I watched Pretty Woman last night and despite the neo-feminist hackles that go up, I confess that it’s such a well-written movie that I wanted to talk briefly about the “meet cute” in Romantic Comedies.
This clip shows the first meeting between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. He’s in a Lotus he can barely drive, and she knows everything about cars. It’s a role reversal and an effective tool when trying to get a story to feel fresh.
The intimacy of their interaction and the edgy flirtation is established in the opening gambit when she charges him for directions, and that also brings in the central issue of money right away.
What are your favorite “meet cutes”?
