At thirty years old, Pretty Woman doesn’t fail to hold up. It remains a timeless classic, creating one of our favorite love stories in the most unconventional of ways. Edward (Richard Gere) and Vivian (Julia Roberts) make quite the pair, with Edward showing Vivian true love and another way of life while Vivian teaches him to loosen up and appreciate the little things.
Though complete opposites, they manage to connect on the things that matter most. The story came with its fair share of quotable dialogue from the two main characters, as well as the supporting characters. That said, here are the 10 best quotes from Pretty Woman.
Updated June 9th, 2020 by Meg Pelliccio: Pretty Woman remains a firm fan-favorite for rom-com lovers all around the world and despite its age, it’s still one of the best films out there and arguably hasn’t aged that badly at all. The film follows Vivian, a prostitute, and her business relationship with Edward that quickly develops into something more.
Viewers watch as Vivian gets the fairy tale ending that she always wanted – being rescued by the man that she loves, while at the same time the film creates a new fairytale for fans to wish for. After all, who wouldn’t want a rich man like Edward to save them from their struggling existence? Romance and comedy go hand in hand in this film and there are some brilliant quotes that represent the best of each of these elements.
15 “Edward? That’s my favorite name in the whole world!”
Vivian doesn’t put much effort into flirting, she makes it obvious what her intentions are without her comments being sincere, presenting her as a confident, humorous woman. In her line of work, it’s understandable that she has to come on strong and cut to the chase, which is likely why she pulls out this cheesy one-liner to Edward after they meet, “Edward? That’s my favorite name in the whole world!”
Vivian gives him a playful nudge as she says this and Edward responds in mock surprise. It’s clear from the wide grin on both characters’ faces that they’re enjoying the lighthearted banter between them.
14 “Honey, I’ve got a runner in my pantyhose. I’m not wearing pantyhose.
When Edward first takes Vivian to the high-class hotel that he is staying in, it’s clear that she doesn’t fit in. Vivian isn’t wearing much in the way of clothes unless you count her thigh-high boots, but her dress really doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Edward tries to remedy this with his coat, but naturally, she earns herself a few dirty looks from some of the other patrons of the hotel.
Vivian is pretty fierce when she’s feeling comfortable in her own clothes, so when she notices a woman staring her down she plays up to the situation, commenting “Honey, I’ve got a runner in my pantyhose,” while baring her leg and lifting her skirt higher, before laughing and adding, “I’m not wearing pantyhose.“
13 “Baby, I’m gonna treat you so nice, you’re never gonna wanna let me go.”
When Edward makes the business deal with Vivian that she will stay with him for a few days as a companion, Vivian declares “Baby, I’m gonna treat you so nice, you’re never gonna wanna let me go.” Edward keeps it strictly business in his response, re-confirming the fee and flatly stating that he will let her go.
How wrong he turned out to be! This quote is one of the most iconic from the movie as it foreshadows exactly what happens. Even though Edward is fighting his feelings right to the very end, he realizes that he doesn’t want to let her go with enough time to get to her before she leaves town.
12 “It was so good, I almost peed my pants!”
Part of the film sees Edward take Vivian to her first opera show, where she wears the now-iconic red dress. Afterward, another theatre-goer asks Vivian how she liked the opera, and Vivian responds with “It was so good, I almost peed my pants!” The other lady looks taken aback at this remark, as it betrays the fact that Vivian isn’t as upper class as her outfit makes out, so Edward quickly intervenes with the explanation “She said she liked it better than Pirates of Penzance.”
This is a funny moment where Vivian’s personality shines through and despite it not sitting well with the others, it’s clear that Edward finds it endearing and he is quick to fix the situation for her as he doesn’t want people to think less of her.
11 “You know you could pay me now and break the ice.”
Maintaining her plucky, tongue-in-cheek personality, when Vivian and Edward reach his hotel room she suggests, “You know you could pay me now and break the ice.” Not only is it kind of cute and telling concerning Vivian’s confidence, but it also has the darker undertones of reminding viewers that in her line of work she sometimes doesn’t get paid.
Despite being a rom-com film, the story touches on the dangers of prostitution a few times, especially with Vivian and Kit’s parting phrase to each other being “Take care of you.” Not just a pleasant farewell, but a warning to each other to be careful with strangers.
10 “I Appreciate This Whole Seduction Thing You’ve Got Going On Here, But Let Me Give You A Tip: I’m A Sure Thing.”
Vivian initially tries to get right down to business as usual, but Edward clearly intends to approach business another way. She’s (for the most part) pleasantly surprised throughout the film as Edward keeps upping his offer, until he gives her the fairy tale she’s always wanted.
Vivian’s a sure thing, but Edward becomes a sure thing too, as the two fall in love with one another. The fact that Edward was trying to start a conversation showed audiences immediately that Edward was different, and that he and Vivian would come to share a valuable connection.
9 “You Could Freeze Ice On His Wife’s Ass.”
This is one of Vivian’s more underrated quotes. This is in reference to Philip Stuckey’s (Jason Alexander) wife. It’s an apt and simple description, and easily reusable for anyone who wants to use it to describe someone similar.
Vivian’s good at reading people, and she has a way with words to boot. If you meet Vivian, you’d better hope you make a good impression or else she could make a similar remark about you.
8 “You And I Are Such Similar Creatures, Vivian. We Both Screw People For Money.”
Edward’s reflection is sad but true. Edward’s quote aligns more with what they do rather than who they are, however. While they go about it in different ways, they pay the bills doing what is basically the same thing. Vivian doesn’t enjoy it, and Edward learns to change how he conducts business, offering to build ships instead of tearing a company apart by the film’s end.
It might not work for Edward’s lawyer, but Edward definitely felt good about his shift in business tactics. Screwing people for money takes its toll, but Edward and Vivian both change and feel better about themselves as a result.
7 “Oh, God, The Pressure Of A Name… I Got It. Cindaf***in’rella.”
Kit’s (Laura San Giacomo) got a way with words, for sure. Her idea of coming up with someone’s happy ending for Vivian’s sake couldn’t be more perfect. Vivian and Kit share a good laugh about it, too. Cinderella starts out pretty low on the rungs of life but manages to find her prince and a happily ever after.
Sometimes an example doesn’t have to be real, as fiction sometimes mirrors reality more than reality itself. Cinderella’s story was similar to Vivian’s in a meaningful way: no matter where you come from, you can still have your happy ending.
6 “Do You Have Anything In This Shop As Beautiful As She Is?”
Edward has some witty remarks and comebacks, but this is one of his sweeter quotes. We love that, once he finds out how Vivian was treated in the stores, he accompanies Vivian to ensure she gets treated the right way.
He makes her feel like a princess, giving her every shopaholic’s dream of a shopping spree with no budget, getting the best of the best in product quality and customer service. Nothing quite tops Vivian’s beauty, but she does get one hell of a wardrobe and shopping experience out of it.
5 “Welcome To Hollywood! What’s Your Dream?”
Remember the happy dude that was shouting this at the beginning of the movie, and then again when this quote was among the closing lines of the film? It’s true, many come to Hollywood pursuing a dream. Yet, it’s also a dream about Edward and Vivian. Edward and Vivian found love, and Vivian also got a better life.
She got out of where she was and got to begin anew, and Kit was on her way to doing the same by the end of the film. It’s hard not to hear this line in your head whenever you think of the movie or even Hollywood. It’s long-lasting, given there’s always a dream to be sought in Hollywood. So what’s your dream?
4 “I Want The Fairy Tale.”
Though Edward offers her a home and a car, among other things, to get her off the streets, Vivian wants more. She doesn’t want his pity or his money, she wants the romance, the love. She doesn’t take him up on his offer, and she leaves the night before Edward’s due back in New York.
While she’s gone, Edward comes to realize he wants the fairy tale too, just in time to catch her before she heads off to San Francisco. Wanting the fairy tale is the ultimate dream, and we’re glad Edward and Vivian got their fairy tale ending.
3 “It Must Be Difficult To Let Go Of Something So Beautiful.”
Barney’s (Hector Elizondo) remark as Edward returns the beautiful, and expensive necklace has a double-meaning. It’s clear that, for Edward, the necklace is far easier to part with than Vivian herself. Barney is a big part of Edward changing his mind and going after Vivian.
Barney contributed quite a bit to their relationship, from getting Edward to go after Vivian to helping Vivian adjust to an entirely different lifestyle. Barney is one of our favorite supporting characters for doing all that he does. While he’s great at running one of Beverly Hills’s most elite hotels, he’s also a gifted matchmaker.
2 “Big Mistake. Big. Huge. I Have To Go Shopping Now.”
Vivian provides the ultimate burn when she walks into the store whose saleswomen previously refused to assist her. Judging her by her looks and clothing, they don’t believe she has the money to afford anything in their store and are very rude to her, leaving Vivian in tears until Barney lends a helping hand and gets Vivian what she needs.
She happily strides inside, shows the saleswomen her purchases and what they missed out on commission-wise before making a graceful exit. It just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover.
1 “She Rescues Him Right Back.”
Vivian dreamt of a knight on a white horse coming to rescue her whenever she was locked in the attic for misbehaving as a child and tells Edward about it. Later, Edward makes that dream come true as he climbs her fire escape despite his fear of heights, and when he reaches her, he asks what happens afterward. The quote is Vivian’s response.
She doesn’t expect to be a damsel in distress; she believes love consists of rescuing each other, and that’s how it should be. Love takes work from both parties in a relationship, and this quote makes Vivian’s character, and the film by extension, stand out when it comes to the quintessential rom-com formula for falling in love.
