Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Pretty Woman sports a sleaziness so disquieting that it’s no real surprise to learn the film was originally planned to be a gritty sex work drama that ended in tragedy.
The metaphorical birthplace of Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and tubs of ice cream eaten sadly on the sofa, the romantic comedy has survived cliche, shifting cultural mores and Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney.
The Disney-fied Pretty Woman features Julia Roberts in pure star-is-born mode, her joyous pluck overpowering the film’s murkier elements.
Filled with weddings, sardonic best friends and an abundance of Julia Roberts, these are the greatest romcoms of all time – ranked by Adam White from 25 to 1.
Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt and a young Halle Berry make for wonderful supporting players, but Boomerang’s secret weapon is Givens, who gives a performance with so much spark that it’s enraging her volatile marriage to Mike Tyson overshadowed much of her acting career.
