Pretty Entertaining Pabulum

Rating: 8/10 (10 July 2012)

"Pretty Woman" is a lightweight but entertaining fairy tale about Prince Charming. Everything about director Garry Marshall's upbeat romantic comedy is as contrived as it is sugar coated from subversion of any sort. Although it received an R rating, this sappy two hour plus love story shows what happens to a handsome but heartless Wall Street titan when he encounters a savvy street prostitute in Beverly Hills and how their lives change radically for the better. Despite its predictable plot, "Pretty Woman" wins us over with the chemistry and charisma of the principals. Richard Gere plays protagonist Edward Lewis with wisdom and suavity. He is a businessman who buys companies and then breaks them up and sells them off. Consequently, the milk of human kindness doesn't flow in his blood. Sheer coincidence brings our hero face to face with the heroine, young but gorgeous, and "Pretty Woman" charts their fate together.
Reportedly, scenarist J.T. Lawton's original script emphasized gutter realism over utter unreality. Marshall and his writers have sanded off all the rough edges. Our hero is in Los Angles when he discovers that his girlfriend is about to ditch him. He tries to drive a Lotus Esprit and nearly wrecks it. Kit and Vivian are prowling their share of the sidewalk when Edward cruises up and parks. Of course, he hasn't so much parked as jammed his car up so he cannot get it to run. He inquires for directions for Beverley Hills from her. He asks her afterward if she can drive the Lotus. They wind up at his Beverley Hills hotel and Edward buys Vivian for the night and then the week. He shells out thousands of dollars to get Vivian a proper wardrobe so she can accompany him in public and appear presentable. Chiefly, Edward wants to buy out a company that makes ships and sell it off, but the owner-founder, James Morse (Ralph Bellamy of "The Professionals") refuses to bow out without a fight. Edward did not have a good relationship with his own father Carson. Indeed, when Carter died, neither had spoken to each other in 14 and a half years. Initially, Edward savors the process of carving up Morse's company until he begins to see him as a human.
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts make Edward and Vivian very palatable, very sexy, and very sympathetic. The happily ever after ending is contrived. Interestingly, the two principals move onto to better things. Ostensibly, Jason Alexander is delivers the best performance as Edward's cutthroat attorney, Philip Stuckey, who has been with him ten years. Philip's abrasive treatment of Vivian alienates Edward and he fires Philip. Hector Elizondo has a memorable supporting role as the hotel manager who helps Vivian with her wardrobe. There isn't a single character in this romantic comedy that has any depth or subtlety. Marshall relies on wardrobe to define his characters and neither the protagonist nor the heroine is ever in jeopardy. The Beverly Hills shopping scene when our heroine returns to Rodeo Driver is amusing. The people who made this diverting epic create characters that you find yourself rooting for and liking and the villains get their comeuppance.