One of the most fascinating aspects of Pretty Woman is how close it came to being a completely different film. The original script, written by J.F. Lawton, was titled 3000 —a reference to the amount of money the sex worker character charges for the week. Unlike the sparkling Disney classic that eventually hit theaters, Lawton’s original vision was a gritty, downbeat drama. In the original ending, Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) is tossed out of the car by Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), thrown onto the curb, and left to return to her life on the streets, her week of luxury serving only as a painful glimpse of a world she can never inhabit.
Interestingly, the "brown polka dot dress" worn during the shopping montage is arguably more important. It is the "dress she chose," not the one the snooty sales clerks thought she deserved. When Vivian returns to the shop that rejected her and declares, "You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big . Huge !"—it remains the most quoted, most cathartic moment in the film. It is the revenge fantasy we all wish we had the nerve to pull off. Pretty Woman
It is a film that insists that love is an economic and emotional negotiation—and that you can win both. So, whether you wear the thigh-high boots or the red dress, the message of remains pure: "She rescues him right back." One of the most fascinating aspects of Pretty
Her chemistry with Richard Gere (Edward Lewis) is the stuff of legend. Gere, playing the stiff, corporate raider with a heart of gold buried under Armani suits, provided the perfect straight man. The elevator scene—where Vivian is uncomfortable in her borrowed heels, and Edward scolds her for not fitting in—is a masterclass in tension. When she snaps back, "People put me down all the time... they’re not paying fifty thousand dollars for it," the audience knows this is no passive damsel. This has claws. Unlike the sparkling Disney classic that eventually hit
The chemistry between Roberts and Gere is widely considered the heart of the film, transforming a simple arrangement into a deep emotional connection.
Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Vivian Ward, red dress, Roy Orbison, rom-com, Hollywood Boulevard.