Endless thigh-high boots, a legendary shopping session to the sound of a cult song: Pretty Woman, directed by Garry Marshall in 1990, remains to this day the most watched romantic comedy in cinema, and the most profitable too. Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), businessman, meets by chance on Hollywood Boulevard a young prostitute, Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts). For $3,000, she agrees to spend a week with him, accompanying him to various events. Originally a disillusioned fable about prostitution in Los Angeles, the screenplay, by JF Lawton, underwent a serious makeover at the Disney studios, which transformed it into a modern and American version of Cinderella…
A phenomenon film
Nobody believed in this modern Cinderella story, ripped from the sidewalks of Hollywood. Not even the entourage of Garry Marshall, its director. Against all odds, Pretty Womanreleased in 1990, broke all records, becoming the rom com (romantic comedy) par excellence. In France, this improbable romance between a businessman and a prostitute is one of the films that we never tire of watching again.
From drama to romance
Originally? A disillusioned fable about prostitution in Los Angeles. A scenario too raw, too dark for Disney which, after acquiring the rights to the film, imposed several changes, including the ending transformed into a happy ending.
A star is born…
Initially, several popular actresses were approached to play the heroine. Among them: Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, Brooke Shields… But they all refuse, believing that the role is too degrading for the image of a woman. Julia Roberts, 21, hitherto unknown to the general public, is last on the list. Pretty Woman propels the young premiere to the rank of Hollywood’s new darling. A star is born…
Pretty Woman, a Hollywood fairy tale, Friday January 3 at 10:25 p.m. on Arte
