# 156 – Pretty Woman

I listed this as a classic cause it kind of is a classic for me. I was a year old when it came out, I of course didn’t watch it then but I think I was quite young when I first laid on my eyes on this lovely and a little raw love story that made Julia Roberts famous. Julia and Richard Gere took upon roles that aren’t your typical romantic comedy types, which I find  a little funny because nobody based on my knowledge has ever tried to do the same story: hooker meets rich man, rich man hires hooker for a week, woman (not to name her a hooker the entire post) falls in love with man, woman leaves, man fallows – happily ever after right there on the fire-escape!

Basically, it is an odd couple in the sense that you wouldn’t think that a hooker is as lovable as Julia Roberts ends up playing her. With those big red curls and that big smile and what is only to be described as a hysterical laugh she shows that being a woman who sells herself for money isn’t something that defines her.

I have seen Pretty Woman quite many times, it isn’t the best story and you know, not even the best movie out there but I think this is my guilty pleasure. I’ve kind of like grown up with it, I haven’t tried to imitate it!, but I have had the same kind of “Cinderella” story in my mind for years in the past – now I’m more into the reality like Erin Brokovich which will be reviewed soon after I get all the drafts finished as planned. The last one compared with Pretty Woman just makes me laugh because Erin is so much like Vivian in Pretty Woman but stronger.

Some little facts for you about the film, originally a dark drama turned into the comedy is one of the highest grossing movies of its kind in the States, getting over 436 million dollars.  Julia Roberts received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. It has a 6.7 score at IMDb and the second movie Richard Gere and Julia Roberts made together 9 years later Runaway Bride has a 5.2 score. While I am not surprised that Pretty Woman is basically thought one of the most successful romantic comedies in the 90’s I find it weird that the IMDb score is not so great. But it tends to be like this with romantic comedies I think, because the idea of a happily ever after is so disappointing that people end up disliking the movie. People like romance and people enjoy comedy but put them together and you might have a disaster on your hands. But I think Pretty Woman in nowadays context is definitely not a disaster, it is a story that has heart and great acting with a logical story building. Better than any other rom-com in the cinemas at the moment. End of story.. besides every woman wants to be a pretty woman in some ways.