Richard Gere lets a guarded leading man soften without making a display of it. We rate that restraint, which makes Pretty Woman's unlikely romance believable even when the film is too easily impressed by money.
Fi1m perspective
In Pretty Woman (1990), Richard Gere gives Edward Lewis a reserve that takes time to soften. He lets us notice the growing affection without making each exchange an announcement of concealed pain. Julia Roberts gets more of the comedy, but his restraint gives their increasing ease together something to overcome. We were surprised by how much that change moved us, because the two seem to enjoy each other's company enough to make the unlikely courtship believable. Garry Marshall's useful contribution is to give them the space for that change to register.
That ability to be appealing without giving everything away helps explain a career built around polished romantic leads and slick professionals. American Gigolo (1980) established Gere as a sex symbol; An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) confirmed him as a major star. The films that followed were unevenly received, before Pretty Woman revived his career. It is also a reminder that a leading man need not compete for every laugh to make a romantic comedy work.
The limitation is there in the same film. J.F. Lawton's screenplay has a corporate executive hire a sex worker as his companion, then asks affection to complicate the arrangement. Gere gives the executive enough warmth for the romance to work, but the film remains too ready to believe that money can make things right. Playing Edward with more visible torment would not solve that problem; the script needs to question what his money buys. We can recommend the romance and still wish it were less impressed by its leading man's purchasing power.
The later films offer more than variations on the handsome romantic lead. There is the intensity of Primal Fear (1996), then the musical skill of Chicago (2002), followed by independent films including Arbitrage (2012) and Norman (2016). Primal Fear is a useful reminder that his appeal need not depend on a character's moral standing. Start with Pretty Woman for the pleasure of two performers finding an easy rhythm, provided its faith in money does not spoil the evening.
Biography
Richard Gere is an American actor. Born on 31 August 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his career in theatre, appearing in the London production of the musical Grease in 1973. His early film roles included a supporting part in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a leading role in Days of Heaven (1978).
Gere came to prominence with American Gigolo (1980). He has starred in films including An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Pretty Woman (1990) as Edward Lewis, Primal Fear (1996), Runaway Bride (1999) and Chicago (2002) as Billy Flynn. For his performance in Chicago he received a Golden Globe Award.
