Even Aileen Wurnos was able to (briefly) marry a millionaire when she was young.

Id like a movie about her brief time with the millionaire. Apparently she beat him with his cane

Yes R57 and punched him in the face too.

[Quote] The only other actress I can remotely see PW working with is Sandra Bullock.

That would have been "Pretty Dykey"

Julia worked in this role because she could portray Vivian’s vulnerability. She makes the audience see past the hooker whose pussy is crawling with crabs.

Lol, I never get "dyke" when I see Sandra Bullock.

Creepily and irresponsiblibly romanticized and still sordid fable about an empty-headed common streetwalker and her empty-souled john.

Yeah, but that polka dot outfit was so lovely and the perfect shade of brown. The production craft on this film was good, and that's part of whatakes this film work for most people.

What makes*

Tourists love to do all the PW stops in Beverly Hills. I'm sure that still burns the snobs in the area when all the toothless rubes show up in shorts and sandals to walk Rodeo Drive to the old Regent Beverly Wilshire.

I wonder who owns those thigh boots now? I hope they still get some wear.

Maybe Lindsey Graham bought them at an auction.

Apart from being a star-maker role for Roberts, in no way does it rise above any of the 100s of straight-to-video movies of the same era. Even though it has a relatively high budget it looks mostly like a cheaply made TV movie. There's a massive dose of cynicism that runs throughout the movie. Julia Roberts plays the role like a college co-ed, with no rough edges at all. The movie hints she was molested but it pathetically does not delve into what her daddy issues really are. Gere is a nothing burger, you can tell he is not emotionally invested in the character at all, which does work in the movie's favor. He is interchangeable with 1000 salt and pepper-haired daddies, but at least he absorbs Julia Robert's radiance well. The biggest cheat in the story is the character of Kat, she gets a beginning and a middle but no end.

[quote]Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin

General Hospital fans will recognize James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) as the bellhop.

R27 This is interesting, and kind of explains why the movie changes tone so often. I would like to see a recut where Gere treats Roberts to rough anal, the salesgirls are now sympathetic to the plights of a whore.

[quote] Directed by Gary Marshall

Garry Marshall

A disgusting movie about human trafficking.

There is nothing romantic about a rich creep who buys a STUPID woman for sex.

For 75, grandma gets to watch.

This is still the weirdest movie of all time.

Capitalism at its most naked: happiness is not to be had from love or even from owning nice things, but from making saleswomen and salesmen kiss your ass because a rich man is paying for sex from you.

R61 Sandy was so cute.

You know who would have been good? Taylor Dane. That's one woman who looks like a whore. Pretty? Not so much. But whore? Absolutely.

Being a prostitute is generally fun and not that dangerous - and the prostitutes don't get that beaten down look!

R2 😂 😆

How can we know it would not have worked with someone else if it was never made with someone else? Plus,if it was made with someone else, we'd never have Roberts' take to compare it to. Roberts is dazzling in PW, but I wouldn't say no one else could have made it work.

Honestly, as wholesome as it is for a movie involving prostitution, could it be remade today? I can't see it - there would be outcry about many of the themes. They'd change Vivian's career.