If This Then That: Pretty Woman

If you love “Indecent Proposal” another great movie you must see pretty woman. Woody Allen convinced his wife to sleep with a wealthy businessman and he also loss the woman he loved the most. The movies are similar but in my opinion “Pretty Woman” is the best romance movie for how it changed the general public’s view on sex workers and it made sex workers understandable and lovable. While indecent proposal was darker it did not make it a better film in my opinion. But it had all the variables to create the classic romance story that it is.

Every great love story must have relatability, comedy, a tragedy, turmoil, and intense intimacy with the main characters or anyone who is an essential part of the movie. Pretty woman is the ideal love story because it had all of that and more. The story is sort of a Cinderella framed novelty with a twist. The best romances stories also come with challenges that require great sacrifice. The challenges thicken the plot and build excitement this keeps the viewers engaged minimizing the chances of people getting bored or falling asleep. Also a happy ending is the icing on the cake of all romance movies.

In romance movies it’s critical that the main characters are relatability to whoever the target audience (demographic) is because if that doesn’t happen no one will take the story serious. For example, no one will believe Mark Zuckerberg will leave his wife for a celebrity from a entirely different background like “Cardi B” in a romance story. There must be authenticity in the structure of the story in “Pretty Woman” a gentleman high profile lawyer purchased the services of a lovable sex worker. That happens in life while the wife is in another state with kids or with a young rich bachelor taking a walk on the wild side. The director of “Pretty Woman” pulled out all the stops to make people look at sex workers differently. After this movie prostitutes were seen as human beings and not as merely sex machines that exist only to perform the most filthy and unspeakable sexual deeds on their customers for a fee. But relatability is only a part of the hit romance movie formula. The comedy element of the movie is really what makes viewers love the movie.

People love genuine humor in movies because it makes the world an easier place to live in. But in a romance it adds to the mystique of the movie and it creates nostalgia. Vivian was everything a down to earth women love to see and they mostly all have friends or a friend that are sex workers that they hang out with them. Everyone knows the corporate executives and hotshot lawyers are always looking for a forbidden thrill. They do this so they can go back and tell their friends all the naughty things they did with a beautiful woman for laughs and high fives with their friends. Edward told Vivian jokes that were realistic and funny to everyone who watched the movie. Edward also defended Vivian’s honor when his buddy “Phillip” made lite of her like she was of absolutely no value by punching him in the nose and when Phil tries to sexual assault her solely because she sold sex for a living. Most women despise men who treat women like trash by making fun of them for sexual things they’ve done in the past or present. Phillip’s dark element of comedy in the movie made viewers love Vivian even more and hate the actor who played Phillip in real life. Comedy is vital to the success of a romance but so is tragedy.

The store clerk at the Beverly Hills store was very snobbish in the movie which made her the villain of the romance story and they are equally as important as the hero in a romance story. First the store clerk was being very condescending toward Vivian because of the unprofessional way in which Vivian was dressed and she was not used to seeing someone come into her store dressed as a promiscuously. Then Vivian pulls out a wad of wrinkled small bills to pay for the dress and that was a red flag to the store clerk that made the clerk think she was a thief or a prostitute. The store clerk even went as far as saying they she did not accept cash which was a lie so she would discourage Vivian causing her to leave the store and it worked. That made movie magic it gave Edward a chance to be a hero once Vivian told him how poorly she had been treated by the store clerk and she just wanted to buy a dress to look nice for Edward before they went out. When Edward came to the store the store clerk humbled herself because she knew he was a rich person that had been to her store before.

Women loved Richard Gere before that scene but after that he was a fullblown heartthrob for decades it’s his one of his most memorable performances arguably the most. He masterfully played that role. The tragedy gives Edwards grace with the viewers just as it would have in reality. Though this movie is fictional that type of thing happens in real life with high-end stores on the regular if you come to shop and you do not look the part. The tragedies have to be relatable, addressed, and realistic in a romance to maximize the chances of positive results from the viewers. Though this is a lite tragedy and the actions of Phillip were much more serious the store clerk scenes enchanted the premise of the story. Turmoil must also exist in a good romance story.

The chemistry and intimacy between Vivian and Edward is iconic and became the gold standard for romance films from then on. From the passionate kissing and touching to Edward gently holding Vivian in his arms with finesse as if she were a spanish guitar made women melt as the director planned. The intimacy influenced women to challenge the suaveness of their man for sure. Edward played the role of Romeo to perfection. But in a romance movie shortly after the intimacy must also be mixed with a problem that will break the love birds apart so they can come back together with a happy ending that will make women cry.

At the ending of the movie Edward decided maybe he was being foolish by making a sex worker his legit love interest because of his status and he didn’t want his friends and colleagues to think that he was a clown. He broke it off with her coldly as if she meant nothing to him and she was just a friend with benefits and playtime was over because he had to return to reality. Women hated him for being such a pig and they had the right to it was ice cold the way that he treated her. But Edward didn’t really want to let her go. He was being a coward and hiding his true feelings for acceptance from his friends. Then Edward metaphorically walks on water to show her how much he loved her and they ended up being a couple. Edward had a heart of gold and he helped a woman that was lost in the world become his official Queen that’s a classic American romance right there. When you talk about classic love stories “Pretty Woman” is in the top 10 for sure.

At the end of indecent proposal Woody Allen popped up at the auction where Demi Moore who played his wife was with the rich man that her sold her for a night to for $1,000,000. They had gotten into fight because he had grown jealous of the man he sold his wife to he was insecure because he couldn’t compete with him financially. So he gave the million dollars back he bid all the money on one of the items and he caught he wife’s attention then he became a hero as what happens in all romance movies. Another great movie tear jerking classic but “Pretty Woman” just has a more realistic storyline and believable make-up.

When you add intimacy, relatability, passion, comedy, tragedy, and a happy ending that starts in sadness you have everything you need for a classic romance movie. Pretty woman is “Gone with the Wind” caliber classic romance. The film is the prototype of what a romance movie is and what it was always meant to be. When you follow each one of these steps thoroughly you can’t miss with a romance movie. You will create something beautiful that will endure for as long as civilization exists. Pretty woman is everything a romance should.