Lorelai Gilmore
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This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (October 2009) |
| Lorelai Gilmore | |
|---|---|
| Gilmore Girls character | |
 Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore |
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| First appearance | "Pilot" (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | "Bon Voyage" (episode 7.22) |
| Created by | Amy Sherman-Palladino |
| Portrayed by | Lauren Graham Chelsea Brummet (young Lorelai) |
| Information | |
| Full name | Lorelai Victoria Gilmore |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Inn owner Former: Executive manager (at the Independence Inn) Maid |
| Title | Owner of the Dragonfly Inn |
| Family | Richard Gilmore (father) Emily Gilmore (mother) Charles Gilmore (paternal grandfather; deceased) Lorelai "Trix" Gilmore (paternal grandmother; deceased) |
| Spouse(s) | Christopher Hayden (ex-husband) |
| Children | Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore (daughter, with Christopher) Georgia "Gigi" Hayden (former stepdaughter, via Christopher) |
| Residence | Stars Hollow, Connecticut |
Lorelai Victoria Gilmore is a fictional character in the WB/CW television series Gilmore Girls, portrayed by Lauren Graham. She is the main protagonist for the length of the series's seven year run from October, 2000, until May, 2007.
Lorelai is a single mother of a teenage daughter, Rory. The problems of single parenthood and the tension between Lorelai and her wealthy parents, especially her controlling mother, Emily, form the main theme of the series story line. Subplots involve various financial difficulties, love interests and other domestic entanglements for both Lorelai and her daughter Rory.
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[edit] Character development
[edit] Casting
Before landing the role of Lorelai in Gilmore Girls, Lauren Graham starred in many short-lived TV shows and guest appeared in a number of top 10 prime-time comedies.[1] She once lived for two years on the money she made from a TV commercial for Cascade. She finally landed the role in Gilmore Girls because she had all the characteristics producer Amy Sherman-Palladino was looking for. "She had to have everything," said Sherman-Palladino in describing the Lorelai she created. "The role required someone who could act, who could make you cry, who could break your heart, who was funny and gorgeous and tough and sexy and vulnerable. We looked and looked and couldn't find that actress. Just about the time I was saying, 'Let's just find somebody who's pretty and put her in the corner,' in walks Lauren. She gave us everything we wanted - a lovely little gift combo." [2]
[edit] Personality
Lorelai is witty and quirky. A coffee addict, she spends a lot of time in Luke's diner chatting with the locals of Stars Hollow. She makes many pop culture references, many from the 80s. Lorelai speaks very fast, especially when upset. A smart business woman, she forms strong relationships with her employees making her business run smoothly. Her best friend is Sookie St. James. Much to her parents horror, she is a Democrat. She drives a Jeep Wrangler.
[edit] Character background
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Lorelai Victoria Gilmore was born to Richard and Emily Gilmore on April 25, 1968. Lorelai was raised in Hartford, Connecticut by wealthy parents who attempted to bring her up her to be a proper young lady of society, go to an Ivy league college, marry a man with wealth and good-breeding, and even arranged for her to be presented to society. However, Lorelai knew that wasn't the life she wanted.
As a teenager (portrayed in flashbacks by Chelsea Brummet), Lorelai dated Christopher Hayden, the son of Straub and Francine. She discovered she was pregnant at the age of 16, before finishing high school. This greatly embarrassed and disappointed her parents. Straub initially suggested Lorelai have an abortion, however Emily flat out refused, and Richard suggested that Lorelai and Chistopher should marry instead. Christopher agreed, but Lorelai refused, convinced that marrying so young simply wouldn't work out. When Lorelai realized she was in labor, she left a note for her parents which read "Dear Mom and Dad, I'm in labor, see you later, Lorelai" and drove to the hospital without her license. When there she threw ice pellets at the nurses.[3]
After her daughter, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, Rory, was born on October 4, 1984, at 4:03am, Lorelai ran away to Stars Hollow, a small town near Hartford, to find her own life. The owner of the Independence Inn, Mia, took her in, gave her a job as a maid, and let her and Rory live in the back in a renovated potting shed. The Independence Inn is where she met her best friend, Sookie Saint James. Lorelai worked her way up over the years, and was eventually promoted to executive manager, which is her job as the show opens. Later, Lorelai, Sookie, and their friend Michel opened their own inn, called The Dragonfly Inn.
For many years after running away from home, Lorelai had almost no contact with her parents, except for visits during major holidays. When Rory got accepted into Chilton Preparatory School, a private and expensive high school, Lorelai needed a loan to pay Rory's attendance fees. As a last choice, Lorelai went to Emily and Richard. Emily and Richard agreed to loan the money but in return, Rory and Lorelai had to instate mandatory "Friday Night Dinners" to which Lorelai reluctantly agreed.[4] But, when Christopher starts to pay for Yale, those dinners aren't so mandatory. A large part of the series is dedicated toward Lorelai's relationship with her parents through the ups and downs of dealing with the past and forging a more realistic relationship. Even after Rory gets her first job as a journalist and will be moving away for a while, Lorelai tells her mother that she will still continue their Friday night dinners.
[edit] Relationships
Besides an on-again, off-again relationship with Christopher Hayden, Lorelai's had a few romantic relationships that included Alex Lesman (Billy Burke), an outdoorsy coffee house entrepreneur; Max Medina (Scott Cohen), a teacher at Chilton to whom she was engaged; Jason "Digger" Stiles (Chris Eigeman), a childhood friend, and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), the owner of Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow, with whom she always had a strong connection. Over the years, as she frequented Luke's Diner, they became close friends and eventually fell in love. Although Luke and Lorelai were engaged for close to a year, different complications caused them to split up temporarily. When the show ended it was implied that Lorelai was in a relationship with Luke Danes, as she kisses him at Rory's farewell party.
[edit] Reception
In 2005, in honor of Mother's Day, Inside TV, a newly published weekly magazine for television fans, chose its picks for Top 10 All-Time Greatest TV Moms. Gilmore Girls Lorelai Gilmore ranked 5th ahead of classic television mothers Marion Cunningham, Caroline Ingalls and Carol Brady.[5]
On 11 May 2008, Tivo released the results of a survey conducted by eRewards Market Research on Television's Top Moms. Lorelai ranked 14th, with 20 percent of respondents selecting her among their top 20 TV moms.[6] Lauren Graham was selected twice for her portrayal of Lorelai by the Teen Choice Awards,[7] winning "Choice TV Parental Unit" in 2005 and 2006.[8]
In the 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly, Lorelai Gilmore was selected as the Mom for The Perfect TV Family.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Blackman, Lori (January 10, 2001). "'Gilmore Girl' Lauren Graham". CNN. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/10/sbtst.graham/index.html. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ Bonko, Larry (February 14, 2002). "Teen Hollywood.com : Lauren Graham". Teen Hollywood.com Network. http://www.teenhollywood.com/printerversion.asp?r=6230. Retrieved 2008-05-12.[dead link]
- ^ ""Dear Emily and Richard"". Gilmore Girls. 2003-02-07. No. 13, season 3.
- ^ ""Pilot"". Gilmore Girls. 2000-10-05. No. 1, season 1.
- ^ Farin, Julie (May 5, 2005). "Countdown to Mother's Day...". New Age Media Concepts (press release). http://press.namct.com/content/view/963/2/. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ Storey, Michael (May 11, 2008). "THE TV COLUMN : ABC’s ax chops Men in Trees". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20080513231600/http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/225463/. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ Philpot, Robert (May 15, 2007). "Let's hear it for this Gilmore Girl". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1192660A556BD748&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ Hall, Sarah (15 August 2005). "Teens Choose "The Notebook"". E! Online. http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=e630bfa6-8051-4aa6-8d3b-17da60ea7371&entry=index. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ "TV: Breaking Down the List, Entertainment Weekly, #999/1000 June 27 & July 4, 2008, 56.". June 20, 2008. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20208323,00.html.
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