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A Different Take on Pretty Woman
Date of Review: Jan 16, 2007
The Bottom Line: Pretty Woman is the story of a hooker-turned-high-society, in less than a week!
Having cable television when you're not used to it is like living in a whole different world. While I wasn't able to keep my eyes open past 9:30pm pre-cable, I now feel like I don't want to miss anything so I end up staying up late and suffering in the morning. This was the case this morning, after staying up past 11:00pm to watch Pretty Woman. I know this movie has been reviewed and talked about to death, but I really find the need to add my take on it.
The Story
I think everyone knows the story of Garry Marshall's Pretty Woman. Vivian (Julia Roberts) is a down and out Hollywood Boulevard hooker, and her fellow-hooker roommate Kit, (Laura San Giacomo), has spent their rent money on drugs. Vivian is forced to work to try and make up the money so that she can pay for her flea bag apartment. She struts herself down the road and runs into Edward (Richard Gere). Edward is lost and he needs to find his way to the lavish hotel he is staying at. Vivian gets in his $100,000 vehicle (borrowed from his lawyer Phil, Jason Alexander), and they cruise on into Beverly Hills.
Vivian drops off Edward and then sits on the 'bus bench' waiting for a ride. Edward sort of reluctantly invites her in to his penthouse suite. The two sort of get to know one another, and Edward decides to offer Vivian a job. He wants her to be his live-in escort for a week, with no ties and no romantic hassles.
While staying with Edward, Vivian makes the miraculous transformation from a dirty hosebag who wears cheap shabby clothing and boots to a verifiable high society dame. It takes her a whole five days. In the meanwhile Edward transforms from a money hungry billionaire to a sensitive, caring, loving man. At first Vivian talked like a street girl with no high school education and no manners whatsoever. She wasn't embarrassed, she was proud of who she was and she didn't back down from the stares of others. As soon as Edward bought her a few nice clothes and took her to a couple of 5 star restaurants, Viv turned into a prude.
The couple faces the end of their 'business relationship' and the audience of course is left to find out whether or not such an impossible relationship could possibly continue. Will Cinderella (fish net thigh high version) live happily ever after with her Prince?
My Thoughts
Upon watching this movie for the first time in a long time, I felt surprisingly irritated. I mean, come ON. I get the whole 'romance' factor of the movie and the idea that anyone can become anything, but in a week? This movie in a way, glorified prostitution. If Vivian can pick up her saviour on Hollywood Boulevard, why can't any other of the working girls?
What really ticked me off was one particular scene. Edward tells Vivian at the end of the week that he has to go back to New York, but he wants to see her again. He tells her that he wants to set her up in an apartment where she can live, and give her unlimited credit card access. Instead of plotting to take everything he has and inviting her fellow women-of-the-night over to the new pad, she throws a fit! She insists that a paid for apartment and all the money in the world (with the occasional visit from Sugar Daddy) isn't good enough!! He retaliates by saying 'I've never treated you like a prostitute' and she rolls her eyes all upset when he walks away and mumbles 'You just did.' Is the audience supposed to shed a tear for vivacious Viv? I sat there thinking 'But you ARE a prostitute!!'
Pretty Woman is the favourite movie of many women I know. It radiates romance and blatantly flashes the always adorable Richard Gere and the beautiful, graceful Julia Roberts without shame. It's a nice-idea story that people fell for, and grew to love so much that it was nominated for several Oscars.
I find the movie far fetched and frustrating. Maybe I am the only one who's ever watched this movie to feel this way. I can't help it. Miss trashy-turned-hoity-toity in four days just doesn't work for me. The only true-to-life character in the movie was Jason Alexander who played a scum-bag lawyer. At least he was consistent.
2 stars for stupidness.
