Toxic Takeaways - Pretty Woman’s Ugly Lessons

Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman remains one of our most beloved romantic comedies of all time. The spark between Richard Gere as a cocky financial whiz and Julia Roberts as the hooker with a heart of gold practically set the standard for modern movie chemistry. But all that charisma and the film’s iconic scenes also serve to mask some of its most troubling moments and contradictory messages. From its mistreatment of sex workers to its cynical celebration of materialism, to the unearned redemption it promises for a greedy, self-centered man, Pretty Woman is a movie with a lot of ideas that would cause real damage here in the real world. Here’s our Take on some of Pretty Woman’s most Toxic Takeaways, and why we shouldn’t believe everything about this fairy tale.