One of the films that I can watch over and over again is Pretty Woman; it never grows old or dull.
However, given how many times I’ve seen it, I find it quite strange that I haven’t seen these errors and blunders that provide a distinct perspective on the movie.
Everything was altered by Disney.
Millions of people were enthralled with the romantic comedy Pretty Woman, which made Richard Gere and Julia Roberts famous.
However, that was not the intended outcome. J.F. Lawton, a struggling screenwriter at the time, wrote the initial script, which was named 3,000. Much darker topics of corporate greed and societal inequality were addressed in the early text.
A scene from the 1990 movie “Pretty Woman” has Julia Roberts and Richard Gere sharing a drink. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Buena Vista))
However, when Disney came over, everything was different. Class and sex labor in Los Angeles were elements that the firm wished to minimize. Rather, Disney made it more of a romantic comedy and gave it a big budget.
Al Pacino declined the lead part.
Richard Gere’s portrayal of Edward Lewis, the ultra-wealthy New York businessman who employs Vivian (Julia Roberts) to be his escort for a week, is the only actor I can imagine playing the part.
Al Pacino was first in the running for the part of Lewis in Pretty Woman, but the casting process took longer than anticipated. Before ultimately declining the role, the renowned actor even went so far as to take part in a casting reading with Julia Roberts.
Pacino never said why he turned down the part, despite liking the script. In retrospect, he has said that he admires Roberts, who was a little-known actress at the time.
“I mean, it was clear from the reading that this would be a successful film. “You simply knew it,” Pacino said.
“And this girl was phenomenal,” he continued. I mean, “Where did you get this girl?” I asked Gary. Gary is the film’s director, Gary Marshall. Pacino was right on the money since Roberts’s outstanding performance would define both the film’s reputation and her career.
The croissant turns into a pancake.
You might not have seen this amusing small touch in the scene where Richard Gere’s character wants breakfast to be brought to the room. Vivian is shown eating a croissant and conversing with Edward at the beginning.
However, the croissant magically transforms into a pancake in the blink of an eye.
How did that occur? Director Garry Marshall said that they saved the video because he liked Roberts’ portrayal in the later takes when she was eating a pancake rather than a croissant.
But this led to a problem with continuity. Vivian takes a second bite of the pancake in the first frame, but just one bite is missing from the pancake in the second shot, and the biting pattern is clearly different.
Obviously, it’s a different pancake!
The real story behind the famous garment
The typical moviegoer may not notice the meticulous attention to outfit design. But whether you’re a fashionista or not, you can’t help but notice the movie’s famous red dress worn by Julia Roberts’ character.
In a “transformative” scene in the movie where Roberts’ character goes to the opera with her Edward Lewis, the red dress represents Vivan’s metamorphosis and empowerment.
Commons on Wikipedia
The dress is “eye-catching, incredibly sexy without losing an ounce of elegance,” according to Vogue. The creative force behind that gorgeous gown? The award-winning costume designer Marilyn Vance, of course.
She was the creative force behind Richard Gere’s stylish looks and created six amazing ensembles for Julia Roberts’ Vivian Ward.
Consider Roberts’ adorable attire with brown and white polka dots that she wore to the horse racing. Talk about recycling in style! That little gem was made from ancient silk that was discovered in a little Los Angeles antique fabric store! And those stylish shoes? Yes, Chanel made these.
The tie worn by Richard Gere
The suits that Gere wore were all created by Vance and included brown, navy, and blue-gray hues, making it a masterwork of color coordination.
What about the well-known tie that Roberts stole from a store person? Vance claimed that it was “nothing special” and most definitely not designer.
She paid a cool $48 for it at a store in Los Angeles.
Throughout the movie, the tie appears multiple times, and if you pay great attention, you may see that it occasionally changes knots in an enigmatic manner.
Edward wears a straight-collar shirt and the half-Windsor knotted tie that Vivian gave him during the polo match. However, a later scene reveals a minor change: the tie is now in a full-Windsor knot, and Edward’s collar has mysteriously changed into a spread style.
“Obscene” buying binge
Richard Gere takes Julia Roberts’ character on a crazy shopping spree down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to introduce her to the glitzy world of the wealthy.
That shopping excursion in the afternoon? Designer Marilyn Vance said it would have cost Gere’s character at least $30,000.
What a supercharged retail therapy session! Vivian was in a trance, which makes sense given that they appeared to be using Monopoly money to shop.
The necklace made of rubies and diamonds was authentic.
The heart-shaped necklace made of diamonds and rubies that Julia Roberts wore with her gorgeous red ball gown was worth an incredible quarter million dollars. Yes, you heard correctly.
Movie trivia websites claim that this ruby-and-diamond marvel was authentic. Actually, the jewelry business that made this ostentatious necklace employed an armed security guard to stand watchfully behind the director while filming.
The scenario with the jewelry box was a practical prank.
In addition to being one of the most romantic and memorable scenes in film history, the scene in which Richard Gere gives Julia Roberts the expensive necklace also has a humorous backstory.
It started off as a lighthearted joke for the gag reel in the movie.
As you may remember, Julia Roberts’ fingertips cause the jewelry box to snap shut, evoking one of the most sincere and endearing chuckles ever seen on camera.
Director Garry Marshall gave the true backstory of the sequence, explaining why he and Gere chose to deceive the young girl.
Marshall claims that after a late night out, Roberts, who was only 23 at the time, would occasionally show up on set a little drowsy.
“I told Richard to slam the box when she reaches for it because you need to wake her up a bit.” The package was soft. Marshall clarified that he would never harm her.
They didn’t decide to include the sequence in the film until the very end of editing. “We included it… and it became the movie’s trademark,” Marshall remarked.
Suddenly, an unplanned joke became a work of cinematic genius.
Edward’s shoes that vanished
As we previously discussed, there are a few errors in Pretty Woman that are difficult to see on first watching, but some astute viewers have nevertheless pointed them out.
For instance, Vivian removes Edward’s shoes as they leave the opera and make their way to the park. But the shoes magically return as he starts to lie down.
Cash in the boot
Speaking of items on (or in) your feet, you may have overlooked the small mystery surrounding Vivian’s footwear.
She immediately tucks the $100 Edward gives her in the penthouse inside her boot to keep it safe. However, the money has inexplicably vanished after the room service with champagne arrives and she removes her boots.
Is Vivian an expert at concealing things, or did the money just disappear? Perhaps the $100 decided it didn’t want to stay for the remainder of the movie, or maybe those boots have a hidden compartment.
Condoms in four different colors
They appear to have a mind of their own when Vivian presents Edward with a variety of vibrant condoms.
With the exception of that elegant gold circle option, Vivian begins with four selections that are placed neatly. However, the order has magically shifted in the following shot.
His character didn’t sit well with Richard Gere.
In terms of his career and financial situation, Richard Gere has undoubtedly profited from Pretty Woman’s success. However, he hasn’t always had nothing but good things to say about the movie, particularly regarding his character Edward. Gere called Edward “criminally underwritten” during a Venice film festival. “Basically, he’s just a suit and a good haircut,” he continued.
One sequence in particular, where Vivian is getting closer to Edward as he plays the piano, seemed to irritate Gere. After giving it some thought, Gere said mockingly: “I mean, no chemistry.” There was clearly no chemistry between this actor and this actress. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that. That scene is sexy.
After asking Gere what he typically did in hotels late at night, director Garry Marshall came up with the idea for the scenario. “I said, ‘Well, I’m usually jet lagged, [that] would be the time I’m in a hotel,” Gere said. I spend the entire night up, and I generally find a piano and play it in a ballroom or bar. “Well, let’s do something with that,” Marshall said.
According to Gere, the moment was basically improvised: “He said, ‘Play something moody.'” I just began portraying the character’s inner life, which was a melancholy role.
In the third shot, they revert to the initial lineup in an equally enigmatic manner. Behind the scenes, the condoms appear to be performing a little dance routine of their own.
More than just fans of the movies
In my opinion, there was no denying Julia Roberts and Gere’s connection in Pretty Woman. They developed a strong bond off-screen as well, so the sparks weren’t limited to when the cameras were rolling.
Gere revealed in 2017 that he still speaks with Roberts “all the time,” and that they used to call “three or four times a day.”
In a good way, you could say it was love at first sight.
Yes, we fell in love right away. Thus, it was a pleasant thing, Gere acknowledged.
The link between them was immediately apparent, even to filmmaker Garry Marshall.
He recounted a time during the first meeting when he left the performers alone to acquaint themselves while he went to the bathroom.
Marshall remarked, “I came out and saw the two of them at the end of a hall, just looking at each other.” And I thought, “Look at that chemistry right there.” Despite not knowing one another, they are succeeding.
Gere was persuaded to star in Pretty Woman by Roberts.
Despite the fact that Al Pacino nearly got the part, it appears Julia Roberts was adamant about having Richard Gere as her on-screen companion.
She essentially begged Richard Gere in a very sincere manner.
In 2017, she told SiriusXM, “He’s a very serious actor and he had very specific thoughts about the movie and the part and what worked and didn’t work for him.”
I believe I simply nodded, grinned broadly, and concurred with all he said. “You have to do this movie; it will be awful if you don’t do it and it fails and I lose this job,” I urged.
And according to Richard Gere, this is how it all transpired:
“I was still unsure if I was working on this film. We’re getting to know one another, and we’re both really flirtatious and pleasant.She grabs a piece of paper from across the desk, writes something on it, then flips it over and puts it in my direction.”Please answer “yes.”
Things don’t always go according to plan, even in a romantic fairy tale. Perhaps that’s precisely what makes this film so charming—and why we keep returning year after year for another viewing.
Did we overlook your most beloved “Pretty Woman” gaffe? Continue to have fun and share it with us!
