The horse-riding scene
As we’ve already mentioned, most fans seem happy with how the film turned out in the end, and it’s clear that only a few would have wanted the deleted scenes to remain in the final cut. However, there is one moment that fans do regret missing — they would have loved to see it in the final cut.
In this scene, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere share a beautiful moment whilst horse-riding, which could have added a touch more colour and depth to the character of Vivian and her world. It is precisely the kind of scene that could have made the fairy tale even more magical.
Speaking of horses: in a deleted scene at a polo match, Elizabeth tells Philip that she is going for a ride with a couple named Ritter.
The irony is that years later, the actress Amy Yasbeck, who played Elizabeth, did indeed marry the actor John Ritter and had a daughter with him.
For fans, discovering such hidden gems years later feels as though the film continues to offer something new, rekindling the joy of watching Pretty Woman with fresh eyes.
‘Pretty Woman’ is one of those magical films that, no matter how many times I watch it, still makes me get hooked whenever it’s on TV or appears on a streaming platform.
But here’s something not everyone knows: the film has several deleted scenes that very few people have seen. And what’s even more surprising? Almost everyone who watches them ends up thinking the same thing…
‘Pretty Woman’ is one of those films that only gets better with age. And to be honest, the older I get, the more elegant and charming Richard Gere’s character seems to me — and yes, I say this as a man of traditional orientation!
The enchanting love story and the sizzling chemistry between Julia Roberts as Vivian and Richard Gere as Edward keep audiences captivated, no matter how many times they return to this film.
Julia Roberts has a drink with Richard Gere in a scene from the film ‘Pretty Woman’, 1990. (Photo: Buena Vista/Getty Images)
Yuppie sociopath
Originally, the script for Pretty Woman was much darker and a far cry from the light-hearted romantic comedy that eventually took the world by storm. The original script, titled ‘3,000’, was written by J.F. Lawton, then a struggling screenwriter.
He had been trying to break into the industry with scripts about ninjas and comedy stories, but they attracted almost no attention. After changing his creative direction, he wrote Red Sneakers — a serious script about a one-legged lesbian stand-up comedian — which suddenly caught the interest of producers.
It was this that led to the creation of ‘3,000’ — a darker story about America’s financial woes and the risks involved when a person who has never known luxury is suddenly shown ‘the good life’.
In the first, more hard-hitting version, Kit, Vivian’s witty neighbour, was portrayed as a hardened drug addict constantly teetering on the brink of an overdose, whilst Vivian was also depicted as a user.
Traces of this backstory remain in the version of the film we know today: for example, when Edward tells Vivian to ‘stop fidgeting’, it seems to allude to her past problems. In the original script, Edward was like a yuppie sociopath in the vein of James Spader — a cold, aloof man who never for a second saw Vivian as anything more than a fleeting diversion or a plaything to pass the time.
By the way, did you know that Disney executives originally wanted to cast Sean Connery and Meg Ryan in the lead roles?
Roberts turned down the original script
Julia Roberts has said she wouldn’t have played the role from the original ‘3,000’ version — even today.
‘I couldn’t have done it then, and I couldn’t do it now,’ said Roberts. ‘Thank God it fell through.’
The decision to turn ‘Pretty Woman’ into a romantic comedy proved to be a truly successful move, allowing the film to resonate with a much wider audience. Nevertheless, whilst most people believe the producers did the right thing by cutting the darker scenes, some fans still can’t help but regret that certain deleted scenes didn’t make it into the final cut.
The director’s cut of the film enriches the plot with additional dialogue and scenes that offer greater insight into and depth of the main characters’ journeys. Among these is an extended version of Edward and Vivian’s first meeting, which adds new nuances to their initial attraction. There is also a tense episode involving Carlos, a menacing pimp who is chasing Vivian to get the money Kit owes him.
These scenes did not make it into the final cut, but they offer a glimpse into Vivian’s life beyond Edward. Including them might have made the story more balanced and added depth to both her character and the film itself.
In one such scene, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere ride horses together, which adds a little more colour and depth to the portrayal of Vivian and her world. Another interesting moment that many would love to see again in the film offers a glimpse into Vivian’s life beyond her relationship with Edward, making the story more balanced and lending it a touch of My Fair Lady.