Casey’s Reviews
How Pretty is “Pretty Woman”, Over 30 Years Later?
Revisiting the 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere
The romantic comedy Pretty Woman charmed 90s audiences with its rags-to-riches plot of a prostitute and a wealthy businessman falling in love, but three decades later, with societal values having significantly changed, the question arises: does this movie hold up to contemporary standards, or wave too many red flags?
I remember watching Pretty Woman as a teenager and being enraptured by Julia Roberts’ performance. Like with Dirty Dancing (1987), I figured rewatching it as an adult in the 2020s would be a very different experience, so when my husband and I came across it as an option for our weekly Classics Movie Night, I jumped at the chance to revisit Pretty Woman.
Opening in grimy downtown Los Angeles, Pretty Woman follows Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), a naïve prostitute with a heart of gold, who meets Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) when he stops to ask her for directions. The street-savvy Vivian jumps at the chance to drive his borrowed car and gets him where he needs to go, an upscale hotel.
Vivian’s bubbly personality and expert knowledge of cars charm Gere’s steely character Edward, and he invites her to his hotel room…
