And the winner is…Edward Lewis & Vivien Ward, Pretty Woman.

We thought long and hard before we selected our TRT inaugural couple.  Who to choose for our “cover”?   New couple or classic, well matched or not?  Scarlett & Rhett?  Jack & Rose?  Johnny & Baby?

We decided to kick it off with a classic that everyone knows and loves.  Or doesn’t.  We wanted names that are instantly recognizable, and to be honest, a couple on the low end of the scale. Because let’s face it – they’re just more fun.  And truthfully that’s the whole point of this website.

While the names Edward & Vivien may not have the household recognition of a Harry & Sally, we defy you to find someone that doesn’t know the movie Pretty Woman.

And so – to the Reel Thing debut review.

Edward & Vivien. People.  Please.  Are you honestly telling us that there is a believer among you?  Is there anyone out there that truly thinks that these two are going to have, in Vivien’s words, “the fairytale?”  Sad to say but Viv’s friend Kit is the only sensible one in this scenario.

Sure we went with it for a while; we drank the Kool-Aid.  Things started out dreamy, as they do in every new relationship.  We started getting sucked in by Ed and Viv the way Viv got sucked in by the champagne and raspberries.  But there was one small problem, something niggling at us..let’s see, what was it, what was it…

Oh wait – she’s a HOOKER!

Like a walk along the Sunset Strip, we got smacked by a dose of reality.  Are we supposed to just accept that he really is OK with her past?  We know there are a lot of professionals out there with a lot more experience under their belts but still – once your guy knows you’ve slept with strangers for money it’s just a matter of time before that rears its ugly head.  Like in the eventual custody battle, for instance.

The relationship is not remotely believable.  Guys that grow up in penthouses may visit whorehouses but they’re typically not shopping for their future brides.  So we just can’t see Ed and Viv spending their golden years having early suppers together at the club.  Yes, Edward is an only child and we know at least one of his parents is gone, so perhaps he won’t have any family approval issues to deal with.  But there is still going to be a lot of peer pressure from all of his rich, gossipy friends.  And while he seems perfectly capable of rising above it, we wonder if she is. Every dinner party and bridge game will be like reliving her encounter with the women from the clothing store.

Even if you were able to put the matter of her career aside, there’s still too much of an age, class and background distinction.  Edward is about 40; she’s 22.  We don’t see that gap narrowing as they get older.  He’s also pretty emotionally stunted; we doubt that one hike up a 5th floor fire escape is going to do what years of therapy could not.  And while Viv does clean up nice, a few expensive dresses do not a sense of style make.  Two days ago she thought hot pants and thigh-high boots were appropriate for daytime shopping.  That doesn’t change overnight.  What happens when she wears them to the charity golf outing?  He can’t pick out her clothes for the rest of her life.

Don’t get us wrong; they do have chemistry.  (There’s a shocker – a rich handsome man and a beautiful young woman that does “everything” have chemistry.  Attraction doesn’t get any easier than that.)  It’s that chemistry that made us drink the Kool-Aid in the first place.  In fact when we first started to consider this couple we were transported back to 1995 and the first time we saw it; we could even smell the popcorn.  We remember cheering along as this lovely, sparkly Cinderella got her prince. It seemed the most romantic movie we’d ever seen.  That thing with the jewelry box?  Was there a girl in the theater that didn’t want to be in her shoes at that moment?  And there were so many other delightful moments like this – the utterly extravagant shopping spree, her first trip to the opera, the picnic in the park, and the way in which Edward was given full reign over the restaurant after hours. We were completely sucked in by the sheer indulgence of it all.

As we recall this delusion lasted half an hour.  Which is 30 minutes longer than we give this relationship.

We therefore award our First Couple a heartfelt and unanimous 0 Reels.

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