Pretty Woman at 30
Pretty Woman has turned 30 – its world premiere was 23rd March 1990 and three decades on from its original release, the film still remains as popular today than ever before. Here,we take a brief look back at Garry Marshall’s much-loved ’90s classic.
Pretty Woman revolves around rich businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) who is in Los Angeles on a high-profile business trip. He’s just been ditched by his partner, who is sick and tired as being his beck-and-call girl. After borrowing his friend’s high-powered Lotus, he finds himself on the streets of Hollywood Boulevard, the city’s red-light district where he meets prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts). They head to the nearby Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where Edward is staying for his trip and the two strike up a deal for Vivian to accompany him at important business meetings – essentially to be at his beck-and-call – for the duration of six days for a price of $3000. What follows is an unconventional love story, a Cinderella-style journey for two people at opposite ends of society in a film beloved by generations.
The film was originally titled ‘3000’ at the script stage, supposedly referencing the cash amount that the two agree on for Vivian’s week-long assignment to be at Edward’s side. Written by J.F. Lawton, who would go on to pen the likes of Under Siege and its sequel a few years later, the film reportedly originated as a dark drama revolving around Vivian’s drug addiction but was then rewritten as a modern-day fairy tale apparently following a suggestion from Walt Disney Studios then-president Jeffrey Katzenberg. Its new title came from the popular Roy Orbison song that is used during the movie.
Casting
The casting of the film, according to the film’s Wikipedia page, was a lengthy process, with the likes of Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds turning down the role of Edward. Here’s Pacino talking about turning down the movie on 60 Minutes.
“I just didn’t feel that I was suited for the role. I thought Richard was suited beautifully for it. He did a great job.”
Christopher Reeve, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kevin Kline, and Denzel Washington were also rumoured to be considered before Richard Gere took on the role. Karen Allen, Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jennifer Jason Leigh were also said to be linked with the role of Vivian prior to Julia Roberts’ iconic casting at the age of just 21.
Touchstone/YouTube
In 1989, production started on the film, largely taking place mostly in the Los Angeles area with a budget reportedly set at around $14 million. Lotus agreed that their Silver 1989.5 Esprit SE could be used in the movie’s iconic opening scenes after Ferarri and Porsche reportedly declining requests for use of their cars in a film with such a controversial story. Director Garry Marshall and his team assembled a superb supporting cast including Héctor Elizondo as Barney Thompson, the Wilshire’s warm-hearted manager, Laura San Giacomo as Vivian’s best friend Kit De Luca, Jason Alexander as Edward’s lawyer Phillip Stuckey, and the legendary Ralph Bellamy in his final role as James Morse.
It looked like a fun shoot and the film’s most iconic moment, when Gere shuts a necklace case on an unsuspecting Roberts’ hand, was actually improvised in the moments before Edward whisks Vivian off on a private jet to the opera. Just look at her reaction.
The film’s release
Critics were fair to middling on the movie when it was released in March 1990, however, the audiences all over the globe lapped it up in their droves. It was the third highest-grossing film of 1990, making a reported $11.2 million in its opening weekend and a massive $463 million from around the world during its entire run.
Legacy
In 2016, Julia Roberts was interviewed by the BBC and said that the film would not probably get made today: “There’s kind of a sport to being mean to movies now. It wasn’t as big 25 years ago when we made that movie. So I think that a story that simple maybe wouldn’t have survived.”
There is a want still for the story as the film has just been turned into a Broadway production that opened in London’s West End at the beginning of the year featuring original music by none other than Bryan Adams. Here is that original Broadway cast from the musical that will ensure that the fairy-tale story of Pretty Woman will continue to delight audiences for years to come.
