MovieChat Forums > Pretty Woman (1990) Discussion > "You Couldn't Afford It..."

"You Couldn't Afford It..."

posted 9 years ago by FattyMcButterpants
13 replies | jump to latest

This has got to be one of the worst lines of the movie, never really understood why they put it in the movie unless they were really trying to make Vivian look really stupid and naive.

To refresh, this is after Edward picks up Vivian in the fancy $100,000 car and he asks her how much for the whole night together. Clearly Edward is a wealthy man. She's driving around in a fancy car and they are going to Beverly Hills, but when he asks how much for the night, her first response is "You couldn't afford it."

Now, if she came back and said something like $10,000 for the night, I could see her point. But she came back with $300! $300!!! LOL. Would Vivan really believe that $300 was something this guy "couldnt afford"? This guy wipes his ass with $300, just to make sure its clean.

always found that line to be strange and poorly written. I just dont think that number would have come out of her mouth, or that she would have ever thought he couldnt afford such a small amount. She KNEW how valuable that car was. In fact, she knew more about it than he did.

[–] FrannyFine 9 years ago

maybe she meant that he wouldn't be willing to pay it. I guess the most she ever got paid was $100 so in her eyes $300 was a lot of money. But yeah, you'd think that someone who drives a Lotus and stays in the penthouse suite could definitely afford $300.

[–] orignlsinz 9 years ago

I think the point of that ridiculous line was to downplay how whorish she was. They wanted us to feel sympathy for, and fall in love with, a dime a dozen streetwalker, so they made her as innocent and naive as possible.

[–] C_Dubya 8 years ago

That scratching my head as well lol.

[–] mikeyflatley 8 years ago

$300 = $1M 2day after inflation

Werd 2 ur mudda, bruddafckka

[–] ak47wong (475) 3 months ago

$300 = $700 today after inflation

[–] Emiabambinacara 8 years ago

She thought the car was a rental, she couldn't equate a good looking man who is supposedly rich enough to by a car like that with this man who is cruising Hollywood Blvd for a streetwalker. If he had the money the car implies he has, he would have went for a higher class of whore instead of the $2 variety. She even says as much when she sees him.

[–] Howlin Wolf 8 years ago

She was testing him out to see if he was serious and would pay whatever she asked for... She knew he could afford $300, but didn't know if he would be willing to spend it on HER. If he starts haggling over the price when she tells him he wouldn't be able to afford it, then she knows he's cheap/not a serious player... Instead, he doesn't bat an eyelid and tells her to name her price.

She goes for $300 both because she knows fine well that he can definitely afford it, but also because it's still serious money to her, if not for him. Classic negotiating tactic, on both sides... Feeling each other out, and very well written.



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[–] jimwitte 8 years ago

[Edward] wipes his ass with $300, just to make sure its clean

The rear-end, or the 300 dollars?

[–] bobbydallas (8058) 6 years ago

That line is about as ridiculous as the entire movie.. lol

[–] strntz (10809) 3 months ago

Not necessarily. I took it as Vivian challenging Edward to prove her wrong.

Edward: "how much?"

Viv: "You couldn't afford it"

Edward: "Oh yeah? I'll show you"!! and makes with the dinero.