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.
