“When Harry Met Sally…” is a heartwarming romantic comedy that explores the evolving relationship between Harry and Sally, two friends who initially dislike each other but eventually fall in love.
The Enduring Appeal of “When Harry Met Sally
“When Harry Met Sally” is one of the best scripts in Nora Ephron’s career, and one of the most enduring films due to its seamless direction by Rob Reiner. Even after years, it hasn’t lost its power as a romantic comedy classic.
The film’s lovable couple, Harry and Sally, grapple with the age-old question of whether a man and a woman can be friends without sex getting in the way. Nowadays, modern romantic comedies have moved on to a different question: “Can real love come out of a friends-with-benefits situation?” “When Harry Met Sally,” on the other hand, becomes a nostalgic treat like the Doris Day-Rock Hudson films of our parents’ generation.
Nora Ephron’s script expertly employs all the dynamics of the romantic comedy genre. At first, a young man and a young woman cannot agree on anything, but eventually discover that they are meant to be each other’s great love. However, summarizing the film in just one sentence does not do it justice. On the contrary, it takes great skill to fill that single sentence with the cinematic satisfaction that this film provides.
A Journey of Friendship, Love, and Real-Life Tales
The film boasts a narrative that not only captivates you with its own story but also with real-life tales that tug at your heartstrings. Director Reiner allows us to hear fascinating meeting stories from elderly couples who have been in long-lasting marriages between Harry and Sally’s encounters over the years.
After graduating from the same university, Harry and Sally embark on a road trip from Chicago to New York in Harry’s car. During this lengthy journey, they cannot agree on anything. Sally is a serious, meticulous, emotional, and sympathetic girl who views life in a profound manner, while Harry is a spontaneous, witty, obsessive, and clever guy. After the trip, they both go on to have different partners. The couple crosses paths occasionally, but they are involved in different relationships each time. As they continue to encounter each other, they gradually discover each other’s commonalities and become even closer friends. Harry is surprised because he doesn’t have any apparent sexual desire for Sally. To him, she is just like any other male friend. Or at least that’s what he believes for a time. In fact, they even argue about this issue. Harry believes that a man and a woman can never truly be friends, while Sally mentions that she has made many male friends over the years and has not had sex with any of them.
Throughout the film, Harry and Sally argue about this topic the most. They take their friendship so seriously that they even try to set each other up with their closest friends. However, their close friends, who they have set up with each other, end up liking each other and even getting married! And of course, the “big” issue between them, namely, sex, eventually erupts. They are both concerned about where their friendship will lead them now.
The film boasts a narrative that not only captivates you with its own story but also with real-life tales that tug at your heartstrings. Director Reiner allows us to hear fascinating meeting stories from elderly couples who have been in long-lasting marriages between Harry and Sally’s encounters over the years.
After graduating from the same university, Harry and Sally embark on a road trip from Chicago to New York in Harry’s car. During this lengthy journey, they cannot agree on anything. Sally is a serious, meticulous, emotional, and sympathetic girl who views life in a profound manner, while Harry is a spontaneous, witty, obsessive, and clever guy. After the trip, they both go on to have different partners. The couple crosses paths occasionally, but they are involved in different relationships each time. As they continue to encounter each other, they gradually discover each other’s commonalities and become even closer friends. Harry is surprised because he doesn’t have any apparent sexual desire for Sally. To him, she is just like any other male friend. Or at least that’s what he believes for a time. In fact, they even argue about this issue. Harry believes that a man and a woman can never truly be friends, while Sally mentions that she has made many male friends over the years and has not had sex with any of them.
Throughout the film, Harry and Sally argue about this topic the most. They take their friendship so seriously that they even try to set each other up with their closest friends. However, their close friends, who they have set up with each other, end up liking each other and even getting married! And of course, the “big” issue between them, namely, sex, eventually erupts. They are both concerned about where their friendship will lead them now.
New York City, Realistic Dialogue, and Commentary on Relationships
In the film “When Harry Met Sally,” director Rob Reiner skillfully infuses the backdrop of New York City into the story, reminiscent of a Woody Allen film. The fluid and realistic dialogues crafted by writer Nora Ephron pull the audience into a believable romance. However, the film’s true value lies in its ability to accomplish something that many contemporary romantic comedies fail to do – make a serious commentary on male-female relationships and encourage viewers to examine their own relationships. Despite the risk of coming across as too philosophical, the film navigates this challenge with clever maneuvers, such as Meg Ryan’s famous fake orgasm scene and the elderly woman’s reaction. “When Harry Met Sally” is an intellectual yet highly entertaining, intimate and likable film.
The warmth and charm of the film also owe a great deal to the actors. Meg Ryan’s performance in this movie made her the queen of romantic comedies overnight. Not only did she win audiences over with her physical beauty, but also with the depth of emotion she brought to her role. Billy Crystal, who contributed to the film’s dialogues, also deserves applause for his performance. Despite not being traditionally handsome, his acting throughout the film does not leave the viewer feeling anything was amiss. One could even argue that he turned this perceived disadvantage into an advantage.
The value of “When Harry Met Sally” seems to shine brighter amidst the changing landscape of romance and the depreciation of many emotions in the twenty-first century. It’s hard not to be swept away by one of the most beautiful declarations of love ever seen on screen:
“I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. I love you Sally!”
Billy Crystal comedy drama Meg Ryan movies reviews Rob Reiner romance When Harry Met Sally
Last modified: September 24, 2023
