Directed by: Rob Reiner
Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
The most famous scene in When Harry Met Sally... is the scene where Sally (Ryan) loudly fakes an orgasm in a restaurant in front of stunned spectators. Her mission is to convince Harry (Crystal) that women can fake orgasms and men would be none the wiser. She succeeds and even prompts an onlooker to tell her waiter, "I'll have what she's having." When Harry Met Sally... is a light romantic comedy containing warm, funny people and plenty of laughs stemming from Nora Ephron's witty dialogue. It's not a deep film, but it's genial, pleasant, and done very well.
The twelve-year friendship/courtship or whatever you want to call it begins in 1977 when Harry and Sally take a trip from Chicago to New York so both can begin their post-college careers. Harry is dating Sally's best friend, but this doesn't stop him from flirting with her. Harry doesn't believe that men and women can be friends since "the sex thing is always out there." Because of this, when they arrive in New York, they go their separate ways.
Fast forward to five years later, Harry bumps into an old friend at the airport (who is kissing Sally goodbye at the time) and he doesn't even recognize Sally at first. At the time, Harry is about to marry. When the two bump into each other again six years later, Harry is in the midst of a divorce and Sally had just ended her own five-year relationship. Harry and Sally do indeed become friends and do their best to deny their attraction to each other, even though it is evident. Their friendship confounds Harry's buddy Jess (Kirby) and Sally's chum Marie (Fisher), who both think they should hook up.
In a nice payoff, Jess and Marie become a couple and then marry, shortly after a double date in which Harry was supposed to hook up with Marie and Jess was intended for Sally. Jess proclaims to Harry and Sally at his wedding, "If either one of us had found either of you remotely attractive, we would not be here today."
When Harry Met Sally... sinks or swims based on the likability of the leads. Crystal and Ryan are naturally engaging and charming performers. They're sweet and vulnerable and we know they will likely end up together, because as well they should. Everyone in the film is nice and just wants to be happy. We want them to be happy, even if Harry and Sally don't recognize right away that the key to their happiness lies in each other.
Nora Ephron would later make films like Sleepless In Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie & Julia. Each film contains nice, sweet people who go out of their way to achieve their own happiness, whether romantic or otherwise. Are they realistic films? Of course not, but sometimes we watch movies because we've had just about enough of reality for one day. When Harry Met Sally... is the perfect film to watch when we're in that kind of a mood.
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