"Pretty Woman". . .Not as Superficial as it Sounds



     In this blog, I've noticed that whenever I criticize a movie or T.V. show for its representation of women, it's usually because I believe the woman has been judged for her superficial qualities, and made to seem like more of an object than as an actual human being.

     This was not the case with the film Pretty Woman.  While the title may seem like it was all about this particular woman's looks, the film delivered a completely different message. Vivian, played by Julia Roberts, is a "hooker" (prostitute) who goes from tramp to high-class woman. But the changes go even deeper than that.

     When we first meet Vivian, she seems like an unintelligent, trashy woman who is only concerned with sex, drugs, and alcohol. This impression begins to fade away when Vivian first meets Edward, a wealthy businessman, on the side of Hollywood Boulevard and offers to drive his car. (It's a stick-shift, and he has some trouble with those.) The fact that a woman knew more about a car than a man did made me giggle, but this was only the beginning of the movie's much more meaningful empowerment of women.

     Vivian ends up spending a lot of time around this very wealthy man, who encourages her in every possible way. He speaks to her politely. He tells her how smart and gifted she is. He brings her along to high-class functions like horse races and the opera. He gives her money for clothes, and when he finds out she hasn't been treated nicely by the store clerks, he makes sure she gets the royal treatment the next time around. When Edward's friend physically and verbally attacks Vivian in their hotel room, Edward jumps to the rescue. Later, he leaves this friend out of a business deal, thereby sending the message that men who mistreat women deserve to be punished.

     In short, in this modern-day Cinderella story, Edward acts as both Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother and rescues Vivian from her destitution.  But he does more than that. Edward gives Vivian self-esteem and a strong sense of her potential. Hollywood needs to make more movies like this one.