Things Don't Always Turn Out Like You Expect..."When Harry Met Sally"

Would you like to have what she's having?

The Story:

Two college graduates, Sally (Meg Ryan) and Harry (Billy Crystal) carpool to New York together.  Harry is the boyfriend of Sally's best friend, what'sername... and the two share a ride and a conversation across country.  The movie catches up with them a few years later as they bump into each other again, and the seeds of friendship begin to grow.  However, as Harry points out early, a man and a woman cannot be friends because sex will always get in the way.

Let's see if he's right.

Written by the late, great Nora Ephron, this was probably her big break which helped move her out of the writer's seat and into the director's chair.  Her strength was in writing, and while giving her females a great part, she didn't treat the guys as losers or anything.

Conceivably, Meg Ryan owes her career to Ephron, with this plus Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail cementing her as *the* leading lady of romantic comedies from the late eighties/early nineties.  Naturally, this film is remembered mostly for her climactic (pun fully intended) demonstration of Sally showing Harry just how in control of relationships the women really are. 

To credit the movie for that alone though, would seriously undermine the comic relationship that Harry and Sally endure throughout the course of the movie.

But really, for a movie written by a woman, she gives Billy Crystal all of the great lines and wonderful insight into relationships.  Whether he assisted with his lines or it was all Ephron's doing, his delivery is pitch perfect whether he's sending off a verbal zinger or waxing philosophic.

Billy Crystal is not the first actor you think of when you role into a romantic comedy, but between this and Forget Paris, I think he was woefully underused in the genre.

Thankfully, at least he made City Slickers. :)

Then of course there is the sure, steady hand of one of the best,  most underrated directors of all time, Rob Reiner.  As with much of his filmography, he simply crafted another gem that has become a classic.

While not a family friendly film, it is a great blueprint for how to have your romantic comedy characters act, interact, behave and misbehave.

Totally recommended.

I finally caught this film for the first time within the last 5 years.  It was as good as advertised.  If you've never seen it, don't wait for the 25th anniversary...

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Really funny movie, and was picked up after the first viewing and added to the DVD library.