Online Reporter
LOS ANGELES. — It’s the quintessential story of unlikely lovers triumphing over the odds.
And 35 years after Richard Gere’s Edward became the knight in shining armour that Julia Roberts’s Vivian always wanted, Pretty Woman is still the gold standard of rom-coms.It turns out, though, that the smitten businessman and prostitute were not the only underdogs in the Garry Marshall-directed classic.
The movie was penned by struggling screenwriter J F Lawton and cast an unknown Julia into its main role, before bouncing back from being dropped by its original producers and becoming the fifth highest grossing filming of all time at its release. But even the prettiest films have an ugly side and it turns out this love story is no different, featuring fakery which clearly went unnoticed by the whopping 42 million people who bought tickets to see its record-breaking cinema run.
FLIPPING PANCAKES
Choosing what to eat at a fancy hotel breakfast can be daunting, but Vivian’s culinary indecision really takes the pancake.Edward has ordered a whopping spread fit for a corporate giant and wanders over to it in his robe as he talks to his lawyer Philip on the most 90s looking mobile phone of all time. Vivian arrives just in time to enjoy the hearty feast and immediately dives into a rather enticing looking croissant.Edward justified his decision to order ‘everything on the menu’ by admitting he ‘didn’t know what she wants’ and it turns out she can’t make her mind up either.
Distracting the businessman with some questions about mergers and acquisitions, Vivian can be seen halfway through a pancake a split second after she had been wolfing down the French snack.
It’s either a sleight of hand to match LA’s finest pickpockets or, more likely, a textbook example of film fakery.
A NOTEWORTHY ERROR
Edward and Vivian’s relationship amounts to more than just a transactional exchange, but it’s worth remembering that at one point they had to agree on a price. The cost of her services for an entire week comes to US$3,000, a figure which recurs throughout the movie, but after a life-changing seven days the businessman offers her much more, including her own condo and an allowance.Concerned she is being treated like a prostitute again, Vivian packs up her bags to head to San Francisco and finally get her high-school diploma. Edward makes sure he pays her regardless and, in various scenes, he starts taking US$100 bills out of his wallet and hands them over.
But sadly the millionaire shortchanges her, handing her just a few of the notes on each occasion, amounting to US$1500 at the most.
A whopping 30 bills would have clearly been too thick for Vivian’s purse, resulting in a directing decision to underpay her, but it’s all rather unfair if you ask us.
JULIA REFUSED TO STRIP OFF
The attraction between Edward and Vivian is incredibly palpable throughout the steamy rom-com and the pair have sex on the very first night of their relationship.But actress Julia had one condition for playing the prostitute in the movie – not stripping off for naked scenes.When the up-and-coming star first met director Garry about taking on the role of Vivian in pre-production, she was 21 at the time and Richard was 40.
During their meeting, she insisted: “I won’t be naked.”It ended up being a shrewd decision as some of the outfits Vivian wore throughout the film became legendary, particularly the red dress she sported at the emotional opera scene. During x-rated moments, body double Shelley Michelle stepped into the sex worker’s shoes and even appeared on Pretty Woman’s promotional poster. —Mailonline
