Once in a Lifetime

There are those certain movies that, when they pop up on TV, you can't turn them off. It doesn't matter how many MILLIONS of times you've seen them (or even if they are necessarily good), you still can't change the channel. Rocky (1-4). Cocktail. ANY John Hughes movie.

And then there's Pretty Woman.

Most gals I know can pretty much recite that movie by heart. And, in fact, no matter that in my case, the DVD might be literally sitting NEXT TO the TV. I can't change the channel. It's the same logic that keeps me watching Sex and the City re-runs night after night. (Those DVD's are also in close proximity to my TV.)

HOWEVER..this does not lessen the fury I feel at Lifetime for the shocking editing decision they made in THEIR airing of Pretty Woman. I get it. I know the TV-version of movies gets dubbed or cuts are made for time. But let's keep it real, folks, and put some thought into these choices.

In their infinite wisdom, they cut into arguably the most iconic scene in the movie (and so beloved by fans): the Julia Roberts shopping scene. I don't have to tell you that Richard Gere marching Julia Roberts into the store to make up for her horrid day of being unable to shop (!) is a great moment. But, the folks at Lifetime decided this was not important, apparently. In THEIR version, after Gere hears she had a rough time shopping, they cut right to the montage of Roberts trying on clothes. No hilarious Larry Miller sucking up. No Julia Roberts spitting gum on the sidewalk. Just Roy Orbison-themed clothing shots.

What's next? Will they buy Rocky 2 and cut out Apollo and Rocky climbing the ropes to the finish? Chop out Molly Ringwald getting the guy in Sixteen Candles?

I just can't take this kind of cinematic blasphemy lying down, so, here's the scene as it SHOULD have aired. Oh, and Lifetime folks, do me a favor, please don't colorize my black and white movies, either.