When Harry Met Sally…
Composite Score: 83
Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Steven Ford, Lisa Jane Persky, Michelle Nicastro, and Harley Jane Kozak
Director: Rob Reiner
Writer: Nora Ephron
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
MPAA Rating: R
Box Office: $93.27 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
When Harry Met Sally… is a romantic comedy from Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner, starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, about two people who hate each other, become friends, and fall in love over the course of ten years. The film was a reinvention of and reintroduction to the romantic comedy in Hollywood, having the first majorly successful run since the 1960s and ushering in a new era of romantic comedy that we are now at the tail end of. Its iconic scenes, surprisingly electric chemistry, and well-written and performed script have turned it into a quintessential (and perhaps even the best) romantic comedy. If you haven’t yet seen it, what are you even doing. It’s still technically fall, and New Years is coming up – two perfect times to watch this film.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Honestly, the biggest knock against the film is its overtly heteronormative perspective, which should not come as a big surprise from a 1989 film. Much of the dialogue and story focuses on “traditional” heterosexual interactions and relationships, which can be potentially alienating for viewers outside of that range. Even then, though, it can make a solid watch to just look and laugh at the ways straight people consistently complicate and muck up relationships.
I should also mention that When Harry Met Sally… is a highly conventional romantic comedy, achieving greatness not through shying away from tropes but by embracing them wholeheartedly and making them shine through phenomenal writing. If you are someone who is burnt out on the norms and predictability of romantic comedy, I don’t know that When Harry Met Sally… will fully change your mind. It is certainly one of the most genuine films in the recent catalogue (last 35 years or so), and it feels better than a lot of the more recent entries into the genre, but it remains familiar and fairly predictable.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
When Harry Met Sally… is one of the most well-executed films that I’ve ever seen, perfectly accomplishing what it sets out to do – tell the story of a will-they-won’t-they relationship with charm and impact. It hits all the story beats – a meet-cute, the love interests dating/marrying other people, becoming friends before becoming lovers, separating because of an argument (seemingly with no resolution), and a final declaration of love in dramatic fashion – in a way that, though familiar, never feels overdone or tired. And it’s not just the big story moments that stick around in this one; the pieces in-between work perfectly to hold the film together. From iconic lines/moments (“Men and women can’t be friends,” “I’ll have what she’s having,” or “…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”) to the way the film connects its plethora of time jumps with interviews based on real stories of couples falling in love to the surprisingly resonant characterizations of the main and supporting cast, the whole film works together to deliver something memorable, enjoyable, and ultimately iconic.
But, without the characters, the story could only take us so far. Harry and Sally work as the classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope because Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan make it work on-screen. Starting with their initial trip from Chicago to New York, the script and the actors are laying the groundwork for the rest of the film. Both are comfortable with the other’s presence, but their clashing personalities make it impossible for them to become friends. By their second meeting on an airplane, the two have lived more life and each has approached the other’s viewpoint enough to hold an imperfect conversation but no more than that. After five more years, they now have strong shared experiences that allow them to start up a friendship and overcome past prejudices, leading to the romantic storyline of the film. Billy Crystal’s Harry feels incredibly authentic with his jaded take on friendship between men and women being forever tainted by sex that develops into a true appreciation for his female friend and a recognition by the end that true love is often grounded in friendship and those little nuances that you come to appreciate about the person that you are in relationship with. Similarly, Meg Ryan’s Sally feels like the genuine article when she refuses to believe that men can never be friends with women before experiencing it and realizing that there is some truth to Harry’s theory later on in the film. The two characters drive each other and develop each other from incredibly unhealthy views on friendships and relationships to the place they are at the film’s end, both ready for what life is going to bring next with a greater appreciation for what the other has to offer. It’s a simple yet profound look at relationships. Will there always be a big declaration of love at some party? Probably not. But the truth of people in relationships needing to appreciate what their partner brings to the table and to acknowledge (and sometimes even adopt) the viewpoints of their partner in nontrivial ways comes through deeply, which is a huge reason why this film works so well and launched so many films with similar plot structures that couldn’t quite hit the same mark.
When Harry Met Sally… is a near perfect romantic comedy with a relatable and entertaining story and characters that engage the audience and get at deeper truths about love, which is why it remains one of the Greatest Films of All Time. The film’s adherence to film and relationship conventions of the 1980s might keep it from being everyone’s favorite, but I hold that it is one of the most watchable, entertaining, and thought-provoking romantic comedies ever made. This film is currently available to stream on Netflix and HBO Max if you’re looking to give it a go for the first time or for a rewatch.
