Amazon.com Essentials:
Like a pumpkin that transforms into a carriage, some very
shrewd casting (and the charisma of Julia Roberts, in particular)
morphed this story of a Hollywood whore into a Disneyfied
Cinderella story--and a mainstream megahit. This is the movie
that made Roberts a star; the charm of her personality helping
tremendously to carry viewers over the rough spots in the script
(which was originally a cynical tale about prostitution called
3000--after the amount of money Richard Gere's character pays
the prostitute to stay with him for the week). Gere is the
silver-haired Wall Street knight who sweeps streetwalker Roberts into
a fantasy world of room service at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel
and fashion boutique shopping on Rodeo Drive. The supporting cast is
also appealing, including Laura San Giacomo as Roberts's hooker pal,
Hector Elizondo as the hotel manager, Jason Alexander, Ralph Bellamy,
and Hank Azaria. Now, is this something you want your sons and
daughters to see? That's entirely up to you. --Jim Emerson
