Pretty Woman 2
Thirty years after the movie Pretty Woman romanticised a prostitute & a wealthy businessman rescuing each other, I wondered what sort of story could work for a sequel 30 years later.
On a budget of $14 million, the movie made $463.4 million at the box office, becoming the third highest grossing film in 1990. It was nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, Baftas and a Cesar.
Many of the cast of the original movie had successful careers, though aren't active any longer on the big or small screen.
If I was creating a sequel, in an ideal world my cast would include Julia Roberts (Vivian Ward), Richard Gere (Edward Lewis), Héctor Elizondo (Barnard Thompson), Laura San Giacomo (Kit De Luca) and Jason Alexander (Phillip Stuckey).
My Pretty Woman 2 story would also include Alex Hyde-White (David Morse) and R. Darrell Hunter (Darryl The Limo Driver).
It would introduce some young fresh faces (Eddie, Vincent, Carla and Stephen) to play the two love interests, a best friend and a villain.
What was unique about Pretty Woman was that it told the fairytale with characters from all walks of life. It captured their everyday and tried to show them in a different light. There was the unexpected, depth, heart and warmth. Some of the songs and lines were so memorable and I couldn't resist incorporating them into my story.
Of course a sequel wouldn't have the magic of Garry Marshall, but his work inspires us to create new romantic comedy stories.
I've never done fan fiction or romantic stories before. Nor do I know much about fan fiction, nor have I read any. I've watched lots of romantic comedies and I have read romance novels though I rarely do any more. However, lately I've been intrigued with how stories might continue and I considered how I might approach romance fiction.
I hope you find my sequel as entertaining, as I did in writing it. I'd love any thoughts on it so get in touch in the comments section or let me know on social media. I figure it's a story people would either love or hate.
I seem to have turned a corner and write for myself now, thinking about what story I like, what could be commercially successful and how to be authentic.
Here's my version of Pretty Woman 2.
Pretty Woman 2
Edward Lewis and Vivian Ward are divorced after raising their son, Eddie, who is estranged from his father.
While on business in L.A one night, he gets lost in his fast car. The gps isn't working and he has lost his phone.
Carla and Vincent are prostitutes standing on a street corner. He asks for directions and Vincent helps him get back to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel for $50. Eddie pays Vincent $500 to spend the night together and the next morning, Eddie asks Vincent to spend the week with him. They negotiate the price and agree on $3000. Eddie gives Vincent money to go shopping. Vincent calls up his bestfriend and roommate, Carla, about where to go. She suggests Rodeo Drive.
Vincent is ignored by snobbish sales assistants. He returns to the hotel and sits in the foyer with his head in his hands. Kit De Luca, Vivian's bestfriend, has come to the hotel to drop off something for Eddie. She notices Vincent and asks him what wrong. He tells her that he was trying to buy some clothes on Rodeo Drive, but the assistants were mean to him. She tells him her best friend had the same experience. She goes shopping with him and they return to one of the stores where Vincent was mistreated to mock the assistants. They depart saying "Big mistake. Big. Huge. We have to go shopping now."
Kit has a chain of beauty stores and tells Vincent she made something of herself. She used to work on the streets too. Vincent says he doesn't think he could ever change his life. Before they part ways, Kit says Vincent is alot like Viv, before she got married. He's too good for working on street corners. He has potential. She gives him a wad of cash and calls it the EL scholarship fund.
Eddie is impressed with Vincent's transformation. He's cleanly shaven, with a new haircut and smartly dressed. They go to a trendy night club called La Traviata. They dance but encounter a young drunk man called Stephen Stuckey, an Instagram influencer, who they get into a fight with. Eddie punches Stephen. All three of them end up in a prison cell. Phillip Stuckey shows up to bail out his son. He tells Eddie to say hello to his dad for him.
Eddie has called David Morse for help. David arrives to pay Eddie and Vincent's bail. He has had many years of business dealings with Edward, Eddie's father, and has grown close to the family.
They return to the hotel, where Vivian, Eddie's mother, is waiting. She says she happened to be in LA having dinner with David. Eddie guesses his mother and David are in a relationship. He confronts his mother about it. She questions what he is doing with Vincent. They have a heated argument. Eddie accuses his mother of disapproving because of Vincent's race and that he doesn't come from money. Vivian and David leave.
Vincent and Eddie go to a 24 hour diner for burgers. Vincent comments that Eddie seems to be afraid and that he needs to stop living his life in fear. Eddie tells Vincent he has potential and is wasting his life. Vincent storms off. When he returns to the hotel, Eddie reveals he has never had a serious relationship nor had any friends that he could trust. He confides that the reason he is estranged from his father was because he feels he isn't accepted for his life choices. Vincent tells Eddie that his father would beat him. He ran away. Vincent has never been anywhere outside of LA and wants to travel the world.
The next day, Vincent and Eddie fly to Vegas. They gamble, drink and go to a concert. Vincent has never experienced anything like this before. When they return to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Edward Lewis, Eddie's father, is waiting for them in the suite. Edward says the Stuckeys are suing Eddie and want to drag the Lewis family name through the mud. Eddie tells his father he'll deal with it and Edward says Eddie will need his help. Eddie tells his father that he was always absent. His work was more important than his family. This is just business, so he should get his staff to sort it out and not get involved. Edward looks around the suite and remembers Vivian having a picnic while watching television, sitting on the breakfast table and balancing on the balcony rail with no hands. Before leaving, he tells Eddie that he loves him and he will always love Vivian.
Eddie goes out onto the balcony and starts crying. He admits to Vincent he is afraid. Vincent says that Eddie is lucky to have a father like Edward. Eddie says his father never said he loved him until now. He feels like his father was never proud of him. He wants to fix this without his father's help, and perhaps his father might respect him.
Vincent suggests they call Carla as she always has brilliant ideas. She doesn't answer. They go to Vincent and Carla's flat. She says she gets the best ideas when she sings and she drags them to a karaoke bar. The three of them sing the song pretty woman. After they finish the song, she smiles and says "Welcome To Hollywood! What's Your Dream?"
That night, in bed, Vincent tells Eddie his mother used to sing Pretty Woman. She died young. When he walks down a street, he feels alone, but then the song Pretty Woman plays in his head and he imagines his mother walking with him, her heals clicking, wearing a yellow skirt and red shoes.
Eddie tells Vincent his mother was a prostitute. It's the thing his family never talks about, but everyone knows. People were always whispering about him and his family. It made him feel insecure and afraid. Since meeting Vincent, Eddie says he feels a little less afraid.
The next day, Carla and some of her friends are trying on outfits in rodeo drive with Eddie and Vincent. They are also busy taking selfies and sending them to someone.
Stephen Stuckey is promoting a new aftershave. Carla and her friends tell the security guys their Stephen's special guests. Stephen greets them and is pleased they have come. They tell him Stephen is their favorite name in the whole world.
The girls are flirting with him and they end up drinking and playing truth or dare in his Malibu house. For each dare, Phillip asks for one of the girls to remove an item of clothing or to kiss each other The girls dare him to wear their clothes. They ask him truth questions like how he really feels about all of his Instagram fans.
After Stephen admits he despises them and thinks they are all stupid, Carla says "It must be difficult to let go of something so beautiful."
Stephen is confused. Carla goes to his front door to let Eddie and Vincent into the house. They show Phillip videos of him wearing the girl's clothes and dissing his fans.
Eddie and Vincent tell Stephen there won't be a law suit or any smear campaign of the Lewis name. In exchange, they won't release the videos. He agrees.
The girls, Eddie and Vincent congo out and celebrate at the beach that evening.
The next day, Eddie and Vincent go to Eddie's father's office and walk in on his parents kissing. Vivian says they are talking and maybe Edward and her can build a life together after all these years. Eddie tells his father the Stuckey problem is fixed. Edward says Phillip called that morning and had told him as much. Edward says he has decided to retire and Eddie should take over runming the business. He pats his son on the shoulder, pauses, hugs him, heads to the door holding Vivian's hand, returns to his son and kisses him. He grabs Vivian's hand and she says she'll meet him downstairs.
After Edward has gone, Vivian says she wants to apologise for judging Vincent. She was guilty about being with David, so she should have handled the situation better. She was shocked race was raised as she didn'thave a problem with the colour of Vincent's skin. She's not like those people who differentiate others. After all these years of being judged, she has always tried to never judge anyone.
Eddie asks what's happening with David. Vivian says it's over and she doesn't know if she'll tell Edward about it. Eddie nods.
Vivian says she has heard Eddie is alot like herself and that he has potential. Vincent realises that Kit was referring to Eddie's mother and says that he is beginning to believe he might have potential. She says she hopes she'll see more of him as she can see he makes Eddie happy. She kisses her son and Vincent before leaving.
Downstairs, Daryl, Edward's chauffeur driver is waiting by the limousine. He opens the car door for Vivian. Edward has roses which he gives to Vivian. "These are for you, Princess Vivian," he says.
They limousine drives away towards the sunset.
Eddie and Vincent are back at the hotel penthouse. Eddie tells Vincent he has arranged an appartment for him. They can see each other whenever he is back in town. Vincent says he wants to change his life. HE doesn't want to be the guy Eddie hooks up with when he's in town. Vincent says it was his mother's dream to live a fairytale life. He realises that's what he wants too.
Eddie says he's not ready for that. Vincent says he understands. He packs up his things. Eddie asks why Vincent is leaving early. Vincent says it's better this way. Eddie pays him the $3000 and asks for just one more night. Vincent thanks Eddie for everything and wishes him well.
The song 'it must have been love' plays as Vincent sits in the backseat of an uber, driving away from the hotel. Eddie is on the balcony tentatively looking over the edge.
The next day Vincent is packing a suitcase and Carla is telling him San Francisco isn't that great. Vincent says he's pretty good with computers and he thinks he can get a job with a tech company. He gives Carla an envelope and says it's part of the EL scholarship fund. Carla says she hates goodbyes and she has to go. They hug and she leaves.
Eddie is checking out of the hotel. The manager is asking if his stay was satisfactory as he's leaving earlier than expected. He says "some dreams come true, some don't."
Barnard Thompson is also standing at the counter. He says "There's always time to dream, keep on dreaming."
Eddie asks who Barnard is. Barnard says he used to be the manager of the hotel. He likes to come back for a visit. They shake hands.
Eddie gets into the limousine and asks the driver if he can take him back to the flat they went to the other day.
They stop at a flower shop where Eddie buys roses. Their arrival at Vincent's flat is loud, with the horn blaring. Vincent looks out of the window and sees them. Eddie climbs up the fire escape. He says to Vincent, "you rescued me and I'm rescuing you back." They kiss.
Eddie and Vincent are walking down a street, holding hands and walking towards a sunset. The song 'Pretty Woman' plays. A woman is walking behind them wearing a yellow skirt and red shoes.
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