Literary fairy tales have had an influence on many
people. Eventhough they many of them were written in past
centuries, they are still popular today. This influence can be
seen in modern movies. Two movies, Pretty Woman and As
Good As It Gets are analyzed in this project, as well as two
tales that seem to have been models for the plot lines in the
movies.
Pretty Woman is the story of a woman, who has left her
midwestern home and become a prostitute in Hollywood.
When successful corporate mogul Edward Lewis (Richard
Gere) meets independent and carefree Vivian Ward (Julia
Roberts),the sparks fly. Vivian begins to bring out the softer
side of this no-nonsense business man, while Edward shows her
the finer things in life. It is reminiscient of the rags-to-riches
plot in Straporola's "Tebaldo".
In As Good As It Gets, Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is
an obsessive-compulsive novelist with a mean tongue. He is not
a social guy, and most people cannot stand to be near him.
When his neighbor Simon is hospitalized, Melvin is forced to
babysit Simon's dog, Verdell. This act of kindness, as well as the
attention he receives from waitress Carol Connelly (Helen
Hunt), helps to bring him back into society. This seems to be
the case with the Beast in de Beaumont's "Beauty and the
Beast". The Beast is living alone away from other people,and
it is Beauty's presence that spurs his reentrance into society.
Beauty and the Beast Analysis
As Good As It Gets
Melvin and the Beast
Tebaldo
Pretty Woman