Hank Azaria gets his first speaking role in a questionable look at LA's underbelly

Rating: 4/10 (25 March 2015)

Garry Marshall probably isn't the most recognizable name in entertainment. He created "Happy Days" (and cast his sister Penny in a supporting role) before turning to directing. After directing a few movies, he made a splash with "Pretty Woman", released 25 years ago this month. Considering that it focuses on a streetwise hooker who changes the life of a Gordon Gekko type, you'd think that it's something cool, right?
If only. In reality, prostitutes face severe hardships, and it's unlikely that a corporate raider would change this easily (we're talking about the sorts of people who carried out hostile takeovers in the '80s). It has to be one of the most predictable movies ever. It probably wants to see itself as an indictment of rich snobs, as the Beverly Hills crowd refuses to acknowledge the hooker.
As for the cast. Everyone knows Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. Garry Marshall often casts Héctor Elizondo. Ralph Bellamy played one of the Duke brothers in "Trading Places" (a more realistic look at big business). Judith Baldwin replaced Tina Louise in the "Gilligan's Island" movies. You might recognize Larry Miller from Christopher Guest's movies. Lesser known is that the movie features Hank Azaria - who had recently started providing voices on "The Simpsons" - in his first speaking role (Garry Marshall later appeared as a guest voice on "The Simpsons").
All in all, it's not an impressive movie. The prostitute with a heart of gold is the oldest cliché in the book. They should have stuck with the darker screenplay that they had planned early in production. Julia Roberts starred in too many romantic comedies before she appeared in "Erin Brockovich". I'd like to see a mash-up of "Pretty Woman" and "Army of Darkness".