Movie Info
Movie Name: When Harry Met Sally…
Studio: Castle Rock Entertainment/Nelson Entertainment
Genre(s): Romance/Comedy
Release Date(s): July 12, 1989 (Premiere)/July 21, 1989 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
Welcome to 1980 Sally
Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) were at odds when they first met. Now they are out to find out if a man and a woman can just be friends. As they travel through the years, girlfriends and boyfriends, and friends’ marriages, Harry and Sally are out to try something new…will their friendship survive a relationship?
Directed by Rob Reiner and with a smart Oscar nominated script by Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally… became one of the standards that modern romantic comedies strive for. The movie was a big financial success and has become a bit of a tradition around the holidays (which many key scenes of the story take place). The movie has since also been adapted into a stage play.
Oops.
What really works with When Harry Met Sally… is the script. Ephron brought up a lot of unspoken ideas of men and women. Now shows like Sex and the City, throw the ideas out easily without much thought, but the idea at the time was pretty revolutionary. The relationship between men and women was fleshed out decently in the script without making either look horrible (sure the men get a worse reputation then the women but Carrie Fisher as the friend content with an affair with a married man does help balance it out).
What is most remembered out When Harry Met Sally… was actually not in the original script. Sally’s orgasm scene in the restaurant was actually suggested by Meg Ryan for a scene where they were just talking about sex…It was also not set in a restaurant. Likewise, the “I’ll have what she’s having” was an addition to the scene…but that is the scene everyone remembers. On a side note, Ryan wasn’t even close for the part…Susanne Dey, Elizabeth Perkins, Elizabeth McGovern, and Molly Ringwald were all before Ryan.
Dinner gets me excited!
I’m not a huge Rob Reiner, Billy Crystal, or Meg Ryan fan, but this movie does work and has held up well. The styles may be dated, but the main themes of the movie are still true. In the world of “chick-flicks” this is one of the movies that more accessible for men and women…and not a miserable experience. It is a bit of a weird message…Harry’s right, sex does get in the way of their friendship. If you are in the mood for a decent romantic comedy, check out When Harry Met Sally… and have what she’s having.
