5 Screenwriting Lessons - Pretty Woman

Who Wrote It?

The script for Pretty Woman was written by J.F. Lawton. It was heavily changed from his original script $3000, which provided a much darker take on the same subject matter.

How Long Is It?

Pretty Woman is 120 minutes long, including end credits.

What’s It About?

Pretty Woman follows Edward Lewis (Played by Richard Gere), a corporate raider who specialises in dismantling failing businesses with the help of his partner Phillip Stuckey (Played by Jason Alexander). Driving away from a party in Stuckey’s car, he gets lost in Hollywood Boulevard, and has to ask prostitute Vivian Ward (Played by Julia Roberts) to give him directions. When he arrives at his hotel, he makes Vivian an offer; For $3000, she can remain with him for a week and accompany him to the various engagements he attends as he spends his time in Los Angeles trying to close a crucial deal. As Vivian gets to buy fancy clothes and attend polo games and opera shows, the two begin to fall in love, and Edward has to question his aggressive approach to business.

5 Screenwriting Lessons – Pretty Woman

(The Following May Contain Spoilers)

Culture Clash Creates Effective Comedy – The funniest sequences in the film are those that depict Vivian adjusting to her new, opulent lifestyle.  One of these occurs when she and Edward arrive at the luxury hotel in which they are staying for the week. When Edward orders champagne and strawberries, Vivian eats the fruit without adding it to the champagne first. This resembles the way in which her friend Kit collects and eats cocktail garnishes in the bar. When we first see this character trait, it fits Vivian and Kit’s uncouth lifestyle, but when Vivian continues doing this in the lap of luxury, the incongruity between setting and behaviour generates some amusing humour.

Even when Vivian starts to look like someone who fits in with the wealthy lifestyle, she continues to behave in an inappropriate fashion in many unfamiliar situations. When she and Edward go to a production of the opera La Traviata (Which has a plot similar to that of Pretty Woman), she struggles to use the opera glasses properly. After the production, she claims that she enjoyed it so much she “almost peed her pants” forcing Edward to step in and cover up the statement. This shows that whilst Vivian has changed in many ways, she still holds onto her uninhibited nature, and this ensures that she remains endearing.

Wish Fulfilment Makes A Film Enjoyable –After Edward and Vivian arrive at their hotel for the first time, he tells her his name for the first time.  Vivian responds by telling Edward that his name is her favourite, and claims that their meeting is due to fate. This sets up one of the key themes of the film, that Edward and Vivian are destined to be together, much like an ideal couple in a fairy tale is. In a similar manner, a throwaway line from Kit highlights the parallels between the world of fairy tales and Vivian’s present situation, as she claims that Cinderella is the only example of a successful prostitute. The basic premise behind the Cinderella story (that beauty and goodness will always lead to prosperity regardless of one’s initial circumstances) is inherently appealing, and Pretty Woman exploits this primal fantasy to create a story that can appeal to the wide majority of viewers.

The fairy tale approach is highlighted in the third act, as Vivian’s contract with Edward nears its end. She tells him about a fantasy that she had whenever she was being mistreated by her aunt, in which she imagined that she was a princess locked in a tower, waiting for a handsome hero to rescue her. Edward’s status as Vivian’s heroic knight is subsequently demonstrated twice, once when he rescues her from Stuckey, and in the end scene, where he goes to her apartment with flowers and overcomes his fear of heights to meet her on the fire escape at the top floor. This focus on fantasy is highlighted by an ending voice-over which tells the viewer that Hollywood is the “land of dreams” and they should “Keep on dreaming”. The fact that modern-day LA is used as the location for this fairy tale highlights the fact that this fantasy remains relevant and will never lose its popularity.

Relationships Should Progress Organically – Given the unsavoury nature of his job and his initial relationship with Vivian, Edward has to be made into a likeable protagonist if the audience is going to root for him to gain a happy ending. Therefore, his introduction to Vivian occurs by accident, when he asks her for directions. The two have a long conversation in the car, and Edward is impressed with Vivian’s knowledge of how it works. This ensures that, when he invites Vivian to join him in the hotel, his reasons for doing so are sympathetic, because he is basing his decision more on personality than on looks.

Pretty Woman also makes good use of a limited time frame during which the story can steadily escalate. Initially, Edward and Vivian only make plans for a single night together, but by the following morning, he is willing to pay her to stay with him for the rest of the week.  On the sixth night, the two kiss mouth-to-mouth for the first time, violating a key aspect of their agreement to keep their relationship from becoming too personal. The use of a time limit means that the story moves at a consistent pace, with a romantic tension that increases as the deadline nears.

Supporting Characters Should Mirror the Protagonist in Some Way – As Edward and Vivian spend the week together, they begin revealing personal secrets about each other, which highlight how much they have in common, despite their initial differences. For example, both had troubled relationships with their family (Edward’s distant relationship with his father is echoed by Vivian’s absent parents) and a series of failed romances. As Edward becomes disillusioned with his job, he realises that he “Screws people for money” just like Vivian. This awareness is key to a relationship, as the couples’ ability to connect with each other encourages them to realise that they have more reasons to stay together than they thought during their first meeting.

Conversely, Edward’s relationship with Stuckey deteriorates as he realises that he does not want to continue following his avaricious approach. Initially, the two enjoy a pretty close relationship, and Stuckey’s decision to loan Edward his car sets the plot in motion. As the story progresses and Edward’s positive traits, such as his love of creating things, become more apparent, Stuckey’s negative traits start to stand out. In the climax, he tries to force himself upon Vivian, at which point Edward fights him off and announces that he will no longer have him as a partner. Whilst the protagonist changes for the better, the antagonist should not only retain the traits that mark them out as an obstacle, these unpleasant characteristics should become increasingly pronounced as the protagonist grows.

Character Goals Should Be at the Centre of the Story – Edward’s primary goal, of maintaining his relationship with Vivian, soon becomes intertwined with an internal goal, which entails being less of a workaholic and learning to appreciate life. Initially, Edward refuses to spend time with Vivian, as he is too busy focusing on his work, but when he takes  a day off to be with her, he begins to realise that there is more to life then getting business deals signed. His decision to abort the takeover of a struggling shipping business and partner up with the owner instead reflects the fact that he has become less self-centred as a result of his week with Vivian, and is now focused on helping others. The ability to be kind to others is a strong positive trait, and the fact that Edward is more willing to demonstrate these attributes than he was at the beginning of the film is a major indicator of how much he has grown as a character.

Vivians’ desire to escape the seedy world in which she works is made evident from her introduction. She looks on, horrified, as tourists take photographs of a dead body in the back alleys of Hollywood Boulevard, and is dismayed by the fact that Kit spends their rent money on drugs. Even before she tells Edward that she wants to escape the prostitution industry, we can sense that she prefers the opportunities generated by his lavish lifestyle. Whilst her goal of finding a better life remains consistent throughout, her means of doing so change through the duration of the film. This is evident when she refuses Edward’s offer to provide for her after the two part ways, and decides to resume her education instead. As a result of time she has spent with him, she has realised that her main aim is to be seen as a strong and independent woman, and not subject to the degradation and exploitation that has defined her time as a hooker.

Verdict

Pretty Woman is a notable example of a movie designed to be escapist. Although traces of the dark source material appear on occasion, it is generally an idealistic portrayal of idealised characters. Although the contrast between the glamorous protagonists and their distinctly unglamorous jobs can be problematic for some, the film succeeds in providing memorable characters with a well-developed relationship, and amusing comedy stemming from the contrast between characters and situations.  Overall, it succeeds in its aim of providing a modern-day fairy tale for adults with a storybook approach, but still manages to keep the focus on the characters, as a good romantic comedy should.