Julia Roberts didn’t want to miss the opportunity of really being able to play her role effectively, so she immersed herself in a free clinic in Los Angeles, where Garry Marshall’s wife worked as a nurse.
She met working girls there and tried to understand their plight until she was confident enough to play her character as Vivian Ward.
Four Golden Globe Nominations
"Pretty Woman" was nominated for four Golden Globes in 1991, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Richard Gere), and Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Hector Elizondo). But Julia Roberts was the winner of the night, taking home a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
This was a huge achievement since she managed to beat Demi Moore, Andie McDowell, Mia Farrow, and the legendary Meryl Streep. Julia Roberts had won a Golden Globe the year before, as well, for her performance in the drama "Steel Magnolias."
One of the Most Important Lines Was Added by a Woman
Remember the final line in "Pretty Woman," when Vivian says, "She rescued him right back!"? Well, not so surprisingly, that line was written by a woman. More specifically, a famous Hollywood producer called Laura Ziskin, known for "Spiderman" (I, II, and III), "As Good as it Gets," "Dinner With Friends," "No Way Out," "The Butler," and more. But there's a backstory to why Ziskin decided to add that final line.
At some point during the film, Roberts tells Gere that she always dreamed of a knight in shining armor that would come and rescue her. And, of course, he ends up doing just that, making the grand gesture of climbing the fire escape up to her modest apartment, holding her in his arms, and kissing her. Ziskin didn't want to end the film there, so when Gere says, ‘So what happened when he climbed the tower to rescue her?’ Roberts replies, ‘She rescued him right back!’. Ziskin explains that she didn't want the film to send out a message to women that a nice guy will always come around to 'rescue' them by giving them money and buying them nice clothes. She wanted to give both of them equal credit for their happiness.
The Original Version Was Much Darker
The final version of the film we love is a romantic comedy, but its original script was intent on showing us a dark version of it. It had Vivian Ward as an addicted working girl, whom Edward paid $3,000 to stay with him for a week, but their deal was cut short as he could no longer stand being with her.
Vivian gets thrown out on the side of the road. Kit, her close friend, tragically dies. There was nothing romantic about it at all.
Roberts’ Favorite Scene in the Movie
"Pretty Woman" has many lovely scenes, but Julia Roberts’ favorite was early in the film when she drove the Lotus automobile for Edward. She said she wasn’t really good at driving at the time but enjoyed it nevertheless, describing it as a hilarious scene.
Garry Marshall admitted the cameramen struggled to keep up with her fast driving.