Can a prostitute fall in love?

Rating: 10/10 (8 August 2005)

This movie is not about prostitution. Rather it's about a prostitute who actually grows as a person. That's plausible. It can happen. In this movie it does happen. And that is the rub. The movie is on thin ice here because the audience has to accept the premise that a prostitute can actually learn to care about her john, which is asking a lot from the audience. If the audience does not buy into the character Vivian, then the whole movie becomes unwatchable. However, Julia Roberts does such a great job as Vivian that the movie works. She was the right choice for the role; she makes the character believable. Another actress may have played the role differently with different, less satisfying results.
Can a prostitute fall in love? In this movie it happens. What's the problem with that? Street hookers are people too and in this movie the street hooker changes. She wants and demands money; acts out; angles for that extra buck, but eases up when she realizes that the john who is willing to pay top dollar is also a good guy who is willing to treat her like a person, not an object. This scenario is entirely plausible. Total strangers meet under the most improbable circumstances and fall in love. This formula is classic Hollywood and in this movie the actors make it work. The man treats the woman decently and she responds. That makes for a good story. The audience wants the relationship to work.
This is a wonderful, upbeat movie, about two people who actually learn to care about each other. The man is a rich, cynical business man; the woman is a prostitute. What starts out as a business proposition evolves into something special, as the two characters evolve and reveal aspects of themselves that are endearing and engaging. At the start of the movie, both characters have contempt for the opposite sex. The man is in the middle of getting a divorce; for the woman, men are mere customers, nothing more. But when they meet, the chemistry is instantaneous. These two people transcend their personal biases to let down their defenses and learn to sincerely care for each other, which changes their behavior and enhances their self-esteem, thereby making them better people. For this reason this movie is worth watching.
Recently I had the opportunity to watch this movie again on a cable network. What a great movie! Talk about opportunity knocking! Ms. Julia Roberts was something like the fourth or fifth actress to be considered for the title role, and she is great in that role. The role was meant for her. She is the center of the movie. Ms. Roberts' performance is magnificent. She is THE star. Richard Gere is good, but Julia Roberts is the one who makes this movie great. Three cheers for Julia Roberts and three cheers for this classic movie.