When Harry Met Sally… (1989) – Encore Review 3

“It’s amazing. You look like a normal person, but actually you are the angel of death.” – Sally Albright

Number of Times Seen – Too many to count (Theater, DVD, 22 Jul 2013, 29 April 2014 and 2 Mar 2015 and 13 Aug 2019)

Link to original review – Here, Here and Here

Brief Synopsis – After two strangers meet on a road trip from Chicago to New York after graduation, their lives keep interceding over the following years brings into question the idea of whether a man and woman can truly remain just platonic friends.

My Take on it – This is a movie that I fell in love with the very first time I saw it in the theater 30 years ago and it gets better and better every time that I watch it.

It remains one of the best Romantic comedies ever made because it makes us see what kind of things are important in a true friendship and relationship.

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are both superbly cast in these roles and that also helps keep this film working so well even after 3 decades.

Their chemistry is superb and it’s so easy to believe the kind of friendship that the two of them create over the course of this film.

This film’s script is able to take many different aspects of “courting” and make them timeless due to the way things are presented to us throughout the course of this film’s 12 year storyline.

The dialogue is superbly written and works on so many levels as it helps make this film so quotable because it constantly feels relevant to most relationship situations.

Director Rob Reiner is able to take Nora Ephron’s script and bring these characters and situations to life in front of us on the screen.

This is a film that has so many iconic scenes that help epitomize the fact of how important a great friendship is in finding a great relationship and that still rings true after 30 years.

Bottom Line – One of the best Rom-com’s ever made which still holds up extremely well even after 3 decades. Ryan and Crystal are perfectly cast in these roles and we can easily see why their characters work so well together since they have near perfect chemistry throughout the entire film. The story is able to take so many of the “courting” situations and make them timeless. The film has amazing dialogue that works on so many levels and makes this film so quotable from start to finish. Reiner does a superb job directing this story and helps make Ephron’s ideas come to life on screen. This film has so many iconic scenes in it and it epitomizes what is truly essential to a great relationship and that is first and foremost, a great friendship. Highly Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The character of Harry was somewhat based on director Rob Reiner. Reiner was depressed, cynical, and neurotic, but with a big heart underneath, like Harry Burns in the film. The character of Sally was somewhat based on screenwriter Nora Ephron. Ephron was optimistic, cheerful, loved control, and was the type of person who was “just fine” with everything, like Sally Albright. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (10/10) (no change from original review)