Different ratings,then and now

Rating: 6/10 (28 March 2005)

I saw this film in the theater,Spring of 1990. I was eighteen at the time(do the math!),and so that may've affected how I felt about the movie then,because asked then how I would've rated it,I probably would've given it a ten. Nine at the lowest.
Mostly,I was in love with Julia Roberts at the time,and why not? She was a rising young star at the time,effervescent and able to absolutely run with this film the way Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith(American footballers for those of you reading not from the US or don't follow the NFL or sports in general)could run with the pigskin.Also,I loved how the Cinderella story was played with not too much sentiment(up until the last fifteen minutes,of course)and a lot of humor. Richard Gere seemed to make a good,sober counterbalance to Miss Roberts' earthy,relaxed persona,as well.
Looking back on it now and having re-watched it a number of times,the film loses points with me on two levels. One,I've become increasingly annoyed with director Garry Marshall's style,which seems to be intent on making the world believe that fairy tales are everywhere and love is the natural storybook end to EVERY relationship. Second,I think this story is SO Hollywood sanitized that what it lacks in a particularly plausible storyline in tries to make up for in attractive,glossed up casting(I betting it's pretty tough to find a hooker ANYWHERE who looks as good as a young Julia Roberts!)and a sugary sweet ending.It was good enough for me back when I was young and hadn't seen as many films,not so good now.Not to mention making a capable comic foil actor such as Jason Alexander so one-dimensional that it makes you wonder how he scored the "Seinfeld" gig!
Still,I find it to be charming and reasonably(albeit shamelessly) entertaining enough to watch it again,which I have since I actually own a copy of the film.Keep in mind,that,too,was something I got as a gift,when(you guessed it)I was eighteen.