Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman Literary Elements

Director

Garry Marshall

Leading Actors/Actresses

Richard Gere, Julia Roberts

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Hector Elizondo, Laura San Giacomo, Jason Alexander

Genre

Romantic Comedy

Language

English

Awards

Golden Globe Nomination: Best Actress—Julia Roberts, Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy); Academy Award Nomination: Best Actress—Julia Roberts

Date of Release

1990

Producer

Nancy Gross, Steven Reuther, Arron Milchan, Laura Ziskin

Setting and Context

Los Angeles, California, 1990

Narrator and Point of View

No narrator or particular point of view

Tone and Mood

Romantic and fairy-tale like; Humorous; Whimsical; Feel-Good

Protagonist and Antagonist

Vivian is the protagonist and Phil Stuckey is the antagonist

Major Conflict

The major conflict is between Edward and Phil over Vivian and the effect she appears to be having on Edward. Phil sees Vivian as both weakening Edward and reducing his own earning potential.

Climax

Edward arrives at Vivian's apartment in his limo calling her outside and presenting her with a bouquet of flowers. He goes up the fire escape to her and they embrace in a fairy tale ending.

Foreshadowing

Early in the film, Edward mentions his tickets to the opera, and laments that he does not have a date, which foreshadows his taking Vivian to La Traviata.

Understatement

Vivian tells the snobby salesgirl at the Rodeo Drive boutique that she made a big mistake in refusing to wait on her the previous day. This is an understatement, given the "profane" amount of money that Edward is willing to spend on Vivian.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

No notable camera innovations or techniques

Allusions

When Vivian asks Kit whom it really ever turns out right for, Kit refers to Cinderella. The entire film is framed by its characters as a fairy tale.

Paradox

Vivian's outward appearance stereotypes her as a prostitute, which leads Edward to assume that she is a drug user. When he apprehends her in his bathroom, thinking she is using drugs, she is actually flossing her teeth. Vivian is, therefore, a paradoxical character, a prostitute who takes care of herself.

Parallelism

While Edward transforms Vivian in many ways, she also has a transformative effect on him. They are parallels of each other. Edward teaches Vivian to believe in herself and her potential, and to elevate. Likewise, she teaches him to be more warm-hearted and think about people before money.