After 30 long years, I have finally gotten around to a full viewing of this movie, which triggered lots of "would you or wouldn't you" questions at the time it was made. Yet, to me the story is more a romance than a quirky one-note premise. It might have been better received and more successful if it had been marketed that way back in '93 instead of focusing on only one aspect.
Yes, the "proposal" forms a centerpiece for the movie, but it occurs almost halfway in and what happens before and after it is much more important. The producers include some delightful flashback scenes between David and Diana, where Woody sports a full mop of hair and Demi wears braces and they really seem like two giddy teenagers.
Then, there is the arresting scene in a Vegas hotel room where David tosses thousands of dollars onto the bed while Diana writes around seductively among them, nude of course. Has anyone ever made a still of that? As many other reviewers have said, Demi was at the height of her allure in this and the cinematographers and lighting people accentuate that at every turn. Her voice also sounds better in this than in "Ghost" or "A Few Good Men."
Then, she meets John Gage, the Robert Redford character, who sees her in a store window and offers to buy her a $5,000 dress she has been eying. Things quickly develop where Diana helps John win $1 million at the craps table before "the proposal," another detail often left out in the discussion.
For the proposal itself and the acceptance of it, the story mostly switches to David's viewpoint, which was a wise move. When his lawyer buddy Jeremy (Oliver Platt being very Oliver Platt-ish) helps draw up a contract and the contract gets consummated, David immediately realizes his mistake and tries to stop Diana.
The scenes with John and Diana are very classy, too. Maybe it's a bit of a spoiler, but if you're expecting to see a hot sex scene with Demi and Robert, you're gonna be disappointed. They never even show him deeply kissing her.
The final act deals with the fallout, and it's what truly elevates the movie from the sleaze-fest it might have become in the hands of a more sensationalist director. For the minority such as me, who until yesterday never saw it, here's your permission to go ahead and give it a good, full look. You'll at least be entertained even though some scenes (because of Woody Harrelson's acting chops) are difficult to watch.
Yes, the "proposal" forms a centerpiece for the movie, but it occurs almost halfway in and what happens before and after it is much more important. The producers include some delightful flashback scenes between David and Diana, where Woody sports a full mop of hair and Demi wears braces and they really seem like two giddy teenagers.
Then, there is the arresting scene in a Vegas hotel room where David tosses thousands of dollars onto the bed while Diana writes around seductively among them, nude of course. Has anyone ever made a still of that? As many other reviewers have said, Demi was at the height of her allure in this and the cinematographers and lighting people accentuate that at every turn. Her voice also sounds better in this than in "Ghost" or "A Few Good Men."
Then, she meets John Gage, the Robert Redford character, who sees her in a store window and offers to buy her a $5,000 dress she has been eying. Things quickly develop where Diana helps John win $1 million at the craps table before "the proposal," another detail often left out in the discussion.
For the proposal itself and the acceptance of it, the story mostly switches to David's viewpoint, which was a wise move. When his lawyer buddy Jeremy (Oliver Platt being very Oliver Platt-ish) helps draw up a contract and the contract gets consummated, David immediately realizes his mistake and tries to stop Diana.
The scenes with John and Diana are very classy, too. Maybe it's a bit of a spoiler, but if you're expecting to see a hot sex scene with Demi and Robert, you're gonna be disappointed. They never even show him deeply kissing her.
The final act deals with the fallout, and it's what truly elevates the movie from the sleaze-fest it might have become in the hands of a more sensationalist director. For the minority such as me, who until yesterday never saw it, here's your permission to go ahead and give it a good, full look. You'll at least be entertained even though some scenes (because of Woody Harrelson's acting chops) are difficult to watch.