The new DVD makes it worth seeing again

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2001)

This film catapulted Julia Roberts to superstardom and with good reason. The film itself is a light but entertaining romantic comedy about a wealthy and unemotional corporate raider (Richard Gere) and a flamboyant hooker (Julia Roberts). The story isn't that original, being a variation on the `love on the wrong side of the tracks' theme. However, it is full of charming and funny moments and Roberts' audacious effervescence is the perfect contrast to Gere's impassive macho persona. The film had enormous popular appeal and surprised everyone, grossing $178 million in the U.S. and $463 million worldwide, establishing Roberts as one of the most bankable stars in a generation.
At only 21, Roberts was a fresh talent with sexy girl-next-door looks who showed she could light up the screen with her acting. With the guidance of veteran sitcom director Garry Marshall (`The Odd Couple', `Happy Days', `Mork and Mindy', `Murphy Brown'), she was transformed from a tall and pretty model type into a delightful romantic figure with an extraordinary sense of comic timing who earned a best actress nomination for her performance.
The new DVD includes a good deal of footage that was left out of the theatrical release, and the commentary by Garry Marshall is rich in interesting trivia about the production. For instance, he tells how Julia Roberts was so nervous about her first nude scene with Richard Gere that she broke out in hives, and they spent the entire day applying calamine lotion and makeup all over her to hide the blotches. Also, the now famous scene where Gere snaps the lid of the jewelry case on her fingers was not intended to be in the film. Marshall instigated a prank because Julia was dragging and he wanted to wake her up. So, he told Gere to impishly snap the lid when she went to touch the necklace, and her reaction was so delightful that they kept it.
This is a fun film that is worth seeing again now that it has been released on DVD. I rated it an 8/10. Though it is ridiculously implausible, it is enchanting and amusing throughout. It is also an excellent look at Julia Roberts' early work, when she only earned $300,000 rather than $20 Million per film.