Richard Gere’s Hilarious Joke About Himself and Julia Roberts in ‘Pretty Woman’ Will Make You Realize How Terribly Hollywood Has Failed Rom-Com Fans In Recent Years
- Richard Gere joked about the lacking chemistry with Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman,' revealing behind-the-scenes effort in a scene.
- Romantic comedies have struggled lately, with many newer films bypassing theaters for streaming platforms.
- Recent rom-coms like 'Anyone But You' struggled to impress critics and failed to have that evergreen charm.
Romantic comedies were once a staple of the movie industry. Rom-coms were the guilty pleasures of entertainment for many, as they in a way built on the fantasies of the audience while also being relatable. Moreover, the box-office business aspect of the genre was also strong once.
Nowadays, the rom-com landscape has changed drastically. Although people still remember the classics and they are still earning viewership, the genre failed to sustain its specialty with time. Recently, Pretty Woman star Richard Gere made a self-deprecating joke that shows how much the genre has changed.
Richard Gere Joked About Lacking Chemistry With Julia Roberts
Richard Gere recently celebrated his 75th birthday, and at the 81st Venice Film Festival, he decided to take a trip down memory lane. A scene from his 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman was shown during the event which brought back a lot of memories.
The movie was important for both Gere and Julia Roberts, as it boosted their fame and careers for the better. In the clip shown at the festival, Gere’s character, Edward, was undressing Roberts’ Vivian atop a hotel piano.
The moment earned applause from the audience, but Gere sarcastically joked about the on-screen magic he and Roberts shared. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said,
I mean, no chemistry. This actor and this actress obviously had no chemistry between them… I haven’t seen that in a long time. That’s a sexy scene.
Later, Gere revealed the efforts and thoughts behind that particular scene. He felt that his character was “criminally underwritten,” and “it was basically a suit and a good haircut.” To improve the scene, he and director Garry Marshall came up with a solution.
Gere told Garry that he usually tries to find a piano in hotel rooms when he feels jetlagged. It was ultimately decided that Gere’s character would play a moody tune that would show his interior life, and the scene was elevated instantly.
Understandably, that chemistry wasn’t entirely effortless. Gere even joked that he thought “no one would ever pay attention to this little tiny movie.” But as The Hollywood Reporter reports, Pretty Woman has made over $460 million worldwide and was the 5th highest-grossing film of all time when it was released. This is something that cannot be imagined in today’s landscape.
The Decline of Romantic Comedy
Gere’s sarcastic jabs at his own on-screen chemistry give a bittersweet reminder of how much the rom-com genre has struggled lately. In the 90s and early 2000s, it was the peak of the feel-good genre. Movies like Pretty Woman and Jerry Maguire became instant classics.
Today, rom-coms usually just bypass the theaters and are directly premiered on streaming platforms. Although it can be considered that this step has made the genre easily accessible, it is also the case that audiences are now robbed of the communal and theater-going experience that was once integral to its success.
Moreover, the recent movies have been hit-or-miss, and almost none of them have the same evergreen factor as their predecessors. Even when some films like Anyone But You make it to the theater, it is seen struggling to find a good reception.
Although Anyone But You grossed over $220 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), it failed to impress critics as it currently has a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Some felt that the lead characters were not properly developed, while others felt the dialogs were not good.
Similarly, films like Gigli, Failure to Launch, How Do You Know, This Means War and The Bounty Hunter are some more examples of 2000s and 2010s movies that became a part of the decline of rom-com. Poor script, lack of originality in story and chemistry among actors, and an improper mix of action in the genre are some common factors for their failures.
In the current landscape of superhero universes and action and fantasy franchises, studios and producers also sometimes want to grab a dependable opportunity for cash rather than taking risks with standalone feel-good rom-coms. However, it is also true that there is a huge rom-com audience that is still waiting for the genre’s revival.
Pretty Woman is available to stream on Disney+.
Anyone But You is available to stream on Netflix.
