Fav Halloweens: Living my "Pretty Woman" fantasy
Monday, October 26, 2020 at 11:21PM We thought it might be fun if Team Experience shared a few of our favourite Halloween memories with you.
Some people mark time by birthdays. I mark them with Halloween costumes.
Halloween costume planning was always a weeks long planning process growing up. Harry Potter, James Bond, Ash from Pokemon - I did it all. Seven year old me wanted to be cool so bad he begged his parents for an Anakin Skywalker costume even though he had never seen any Star Wars movie yet. As you can tell by those examples, Halloween reflected my pop culture taste at the time. It was my yearly permission to pretend I was in one of my favorite movies. It’s safe to say, I never grew out of my love for Halloween.
It wasn’t until I was 25 that was able to finally pull off dressing as my ultimate pop culture hero - Vivian Ward. Yes, we’re born gay, not made gay...
Vivian / Me as Vivian. (Apologies for the donut. don't know what that was about.)
However, if my genetic makeup hadn’t already determined my sexuality, watching Pretty Woman with my Mom at age six cemented it. If I was going to care more about movies than farming (my family business), then I was at least going to watch her favorite movies. So began an instant obsession with Julia Roberts and actresses in general. I used to say “big mistake, huge” around school and begged my Mom to take me to see both Runaway Bride and Erin Brockovich. The former I got to see. The latter I had to wait until it came out on VHS. I bought it for my Mom as a “birthday present” and watched the next day while she napped.
On top of being my actress awakening, Vivian always embodied qualities I wanted to emulate. More than just the hooker with a heart of gold, she was a driven girl with goals she didn’t know how to achieve. She wins over Edward (Richard Gere) with her quick wit, big heart and ability to call people out on their bullshit. As I grew older (and watched a zillion more times), the character only continued to deepen for me. It was her vulnerability that made me fall in love with her again and again. After being rejected from a fancy Rodeo Drive store, Vivian walks down the street in her nightwalker outfit, covering herself up with her jacket. This confidence that made us fall in love with her is gone and replaced by doubt and shame. Even A-lister Julia Roberts can feel small. I hold that feeling with me any time I’m having a bad day. Julia Roberts is a God who can bleed.
So in summation I dressed as Vivian Ward because she’s everything I am and everything I want to be. Also I was meeting a guy that night and I wanted to get drunk and show some legs/abs/everything. Win win. That night I stayed over at that guy’s place (let’s call him Ken). The next morning, in an effort to keep hanging out, I invited him to a screening for God’s Own Country. He agreed to join me, only to realize I had no other clothes other than my Pretty Woman costume. That didn’t matter, I was still living my Pretty Woman fantasy and went to the screening, costume and all. We spent the entire day together and I fell in love.
Three years later (almost to the day), the guy I was trying to impress that night asked me to marry him with a Pretty Woman themed proposal. As I was at the park with friends (who were in on it), Ken was driven down the windy Beverly Hills backroads blaring La Traviata while he stuck his head out the sunroof with flowers and an umbrella in hand. He jumped out of the car, raced to me and popped the question: “So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?” I responded with the only appropriate answer: “She rescues him right back.” This time I wasn’t wearing boots and short shorts, unfortunately. Still, I got whisked away for a weekend at the Beverly Wilshire. Halloween dreams do come true.
(from left to right): Mary Steenburgen, me as Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Judge Candice Bergen
P.S. One of my other favorite Halloween costumes happened the next year. Ken was in New York watching an episode of TV he had written get filmed. I was back in LA. However, that led to another unforgettable night where I was part of a group costume with his best friends. We were to all be the Book Club ladies and I was set to be the Jane Fonda. One red wig and low cut top later, and I was having the time of my life.
More Fav Halloween Costumes from Team Experience:
Reader Comments (6)
I find the idea of a Pretty Woman themed proposal fascinating. One small question, though: did you also re-create the jewelry box scene? I'm imagining an engagement ring still in its box, so it can be snapped shut just as you reach for it...
Nice boots.
Don't let Richard Gere ser this.
Fabulous Story. Congratulations on finding Mr. Right!
ser = see
Thank you all for the kind words.
@Brevity: I did not get the jewelry scene recreated for me. However, I definitely did sing along to Prince in the tub that night. lol