How great is Julia Roberts? I instantly loved Vivian, the feisty red-headed hustler with a heart of gold, when her megawatt smile lit up the screen in Pretty Woman in 1990.
Julia Roberts was everything: part best friend in my mind and part aspirational Hollywood heart throb.
The story of Vivian and Edward falling in love in a fancy hotel and playing polo in polka dots had me totally smitten within the first minute of the far-fetched love story.
It was probably really inappropriate for a 17-year-old to have a hooker as her hero, but I could quote every line from that movie including ‘Slippery little suckers’ when the snail shell goes flying through the air in an upmarket restaurant, and ‘Colour me happy there’s a sofa in here for two’.
My husband and I once snuck into that very hotel just so I could go into the lift and say the line… let’s just say with the eye-rolling we received, we weren’t the only ones to have done it.
And do not even get me started on the soundtrack that I would play over and over again on my cassette machine in my bedroom as I belted out Roxette’s ‘It Must Have Been Love.’
I even had a copy of Vivian’s red ball dress made for my grade 12 formal as I was trying to emulate the gown she wore to the opera.
It was a very bad knock-off and my Mum had a serious car accident picking up the dodgy dress the night before my formal that landed her in hospital for six months. So, my big night was a total disaster and non-event.
All these memories are swirling around the front of my mind this week as there is a new Julia Roberts movie coming out this month called Ticket to Paradise.
Run, people! Do not walk! Julia is making her triumphant return to the rom-com world and stars with George flipping Clooney. Yep.
Now do you understand my excitement about the release of what is surely going to be hilarious and stars two of the most genetically blessed humans on this planet?
Surely Ticket to Paradise will emulate the genius of My Best Friend’s Wedding or the pure sweetness of Notting Hill.
Tom proved in Top Gun:Maverick that age is no deterrent from making the past formula work. But then again, the latest version of Sex and the City was about as well received as a Melbourne lock down.
OMG I just don’t know! Hit or flop? Well, I actually do know, if it’s a hit, ‘I told you so’.
If it’s not, ‘I booked tickets, but my daughter was vomiting so I couldn’t go. I’ll stream it when I have time in the school holidays. I hear it’s good though’.
Sorry Julia, credibility saved either way.
