pretty women

Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a successful businessman and "corporate raider", takes a detour on Hollywood Boulevard to ask for directions. Receiving little help, he encounters a beautiful prostitute named Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) who is willing to assist him in getting to his destination. After a car conversation, Edward ends up hiring Vivian to stay with him for a week as an escort for social events, Vivian advises him that it "will cost him", and he agrees to give her $3,000 and access to his credit cards. Vivian then goes shopping onRodeo Drive, only to find that she is snubbed by saleswomen who disdain her because of her hooker appearance. Initially, Hotel Manager Bernard Thompson (Hector Elizondo) is also somewhat taken aback by her, but relents, and decides to help her buy a dress, even coaching her on dinner etiquette. Edward returns and is visibly amazed by Vivian's transformation. The business dinner does not end well, and Edward is preoccupied with the deal afterward.

Vivian explains to Edward about her humiliation at the clothing boutique on Rodeo Drive the previous day. Edward takes Vivian on a shopping spree, after which she returns to the same shop that had snubbed her, telling the salesgirls they made a "huge mistake". The song "Oh, Pretty Woman" sets the scene for the famous shopping montage in the film. The following day, Edward takes Vivian to a polo match where he is interested in networking for his business deal. While Vivian chats to David Morse, the grandson of the man involved in Edward's latest deal, Philip, Edward's attorney, becomes worried she is a spy. Edward reassures him by telling him how they met, and Philip (Jason Alexander) then comes on to Vivian and insults her. When they return to the hotel, she is furious with Edward for telling Phillip about her, and plans to leave, but he apologizes and persuades her to see out the week.

Edward leaves work early the next day and takes a breath-takingly stunning Vivian on a date to the Opera in San Francisco in his private jet. She clearly is moved by the music, and says, "If I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight." The two then make love, in a personal rather than professional way. Over breakfast, Edward offers to put her up in an apartment so he can continue seeing her, but she feels insulted and says this is not the "fairy tale" she wants. He then goes off to work without resolving the situation. Vivian's friend, Kit comes to the hotel and sees that she has fallen for him, although Vivian denies it.

Edward meets Morse, about to close the deal, and changes his mind at the last minute. His time with Vivian has shown him another way of living and working, taking time off and enjoying activities for which he initially had little time. As a result, his strong interest towards his business is put aside. He decides that he would rather help Morse than take over his company. Philip is livid, and goes to the hotel. Vivian is there and he blames her for changing Edward, then comes onto her again and then tries to rape her. Edward returns and pulls Philip off of Vivian and makes him leave. Vivian leaves, and is seen back at home with Kit, packing up to leave for San Francisco to get her life together by getting a GED and getting a job. Edward gets into the car with the chauffeur that took her home, and rather than going to the airport, he goes to her apartment and climbs up the fire escape, despite his fear of heights, with a rose in his teeth, to woo her. His leaping from the white limousine, and then climbing the outside ladder and steps, is a visual urban metaphor for the knight on white horse rescuing the "princess" from the tower, a childhood fantasy she'd told him about. The film ends as the two of them kiss on the fire escape.