Plot: What’s it about?
Let’s take a trip back to the Spring of 1990, shall we? Let’s see…George Bush was in office and we were at war in the Middle East – some things never change, do they? A new decade was upon us and someone by the name of Julia Roberts was a burgeoning on a successful career as an actress. Miss (at the time) Roberts had really only a couple movies to her credit when she did “Pretty Woman”: “Mystic Pizza” and “Steel Magnolias” – both of which I’ve actually never seen. Audiences fell in love with Roberts and made “Pretty Woman” one of the smash hits of 1990. In hindsight, what was it about a hooker with the “heart of gold” that we liked so much? I don’t really know the answer to that. It’s one of those things that you can’t really explain, it just works on some level. Additionally, the movie was popular enough to inspire somewhat of a sequel (“spinoff” would be a better word, actually) as Gere and Roberts teamed again for 1999’s “Runaway Bride”.
For the few out there who have never seen the movie, the plot is pretty simple. Vivian (Julia Roberts) is a naïve young woman from the country who has moved to Hollywood to make it big. She got caught up in the “world’s oldest profession” and makes a decent living. The problem is that her friend (and fellow hooker) Kit (Laura San Giacomo) is in some trouble with her pimp and as luck would have it Edward (Richard Gere) shows up in downtown Hollywood, lost and needing directions. He hires Vivian to guide him out of the gutter, she spends the night and then later on the week for the “bargain” of $3000 (the original title of the movie, by the way). Edward is staying at an elegant hotel where the manager (Hector Elizondo) takes great pride in turning her from “Hollywood Hooker” to the princess that we see at the end. Everything is going well until Edward’s slimy lawyer, Phillip (a pre-“Seinfeld” Jason Alexander) finds out the secret and propositions Vivian. Will Edward and Vivian ever get together? Will Edward conquer his fear of heights? Will Edward grow a soul and not buy companies and sell them off for profit? Duh duh dummmmmm…the plot thickens!
No matter how you view it, “Pretty Woman” is one of those movies that define an actor or an actress. You think of Julia Roberts and you think of this movie, you think of Richard Gere and you think “An Officer and a Gentleman”, Sean Connery “James Bond”. Go ahead, try it. Yes, the movie is corny and predictable and has become somewhat of the template for the modern romantic comedy – so what. Much like “When Harry Met Sally”, this is just one of those movies that you have to see. Roberts was nominated for her first Academy Award (she would later win for her role in “Erin Brockovich” nine years later) but lost out to Kathy Bates in “Misery”. This is now the third edition of the DVD, and they keep adding features to it. As it stands this is now the “definitive” version – so if it’s not already on your shelf…add it.
Video: How does it look?
As I mentioned, this is now the third incarnation of this movie on DVD and it seems that Disney finally got it right…finally (yes, I realized I typed that twice). The previous two versions featured a somewhat dirty-looking non-anamorphic transfer. Part of the let down of the 10th Anniversary Edition was this fact and this alone. It could have been excused for the original DVD as the format was still new and Disney wasn’t doing anamorhic transfers at the time – the 10th Anniversary edition came out in 2000 and there was no excuse for a new transfer. Well, my friends – all of that is behind us. I’m pleased to say that this transfer is heads and tails above the others and though not perfect, it looks like a new movie. I found the clarity to be top notch and the colors bright and vivid. There are a few instances in which there was a bit of dirt on the print, but nothing too major. To be blunt, if you’ve been waiting to buy this on DVD because the transfer wasn’t 16:9 enhanced…wait no longer.
Audio: How does it sound?
In addition to the enhanced picture we now get a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, whereas the previous editions had a Dolby Surround mix. I will say that the difference isn’t all that great, but the fact that Disney did go back and give this a new mix does say something. Dialogue is very clean and the soundtrack is about as good as we can expect. In all honesty, it sounds about the same but I did notice some discrete effects that weren’t present on my older copy (and I actually did go back and compare).
Supplements: What are the extras?
As far as supplements go this version of “Pretty Woman” has more than the rest. First up is an all-new commentary with Director Garry Marshall. I enjoyed his previous commentary track which he had made nearly ten years ago for the Laserdisc. That one is now gone and has been replaced with his new track (why they didn’t include both of them, I’ll never know). Marshall gives a very energetic and engaging track full of bits of information that really aren’t that important to the film (he cast his son as a drug dealer and was disappointed that he was smoking, etc.). It’s a nice track and worth a listen if you so desire. The rest of the supplements are rather weak, ubt there is an outtake reel which shows the actors goofing their lines or hamming it up for the camera. Natalie Cole’s “Wild Women Do” music video is shown in it’s late 80’s entirety and there’s a vintage (“vintage” being 1990) production featurette on the movie. There’s also somewhat of a home movie in which Marshall, Roberts and Gere are crooning at the wrap party in October of 1989. Throw in the theatrical trailer and there you have it. For those that don’t own it, this is the best version of “Pretty Woman” to date and it deserves a spot on your shelf. The upgraded video and audio alone should warrant a purchase.
