It’s the quintessential story of unlikely lovers triumphing over the odds.

And 35 years after Richard Gere’s Edward became the knight in shining armour that Julia Roberts’s Vivian always wanted, Pretty Woman is still the gold standard of rom-coms.

It turns out, though, that the smitten businessman and prostitute were not the only underdogs in the Garry Marshall-directed classic.

The movie was penned by struggling screenwriter J F Lawton and cast an unknown Julia into its main role, before bouncing back from being dropped by its original producers and becoming the fifth highest grossing filming of all time at its release.

But even the prettiest films have an ugly side and it turns out this love story is no different, featuring fakery which clearly went unnoticed by the whopping 42 million people who bought tickets to see its record-breaking cinema run.

From shape-shifting snacks to unfunny US sitcoms, how many of these goofs, mistakes and errors did you spot?

More than three decades after Richard Gere’s Edward became the knight in shining armour that Julia Roberts’s Vivian always wanted, Pretty Woman is still the gold standard of rom-coms

But even the prettiest films have an ugly side and it turns out this love story is no different, featuring fakery which clearly went unnoticed by the millions who saw it in cinemas

From shape-shifting snacks to unfunny US sitcoms, how many of these goofs, mistakes and errors did you spot?

Flipping pancakes 

Choosing what to eat at a fancy hotel breakfast can be daunting, but Vivian’s culinary indecision really takes the pancake.

Edward has ordered a whopping spread fit for a corporate giant and wanders over to it in his robe as he talks to his lawyer Philip on the most 90s looking mobile phone of all time.

Vivian arrives just in time to enjoy the hearty feast and immediately dives into a rather enticing looking croissant.

Edward justified his decision to order ‘everything on the menu’ by admitting he ‘didn’t know what she wants’ and it turns out she can’t make her mind up either.

Distracting the businessman with some questions about mergers and acquisitions, Vivian can be seen halfway through a pancake a split second after she had been wolfing down the French snack.

It’s either a sleight of hand to match LA’s finest pickpockets or, more likely, a textbook example of film fakery. 

Vivian arrives just in time to enjoy a hearty breakfast in Edward’s penthouse suite and immediately dives into a rather enticing looking croissant

Distracting him with some questions about mergers and acquisitions, Vivian can be seen halfway through a pancake a split second after she had been wolfing down the French snack

Grinding his Geres 

In an unforgettable opening sequence, Richard’s protagonist Edward stumbles out of a business party and borrows his lawyer’s Lotus Esprit to hit the Hollywood Hills.

The clearly anxious attorney goes to great lengths to explain the inner workings of his new car, including the American-unfriendly manual transmission.

The lecture doesn’t pay off as Edward soon gets lost and is left struggling to start the fancy vehicle, leaving him to be rescued by Vivian which sets up the film’s plot. 

Aside from her charm and good looks, the businessman is mightily impressed by her understanding of the British motor after she explains it has a standard H pattern gearbox.

But he shouldn’t have been so easily fooled. The X180 Esprit used in the film has a five-speed gearbox not a four-speed system, rendering her advice useless.

Mercifully, the corporate expert had no clue about cars either and took a shine to Vivian regardless, setting up the plot for this £340million ($463m) grossing classic. 

In an unforgettable opening sequence, Richard’s protagonist Edward stumbles out of a business party and borrows his lawyer’s Lotus Esprit to hit the Hollywood Hills

He soon gets lost and struggles to start the vehicle, leaving him to be rescued by Vivian which sets up the film’s plot…but her knowledge of its gearbox leaves much to be desired

A noteworthy error 

Edward and Vivian’s relationship amounts to more than just a transactional exchange, but it’s worth remembering that at one point they had to agree on a price.

The cost of her services for an entire week comes to $3,000, a figure which recurs throughout the movie, but after a life-changing seven days the businessman offers her much more, including her own condo and an allowance.

Concerned she is being treated like a prostitute again, Vivian packs up her bags to head to San Francisco and finally get her high-school diploma.

Edward makes sure he pays her regardless and, in various scenes, he starts taking $100 bills out of his wallet and hands them over.

But sadly the millionaire shortchanges her, handing her just a few of the notes on each occasion, amounting to $1500 at the most.

A whopping 30 bills would have clearly been too thick for Vivian’s purse, resulting in a directing decision to underpay her, but it’s all rather unfair if you ask us.

Interestingly, the film was originally set to take on a name inspired by the price Edward had to pay, with Julia telling The Graham Norton show in 2023: ‘It was going to be a much darker film called $3,000.’ 

Edward makes sure he pays Vivian the $3,000 he promised and, in various scenes, he starts taking $100 bills out of his wallet and hands them over. But she is left rather shortchanged

I Don’t Love Lucy

Bored while on holiday at a luxurious five-star hotel? Well, why not take a leaf out of Vivian’s book and keep yourself occupied by watching a classic sitcom?

Her show of choice was I Love Lucy, but it turns out actress Julia was not amused by the American comedy, failing to crack as much as a smile as she watched.

To get over this unusual issue, director Garry had the genius idea of tickling the soles of her feet prompting side-splitting laughter from the cast member.

It’s a fakery trope as old as time itself, with sitcoms long turning to laughter tracks to provide a built-in endorsement of their show. 

The feigned chuckle is not the only thing wrong with that scene, as Edward’s tie suddenly possesses a mind of its own. 

Vivian helps the businessman relax by undoing the item of clothing but, by the time she comes back from grabbing something from another part of the penthouse, the cravat is back on, only to be removed again seconds later. Spooky.

Vivian helps Edward relax by undoing the businessman’s tie while the pair watch classic American sitcom I Love Lucy

But, by the time she comes back from grabbing something from another part of the penthouse, the cravat is back on, only to be removed again seconds later. Spooky

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Edward’s lawyer Philip is undoubtedly the nastiest character in Pretty Woman, setting up a feud with Vivian when he suggests the prostitute is actually a corporate spy, in a chat with his boss.

Later, after a business decision goes against him, the slimy attorney exacts his revenge by targetting Edward’s new lover having stumbled across her in his employer’s hotel room.

He attempts to rape her after talking to her on the couch and, in the scramble that ensues, his fancy watch goes flying off his wrist.

Then, when Vivian bites him, he’s wearing the timepiece again before it disappears once more as Edward arrives on the scene.

Philip clearly had bigger concerns than his missing watch, given his employer sent him flying with a fierce slap to the face before promptly firing him, but it would certainly have added insult to injury.

As for the goof, it’s an incredibly tricky one to spot, with the jewellery flying to screen left in a fraction of a second, so top marks if you clocked it. 

As Philip attempts to rape Vivian after talking to her on the couch, a scramble ensues and his fancy watch goes flying off his wrist

 Then, when Vivian bites him, he’s wearing the timepiece again… before it disappears once more as Edward arrives on the scene

Escargot saga 

Pretty Woman takes up the mantle from 1964’s My Fair Lady and offers a 90s interpretation of the classic Pygmalion story of transforming a ‘flower girl’ into a lady.

In each iteration, their dinner time display serves as the make or break moment, with Eliza Doolittle taught to sit up straight and practise perfect table manners as a priority.

Vivian fails the test miserably, hurling a snail across the room in a fancy restaurant before the waiter catches it and says: ‘It happens all the time.’ 

As bad as snails are, the behaviour was unacceptable, although the prostitute’s charm across the rest of the movie ended up being more than enough to redeem her. 

It turns out, though, that she was completely blameless. Julia, the actress portraying Vivian, had no role in the food fight with director Garry hurling the snack instead.

The filmmaker, who died in 2016, loved the scene so much that he shoe-horned a carbon copy into one of the Princess Diaries films – which he directed.

In both, a waiter is given the same line and the role of catching the projectile.

In the iconic dinner scene where Vivien flings a snail across the room in the fancy restaurant and the waiter catches it – it was actually director Garry Marshall who threw it

The filmmaker, who died in 2016, loved the scene so much that he shoe-horned a carbon copy into one of the Princess Diaries films – which he directed 

Actress Julia had one condition for playing the prostitute in the movie – not stripping off for naked scenes

Robes on for Roberts 

The attraction between Edward and Vivian is incredibly palpable throughout the steamy rom-com and the pair have sex on the very first night of their relationship.

But actress Julia had one condition for playing the prostitute in the movie – not stripping off for naked scenes.

When the up-and-coming star first met director Garry about taking on the role of Vivian in pre-production, she was 21 at the time and Richard was 40.

During their meeting, she insisted: ‘I won’t be naked.’

It ended up being a shrewd decision as some of the outfits Vivian wore throughout the film became legendary, particularly the red dress she sported at the emotional opera scene. 

During x-rated moments, body double Shelley Michelle stepped into the sex worker’s shoes and even appeared on Pretty Woman’s promotional poster.