Taylor Watches Rom-Coms Vol. 9: Julia Roberts Edition

The good, the bad, and the beautiful (because there's never any ugly in these movies)

Feb 13, 2024

Happy Galentine’s Day, gals!

Who better to shepherd us through the many emotions of life and love than Julia Roberts?

While it may be the season of love, we have a mixed bag of personal interests here. Let me know your thoughts on this selection or your favorite Julia movie in the comments!

Pretty Woman (1990)

When a millionaire wheeler-dealer enters a business contract with a Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward, he loses his heart in the bargain.

I'm going to be totally honest with you guys and say that there is a lot going against this movie for me.

It's aged like milk. I'm generally lukewarm on Richard Gere. Late '80s/early '90s films aren't my favorite...

That all aside...there is a lot that it does have going for it and my recent first-time watch (in preparation for seeing the musical's National Tour) was a welcome one. It had been on my watchlist for years and I'm glad I finally had the excuse to watch it.

While female empowerment has come a long way since this film came out, I can recognize what a powerful, influential role model Vivian was. Her persistence is infectious and her underlying passion for a great life is palpable. Hector Elizondo is always a welcome face (Big Princess Diaries gal - shocker!) and I'm convinced he could have flawless fatherly chemistry with a brick wall.

I am genuinely a little jealous of people who watched this when it came out, were transfixed by it, and now have a deep love and nostalgia for it. I want to have that. I wish I didn't inherently compare this to other feminist romps, but alas...I'm 26!

Notting Hill (1999)

William Thacker is a London bookstore owner whose humdrum existence is thrown into romantic turmoil when famous American actress Anna Scott appears in his shop. A chance encounter over spilled orange juice leads to a kiss that blossoms into a full-blown affair. As the average bloke and glamorous movie star draw closer and closer together, they struggle to reconcile their radically different lifestyles in the name of love.

When was the last time you watched Notting Hill?

I watched it recently after raving about it for years and...I felt I had a little bit of egg on my face. It hasn't aged the best and there are Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant films I like more.

But I still love it.

There is something so spectacularly on-brand about this film. It is the very definition of a rom-com. A little bit of rom, a little bit of com. It feels so blueprint. The tropes are strong (William owns a bookshop, for God's sake) and generally successful. Only in the universe of Notting Hill could Hugh Grant be largely undesirable to the general public. There are some very silly scenes, but there are also many that still work so well: the one-shot of William walking through Portobello Road Market?! GAGGED! His final public declaration of love?! I'M INCONSOLABLE!

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

When she receives word that her longtime platonic pal Michael O’Neal is getting married to debutante Kimberly Wallace, food critic Julianne Potter realizes her true feelings for Michael – and sets out to sabotage the wedding.

Holding my hands up here and coming clean about the fact that I used this column to check a few flicks off my watchlist. This was a first-time watch for me!

AND IT'S AMAZING!

Where has this film been all my life?! Julia is peak Julia - strong-willed, passionate, goofy, and clumsy in life and love. CAMERON DIAZ (one of my all-time favorite comfort actresses) IS INCREDIBLE AND EATS IT UP AND LEAVES NOT A CRUMB.

REAL BASEBALL SCENES?!

And on top of it all, a BEAUTIFULLY written script paired with a BEAUTIFULLY directed film.

I will watch this movie again and again and again. It is borderline perfect.

Credit: Each plot synopsis comes from Letterboxd via TMDb.