Movies that Put Life into Perspective: Pretty Woman Edition

This past week was my first time at home since I moved to Boston.  I go into town on Wednesday, and celebrated Thanksgiving with my family on Thursday.  On Friday at Midnight I went Black Friday shopping with my sister at Target.  Then on Saturday my mom made Thanksgiving part two to celebrate my favorite meal for my birthday.  My family and I spent the rest of Saturday watching movies and spending time together.  My parents fell asleep (as usual) but woke up and ended up watching Pretty Woman with my sister and I.

Pretty Woman (1990) is the story of the millionaire/billionaire Richard Lewis (Richard Gere) who picks up a hooker named Vivian (Julia Roberts) on Hollywood Blvd..  Richard has sex with Vivian and ends up paying her to accompany throughout the week as his date.  This was the film that launched Julia Roberts into super stardom; he performance in this film earned her her second Oscar nomination, and her first in the lead actress category.  Roberts and Gere had such amazing chemistry, and made this one of the best romantic comedies of all time.  Gary Marshall knows how to launch women into stardom; he has done the same thing with Ann Hathaway and The Princess Diaries.  While Marshall is not the best director this film has so much charm, and he has great loyalty to a few recurring actors.  Marshall has always cast Hector Elizondo and Larry Miller in most of his films.  Elizondo usually plays a much bigger supporting role, while Miller usually plays a small role.  This film is a fairytale come true, and was one of  my favorite movies growing up.

This was one of the movies that I watched with my family all the time when I was younger.  Do not scoff at the fact that I watched a movie about a hooker while I was younger.  Movies brought my family together and this is one the films that I remember always watching when I was a young kid.  I always remember my mom, dad, and I watching this film.  When we watch Pretty Woman we always say that our favorite part was when Vivian goes back to Rodeo Driver and she has her hands filled with bags and tells the women who pushed her away from shopping when she looked like a hooker.  Sitting with my family and remembering the old days was great.  While home for the holidays I sometimes get annoyed as there is arguing, but its times like these when my family sits down around the TV and watches a movie, I remember how nice being around them can be.

Top Ten On-Screen Couples of All Time

Great on-screen chemistry is an important aspect to movies, so movies have become so memorable and successful, because the actors have had such great chemistry.  This list focuses on on-screen romances.

10-Wall-E and Eve in Wall-E (2008) Of all the on screen animated couples in history I have been moved most by these two robots falling in love.  This love is not about chemistry (because the characters are animated), but mostly about finding that one person who completes you.  Wall-E is a lovelorn robot who idealizes finding the perfect person from seeing the film Hello Dolly!  Wall-E helps her save the world and you can't help but feel the connection.

9-Billy Crystal (Harry Burns) and Meg Ryan (Sally Albright) in When Harry met Sally (1989) The age old question "can women and men be friends?" Crystal and Ryan have great chemistry, even when they can't stand each other at the beginning of the movie, their on screen banter is great.  As the movie progresses and they become friends you can't but see that there is more to this relationship.  Watching how important they are to each other is beautiful, and seeing that a good relationship blossoms from friendship.

8-Warren Beatty (Clyde Barrow) and Faye Dunaway (Bonnie Parker) in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) The are in love, and they rob banks.  This romanticized tale of the famous bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde had two of sexiest movie stars of the time with passionate on screen chemistry.  Their love story and the things they do bind them an interesting way. 

7-Heath Ledger (Ennis del Mar) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Jack Twist) in Brokeback Mountain (2004)  A forbidden love as these two work together in the mountains they discover something more about themselves, and their relationship.  One cold night their share a tent and their lives are changed forever.  When they see each other for the first time to go "fishing"  their embrace and passionate kiss exude passion.  When Ennis goes to see Jack's parents and finds his shirt in the closet he realizes they had as the song from the movie sad "A love that will never grow old."

6-Elizabeth Taylor (Cleopatra) and Richard Burton (Mark Anthony) in Cleopatra (1963) Their real life romance was apparent on the screen.  This film is not the best but the connection that Taylor and Burton had on screen was unmistakable.

5-Julia Roberts (Vivien Ward) and Richard Gere (Edward Lewis) in Pretty Woman (1990) The hooker and the millionaire fall in love?  This fairytale story details Roberts going from whore to a girl worth fighting for; she never kisses, but once she starts she can't stop.  As Gere climbs up her fire escape a modern fairytale is born and anything can happen in Hollywood. 

4-Vivien Leigh (Scarlet O'Hara) and Clark Gable (Rhett Butler) in Gone with the Wind (1939)-The passion and the tension between these two is so magnetic.  Rhett was not her first choice, but often in life, love and chemistry are not easy.  Leigh and Gable's  fighting adds to heat that they have and frankly I don't give a damn if you disagree with me.

3-Leonardo DiCaprio (Jack Dawson) and Kate Winslet (Rose DeWitt) in Titanic (1997)-My favorite modern day on screen couple.  DiCaprio and Winslet made it believable that they fell in love during their short time on this boat, and that they were meant to be together.  The last scene when they kiss in the staircase and everyone claps gives me butterflies in my stomach.

2-Katherine Hepburn (Amanda Bonner) and Spencer Tracey (Adam Bonner ) in Adam's Rib (1949)  This is another real life love affair that emulated great on screen chemistry.  In this film the pair are a married couple who are both lawyers and on opposing sides in a court case.  This film is funny, touching, and highlights some of the greatest on screen ever!

1-Humphrey Bogart (Rick Blaine) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund)  in Casablanca (1942)-As time goes by I can't ever forget this memorable on screen couple.  Thir brief love affair is something unforgettable, and it bodes the question do you give eternal love for safety?  Boggie and Bergman are magical together, they play off each other so well.  This iconic film is about their relationship and this pair sold it.