Considering the very different tone of the original Pretty Woman script, I wonder if whoever bought it would have bought it IF it matched the eventual film. This is part of a broader, recurring question I have as I write and as I read others' scripts: Whether a certain thing should be in a particular script even though that thing should not be on the screen. A thing that helps make the page work for the reader while it's not needed to make the screen work for the audience.

I haven't seen this in ages. But he has a terrible, terrible fear of heights, right? Love that they included a minor demonstration of his conquering of that demon to give her the full white knight effect.

Just for fun, I have a draft (undated) that ends this way: INT. MERCEDES - DAY As Edward drives the car down Wilshire, Vivian is nervously smoking a cigarette. The fur is in her lap and she is unconsciously stroking it. EDWARD How long do you think it will take to get from Beverly Hills to Hollywood? VIVIAN I don't know for sure. Ten minutes or something. Edward glances at his watch. EDWARD And an hour to get to the airport. (shaking his head) I don't know why I always cut these things so close. Edward slows the car down as they approach a parking spot in front of the furrier. He pulls in and stops the car. EDWARD I'll just run in and get rid of this. He reaches over and takes the fur from Vivian. Vivian quickly turns her head away. Edward notices. EDWARD What's the matter? VIVIAN Noth'n. Edward stares at the back of her head for a moment and then decides he doesn't have time to pursue it. He gets out of the car. As she watches Edward take the fur into the store, tears roll down Vivian's cheeks. She takes a drag from her cigarette. She stashes it out in the car's ashtray. Within seconds, Edward is back out of the store. He rounds the car and jumps in. EDWARD Alright. That's done. Edward puts the car into gear and drives off. Now Vivian is crying harder. So much that she can't conceal her sobs. Edward glances over at her, concerned and annoyed at the same time. EDWARD Now what? What's the matter? Vivian is crying hard. She can't talk. Edward continues to drive on. EDWARD Jesus. What is it? Can you tell me why you're upset now? Damn it, I don't even know how to get back to Hollywood. VIVIAN (choking it out) Just go straight! EDWARD What happened to you? Is it the fur? You didn't expect me to let you keep it, did you? It was rented. VIVIAN (still crying) Just forget it! Vivian tries to control herself. She wipes her eyes and manages to stop the tears. EDWARD Is that it? The fur? VIVIAN Just stop it! Why do you pick at me? I don't want You always make me talk. always to talk. EDWARD I just want to know what's going on. If you're unhappy and there is something I can do... VIVIAN Yes! I loved that fur! Now leave me alone. EDWARD Vivian. I didn't mean it to end like this. I mean, be reasonable. That's a twenty thousand dollar fur. VIVIAN I didn't say I wanted it. I knew you were going to take it back. Okay? I'm not dumb! I knew I couldn't have it. You asked me why I was crying and I told you! Edward is quiet for a moment. Vivian has managed to control her crying. She stares coldly ahead. VIVIAN Make a left on Highland. Right there. Edward turns the car and they head up Highland. Edward's face is tense. EDWARD Look, if you really want a fur, I'll buy you a fur. That one was just too expensive. Would you like a fur? VIVIAN No. Just take me home. EDWARD I'll get you a fur. I'll miss my plane, but if it'll make you stop crying I'll buy you something. VIVIAN (angrily) I'm not crying anymore. EDWARD God damn it, Vivian. I'll buy you a fur. A nice one. Just it can't be that one. That one's too much. I'll get you the silver mink you tried on first. I'll throw away a few thousand. Okay? I don't know what the fuck you plan to do with one on Hollywood Boulevard, but... VIVIAN LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT ANYTHING FROM YOU! Edward slams on the brakes. The car stops hard. Vivian stares at him defiantly. VIVIAN You want me to walk home!? I'll walk home! It's three miles but I'll walk! EDWARD I don't want you to walk! I want you to stop yelling! Vivian turns from him and stares out her window. Edward takes a deep breath and starts the car up again. Vivian stares out the window. They are leaving the nice, well- tended homes of Hancock Park and are approaching the streets of Hollywood. They are both tensely silent as Edward drives on. Vivian begins to cry softly. Edward listens to her with annoyance, but resists the impulse to say anything. They approach Hollywood Blvd. and Edward makes a right. As Vivian stares out the window of the Mercedes she sees the grimy streets and the shabby people mixing with the occasional tourists. As they continue down the street toward Vivian's section of the Boulevard we will see less and less tourists and even shabbier-looking people. The streets become more grim and dirty. Vivian is sobbing harder now, trying to control herself but unable. Edward, getting madder as it grows louder, finally bursts. EDWARD I don't know why you had to do this to me. We had a wonderful time together and now you have to ruin it. Vivian grits her teeth and tries not to say anything. Edward, now that he's gotten it out of his system, adopts a slightly gentler tone as he continues to lecture her. EDWARD You should have told me you like the fur so much. I could have gotten you something yesterday. It's really a stupid thing to cry about. You know I bent over backwards to make things pleasant for you and it's just a shame that you're going to spoil it all by being unreasonable. The streets they pass are now filled mostly with drug dealers, an occasional prostitute, and various homeless tramps. Vivian stares out the window at the destitution outside, her eyes fixed and red. She is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. EDWARD This is about the area. Do you want me to leave you her, or do you have a place nearby? Vivian says nothing. EDWARD Vivian? Where do you want me to let you off? Vivian screams hysterically. She seems to have suddenly gone crazy. She starts pounding the roof of the car with her fists. Edward quickly pulls the car over to the curb and stops it. Vivian is still screaming and pounding. EDWARD VIVIAN! VIVIAN, CUT IT OUT! Edward grabs her by the wrists and tries to stop her from pounding the ceiling. Instead she starts pounding him. EDWARD Get out! GET OUT OF THE CAR! Vivian continues to pound him for a moment, but then she breaks down and starts to sob limply. EDWARD You're out of your mind. You're insane! Vivian is crying. EDWARD I've had enough of this. Get out of the car. Vivian doesn't move. EDWARD Get out of the car! When she still doesn't move, Edward throws open his door and gets out. EXT. HOLLYWOOD BLVD - CONTINUOUS Edward walks around the car and opens the trunk. He pulls out Vivian's few boxes of clothes and sets them down on the curb. He shuts the trunk. He walks over to the passenger door and opens it. EDWARD (firmly) Get out. Vivian doesn't move. She is still crying. EDWARD Don't make me regret ever picking you up. Now please, get out of the car. I have to go. Edward grabs her by the hand and starts to pull her from the car. Vivian explodes again and starts hitting and kicking him. Edward forcibly drags her from the car and then throws her to the ground. He slams the door shut. As Vivian hits the ground she begins to cry again, too weak to fight anymore. Edward looks down at her. He takes the money envelope from his jacket and holds it out to her. EDWARD Here, take it. It's your money. VIVIAN (sobbing in fits) I don't want it. Just go away. EDWARD Take it. VIVIAN No. EDWARD You'll regret it tomorrow if you don't take it. You'll regret it the minute I drive away. Vivian doesn't say anything. Edward lays the envelope down on the sidewalk in front of her. He turns and walks around the car. Vivian lies frozen for a moment and then suddenly snaps alive as she hears the sound of his car door opening and closing. She grabs the envelope and crushes it in her hand. She leaps at the car and starts smashing her fists against it and the windows. VIVIAN Go to hell! I hate you! I hate your money! I hate it! We see a flash of Edward's face as he stares at Vivian pounding on his window. She's completely lost her mind. He puts the car in gear and pushes on the accelerator. Vivian is still pounding as the car pulls away. In a final gesture of rage she throws the envelope at the car and it breaks open as the car peels off. The money scatters across the gutter as the car drives away. Vivian falls to her knees, weak and crying. Across the street various shabby-looking people stare at Vivian and the money. Vivian is on her hands and knees sobbing. She can barely breathe. She is completely broken. She wipes the tears from her cheeks. She looks down the street. The Mercedes is gone. For a brief moment she is still, frozen like a statue. She reaches down in the gutter and starts to pick up the money. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BUS - DAY An old Greyhound bus drives down the freeway from Los Angeles. It moves easily through the traffic. A small sign over the windshield reads: DISNEYLAND. INT. BUS - DAY Vivian and Kit are sitting in the bus. Kit is sitting next to the window, looking outside with a warm, happy smile. She is so excited she can barely stand it. KIT Could I get one of those balloons? You know, with the ears? Vivian sits next to Kit staring off with utterly blank and empty eyes. The side of her cheek is still bruised. She is wearing her mint green dress, but her hair is poorly done and lies limply around her pale face. Kit coughs. KIT Oh, I guess that's stupid. Those are for kids. Vivian blinks and glances over at Kit, tired. VIVIAN No, babe. You can have a balloon. One with the ears. Kit smiles happily and looks back out the window. Vivian stares emptily ahead. FADE OUT:

And cue music/Nilsson for the ending of Midnight Cowboy.

Perhaps using an addict as protagonist in "Pretty Woman" would have been cliche. As it is, it's more surprising that Vivian is flossing (a metaphor for "I care enough about myself to do things that keep me healthy for the long haul"). The dirty little secret behind the success of the movie could be--gasp--that there are more people who have turned to prostitution at some point in their lives than we'd like to admit in public.