Pretty Woman -- but not as Sleazy

Rating: 10/10 (25 August 2004)

I remember when I watched "Pretty Woman" for the first time. I was appalled at how everyone loved Richard Gere and how it was touted as the greatest romantic comedy of all time. I seemed to be the only person who was creeped out by the fact that Gere was only into Julia's character for the sex! He was paying her for sex and dressing her up to make her presentable! At the end, I half expected him to say, "sorry, I have to go home to my wife in New York now." THAT would have been an interesting story.
Enter "The Girl Next Door." Very similar storyline except our hero, Matt, is blissfully unaware of Danielle's past. He falls for her because of who she is. It's when he finds out she's a porn star that things start to crumble. Then she goes back to it, but Matt chases after and tells her "you're better than this."
This story of love, grace, jealousy and forgiveness reminds me a lot of the story of Gomer from the Bible (in the book of Hosea, for those interested -- tiny little book at back of the Old Testament). It was story about love. It has teen comedy elements, but it's real and raw at times that help transcend the genre that belongs to American Pie, Porky's and the like.