Pretty Woman (1990)

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

Color:

Color (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-3 | 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:

Julia Roberts was far from the first choice for the role of Vivian, it went to many successful A-list actresses including "brat pack" member Molly Ringwald (who starred in The Breakfast Club (1985), Sixteen Candles (1984) and Pretty in Pink (1986)) who turned it down because she felt uncomfortable with the content in the script, and did not like the idea of playing a prostitute. She has since stated in several interviews that she regrets turning the role down.

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:

Referenced in Solo quiero caminar (2008)

Soundtrack:

Five For Louie

Such a dream, just you DO NOT think

Obviously similar to Shaw's "Pygmalion", but updated, more modern.

A lovely dream, one very old: rescuing a prostitute from the street. (Not in Woody Allen's sickish-moody way.)

However, if you wish to dream this one, be sure you do NOT start to think very logically . . . She is healthy, not on drugs, not on alcohol, not even a smoker; no syphilis, no gonorrhea, no AIDS wounds on her legs, nothing, she is just perfectly absolutely healthy. Body and mind. She is not a criminal, not inclined to steal anything, she even values love and dignity more than money. Oh, she has no pimp, who would be the other man (other than Richard Gere) in her life; nobody to protect her from smart types who walk off without paying; the pimp would explode the whole romance instantly. (Instead, a girl friend.)

She has a golden soul, full of goodness, and loves art, and feels for art. High-society types around them appear silly, artificial, stuffy. (Different forks.) She is natural. She even was a good student (!) and . . . might be again? She loves to bathe, and half the time we see her happy in the bath tub (which is a powerful signal and symbol for CLEAN, CLEAN; she even sings so super-ultra-charmingly in the bath; she wants to wash off the foolishness of her previous few months of street. And she can do it.

But with all those qualities, WHY would she ever become a prostitute in the first place? Don't think, don't think. Just dream, it is lovely.