A star is born in 'Pretty Woman'

Richard Gere charms Julia Roberts in 1990’s “Pretty Woman.” (Buena Vista Pictures/MovieStillsDB.com)

"Pretty Woman"
Released March 23, 1990
Directed by Garry Marshall
Where to Watch

Rarely does a new star come out of nowhere. Julia Roberts was starting to get noticed in the late 80s when she appeared in movies like "Mystic Pizza" and "Steel Magnolias," which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But when "Pretty Woman" dropped in the spring of 1990, it created a systemic shift in Hollywood as Roberts was anointed one of cinema's brightest stars.

Roberts stars as Vivian, a Los Angeles prostitute who has a chance encounter with Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a wealthy capitalist who finds the woman so charming that he hires her to be his companion for a week for $3,000. Their arrangement is quite a change for both of them: Vivian is exposed to the benefits of a rich, elite lifestyle and becomes jaded when those elite turn her class and profession against her when they discover who Vivian really is. Meanwhile, Edward starts to consider a life beyond financial greed as he warms to Vivian's charms and philosophy. The question remains: Is their relationship purely transactional, or is there something more?

Considering the plot, "Pretty Woman" is a surprisingly sweet, sexy, and romantic film, but the story's origins were much darker. Screenwriter J.F. Lawton initially imagined a tale closer to Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" than "Cinderella," focusing on the dark hardships faced by people on the bottom rung of society. That movie ends with Edward letting Vivian ride away to spend her money frivolously.

Director Garry Marshall was recruited to helm the movie, and he pushed the studio for a happier ending than resembled a fairy tale. He was further convinced when he brought Roberts and Gere together and was impressed with their camaraderie.

"The chemistry between Robers and Gere was perfect," recalled Marshall, who passed away in 2016. "The actors brought such a lovability and charm that I didn't think the audience would want a dark ending, and it didn't hurt that I am from the school of happy endings."

Marshall struggled to come up with a perfect ending to his fairy tale, working with Lawton, other screenwriters, and producer Laura Ziskin until they landed on the one in the movie. The charming capitalist prince, overcoming his fear of heights, climbs up the apartment tower his princess is in. "So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?" Edward asks Vivian. 

She responds simply, "She rescues him right back."

As if the movie's story couldn't be more magical, real-life was coming up golden for Roberts too. Incredibly enough, "Pretty Woman" was released on the same weekend as the Academy Awards ceremony, in which she received her first nomination from her supporting role in "Steel Magnolias." The Oscar went to Brenda Fricker for "My Left Foot," but by the time the clock struck midnight that Sunday night, it was clear that nobody had a more transformative weekend than Roberts. The movie received mixed reviews upon release, but it was difficult to deny that Roberts owns the film even with adverse reactions. 

"Yes, yes, the 80s are over," wrote Janet Maslin in her review for The New York Times. "But isn't there room in the time capsule for 'Pretty Woman,' the romantic comedy about a lovelorn corporate raider and a sweet, wholesome streetwalker from Hollywood Boulevard? This one truly deserves a place. It is something special."

"Pretty Woman" opened in March of 1990 with an $11.2 million weekend gross, enough to knock then spring champion "The Hunt for Red October" out of the top spot. It was an audience favorite from the get-go and lasted throughout the season, maintaining consistent box office sales with a slight drop off week-to-week. It stayed in the top five of weekend revenue into June of that year, three months after release, and was still playing on more than 1,000 screens until late July. By the end of its original run, "Pretty Woman" grossed $178.4 million domestically, the second most successful film of the calendar year after "Ghost," another romantic juggernaut. Technically, two holiday movies, "Home Alone" and "Dances with Wolves," would also surpass "Pretty Woman," but still, it's an incredible haul of cash and victory for original movies. The fifth top-grossing movie of the year was "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," offering Hollywood an early sign for the versatile success of superhero fantasies.

The career of Roberts would skyrocket after "Pretty Woman." She would go on to star in some high-profile hits, including 1991's "Sleeping with the Enemy" and "Hook," and 1993's "The Pelican Brief." Roberts would stretch her acting muscles in the mid-90s, but many of those projects lacked the success her earlier films did. She returned to the romantic comedy genre with 1997's "My Best Friend's Wedding." She scored another massive hit, resuming her status among Hollywood's elite with a string of successes, including 1999's "Notting Hill," 2000's "Erin Brockovich" (of which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress), and 2001's "Ocean's Eleven." Roberts reteamed with Marshall and Gere for 1999's "Runaway Bride," which was another box office hit, but they didn't recapture that comfort rewatch magic that "Pretty Woman" did. The legacy of "Pretty Woman" lives on in the form of a touring musical adaptation. 

While Roberts has turned to smaller and more intimate projects over recent years, she still remains a recognizable household name. "Pretty Woman" was not the only iconic film that Roberts will be known for, but thanks to her charm, charisma, and mega-watt smile, it will likely be the first one mentioned due to the title alone.

Next Week: "High Fidelity"