Actors - Pretty Woman

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	Actors - Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman is an American romantic comedy motion picture that was one of the top films at the box office in 1990. The title character, a prostitute named Vivian Ward, was played by Julia Roberts, who received a Golden Globe award for her role. She was also nominated for an Academy Award, Best Actress. Screenwriter J. F. Lawton was nominated for a Writer's Guild Award and a British Academy Award.

Overview

Pretty Woman is the highest-grossing film of the romantic comedy genre, and possibly the most well-known. Set in Hollywood during the 1990s, its themes include the tension between romantic love and social class: the main characters represent utter opposites in social class and wealth, while both working in occupations considered indecent by mainstream society, and yet are given sympathetic depiction.

The male lead is a businessman Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere). While ruthless in business — he is a "corporate raider" — he is portrayed as intelligent, sensitive, and pensive, unlike the more common stereotype of the 1980s financial titan as coarse and (and often nouveau riche) narcissistic. Asking for directions to his hotel, he meets a prostitute, Vivian. (In the United States, as in much of the world, prostitutes come disproportionately from the lower classes, and Vivian is understood to suffer from financial deprivation and desperation.) Because of her deprived background, she is naive and unaware of social graces, resulting in mild embarrassment for herself and Edward, but good-natured, cheerful, and unpretentious. In contrast to class and occupational archetypes — she's smart, kind, and perceptive. An unlikely love relationship grows between Edward and Vivian, and throughout the movie they struggle with the differences in social class and values.

Music

The film features the song "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison, the title of which inspired that of the movie. Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1990. The soundtrack also features "The King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West and "Wild Women Do" by Natalie Cole.

Trivia

Possibly due to the controversial subject matter, the movie was heavily edited. Groundbreaking on account of its sympathetic depiction of an occupation thought dishonorable and indecent by most Americans, the film has been described as featuring "a prostitute with a heart of gold".

Various rewrites of the original script portrayed Vivian as hypersexual and a heavy drug user. These traits, detrimental to the otherwise sympathetic portrayal of her, were removed or incorporated into the character of Vivian's friend, Kit. These "cut scenes" have been found in public view, and some were included on the DVD released on the movie's 15th anniversary. One such scene has Vivian offering Edward, "I could just pop ya good and be on my way", indicating a disinterest in "pillow talk". In another, she is confronted by drug dealers outside of The Blue Banana, and rescued by Edward.

Roberts has said that the body on the movie's cover is not her own; her head was pasted on a photograph of her body double, who also appeared in the opening sequence of the film.

Meg Ryan, Daryl Hannah and Molly Ringwald turned down the role of Vivian.

Primary cast

Richard Gere
: Edward Lewis
Julia Roberts
: Vivian Ward
Ralph Bellamy
: James Morse
Jason Alexander
: Philip Stuckey
Laura San Giacomo
: Kit De Luca
Hector Elizondo
: Barney Thompson
Hank Azaria
: Detective (Hollywood Blvd.)
Alex Hyde-White
: David Morse
Amy Yasbeck
: Elizabeth Stuckey
Elinor Donahue
: Bridget
Bill Applebaum: Howard
Billy Gallo: Carlos

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Pretty Woman ]

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