When Harry Met Sally - "Oh God, Yes!"
‘The Godfather 1 and 2’, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, ‘Casablanca’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally’, truly the pantheon of great cinema. Whilst this is only a joke, well kind of, Nora Ephron’s 1989 classic truly does rank as a film worth talking about to this day. With amazing pacing, great dialogue, and a clear but not shoved-down-your-throat sense of growth; there is not much to dislike about this film, even for a first-time watcher.
From cinema to video games to music, it is beginning to feel as if all the media we consume is getting longer and longer, even to the detriment of the products and art forms themselves. It is incredibly refreshing to consume a piece of media that hits all the boxes whilst not overstaying its welcome. ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a perfectly self-contained experience that makes you feel everything you need to feel when you need to. The main reason it succeeds in doing this is because of the film's amazing pacing. Without moving at breakneck speed, the film gets everything that it needs to get done perfectly. Now granted, a big reason for this is the film's rather simplistic plot of ‘will they won’t they?’, or perhaps in this film’s case a ‘when will they?’ But it is hard to deny that whilst watching this film you do not feel as if a single scene dragged on for too long or needed more time to be fleshed out.
The big reason for the perfect pacing is the great dialogue, chemistry and atmosphere. The film consists of sharp, quick and witty dialogue (‘Oh really? Well, that “symptom” is fucking my wife.’), that is often indicative of Nora Ephron’s work and as an unfortunate result most modern romantic comedies. However, whilst most awful rom-coms of today try to emulate this dialogue they are all missing one thing; the undeniable chemistry between the two leads, and quite frankly everyone else in the movie. The chemistry between the beautiful 80s/90s icon of Meg Ryan and the comedic charm of Billy Crystal makes for an on-screen relationship that is so idealistic yet real. Additionally, the atmosphere of the film ties it all together. With the backdrop of a classic yet vibrant New York City and a soundtrack from Harry Connick Jr. featuring music from Louie Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Ray Charles, the film feels like a warm blanket on a rainy day.
Warning - Major Spoilers Ahead
This is also a movie with a meaningful depiction of growth without being spelt out to the viewer. When we first meet the two leads on their road trip from Chicago to New York, we see two characters who have a long way to go in terms of who they are. Harry is still a crass conversationalist, often bringing up uncomfortable topics. However, as the film progresses, we see him care about more than just his satisfaction. This idea is perfectly showcased in Harry’s belief that ‘men and women can’t be friends.’ After Sally rejects Harry’s advances he goes on to explain that men and women cannot be friends even if they are not particularly attracted to one another, it is not possible for a man to be platonic with a woman in his opinion. ‘The sex part always gets in the way.’ This is Sally’s and the audience’s first real encounter with how cynical, crass but brutally honest Harry can be. At the same time, we are both put off by Harry but incredibly intrigued by him, as is Sally. At this point in his life and the film Harry is completely about self-satisfaction; from how he feels about men and women to how he asks uncomfortable questions on purpose. Harry reiterates this idea several years later when the two meet for the second time at the airport, again after Sally rejects his advances. However, when they meet again several years later after Harry’s divorce and Sally’s long-term relationship ends, they do become friends. At this point in his life all he wants is someone who makes him feel valued, laughs at his jokes, and listens to him; he just needs a friend, ‘the sex part would get in the way.’
Sally is initially portrayed as a high-maintenance (‘apple pie a la mode; with the pie heated and the ice cream on the side, and strawberry instead of vanilla if they have it. If not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if it is real…’) career/success driven woman; even if it is to the detriment of her relationships. This idea is encapsulated perfectly when they talk about Casablanca on their road trip. Harry argues that Humphrey Bogart’s character wants Ingrid Bergman’s character to leave for her own good, so he puts her on the plane. Sally, however, argues that Ingrid Bergman did not want to stay. She believes it would be better to be the first lady of Czechoslovakia than be with a man who runs a bar, she recognises that this is a ‘snobbish’ opinion, but at this point, she chooses success and status above personal relations. Years later the two watch Casablanca together. Harry brings up her previous statement that she would rather stay with Victor Laszlo than Rick, however, Sally does not seem to recall saying that. The notion of choosing potential status over love and comfort seems absurd to her now. Growth in this film is shown through casual events and dialogue. It is never explicitly spelt out for the viewer, however, it is always there between the lines.
‘When Harry Met Sally’ is not only an entertaining, funny and heartwarming romantic comedy that needs to be seen at least once, it is an excellent example of great pacing, dialogue and meaningful growth. It is able to completely engross the viewer whilst not taking them for granted or treating them like an idiot. Overall, ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a must-see and must-talk-about on every cinephile’s list.
From cinema to video games to music, it is beginning to feel as if all the media we consume is getting longer and longer, even to the detriment of the products and art forms themselves. It is incredibly refreshing to consume a piece of media that hits all the boxes whilst not overstaying its welcome. ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a perfectly self-contained experience that makes you feel everything you need to feel when you need to. The main reason it succeeds in doing this is because of the film's amazing pacing. Without moving at breakneck speed, the film gets everything that it needs to get done perfectly. Now granted, a big reason for this is the film's rather simplistic plot of ‘will they won’t they?’, or perhaps in this film’s case a ‘when will they?’ But it is hard to deny that whilst watching this film you do not feel as if a single scene dragged on for too long or needed more time to be fleshed out.
The big reason for the perfect pacing is the great dialogue, chemistry and atmosphere. The film consists of sharp, quick and witty dialogue (‘Oh really? Well, that “symptom” is fucking my wife.’), that is often indicative of Nora Ephron’s work and as an unfortunate result most modern romantic comedies. However, whilst most awful rom-coms of today try to emulate this dialogue they are all missing one thing; the undeniable chemistry between the two leads, and quite frankly everyone else in the movie. The chemistry between the beautiful 80s/90s icon of Meg Ryan and the comedic charm of Billy Crystal makes for an on-screen relationship that is so idealistic yet real. Additionally, the atmosphere of the film ties it all together. With the backdrop of a classic yet vibrant New York City and a soundtrack from Harry Connick Jr. featuring music from Louie Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Ray Charles, the film feels like a warm blanket on a rainy day.
Warning - Major Spoilers Ahead
This is also a movie with a meaningful depiction of growth without being spelt out to the viewer. When we first meet the two leads on their road trip from Chicago to New York, we see two characters who have a long way to go in terms of who they are. Harry is still a crass conversationalist, often bringing up uncomfortable topics. However, as the film progresses, we see him care about more than just his satisfaction. This idea is perfectly showcased in Harry’s belief that ‘men and women can’t be friends.’ After Sally rejects Harry’s advances he goes on to explain that men and women cannot be friends even if they are not particularly attracted to one another, it is not possible for a man to be platonic with a woman in his opinion. ‘The sex part always gets in the way.’ This is Sally’s and the audience’s first real encounter with how cynical, crass but brutally honest Harry can be. At the same time, we are both put off by Harry but incredibly intrigued by him, as is Sally. At this point in his life and the film Harry is completely about self-satisfaction; from how he feels about men and women to how he asks uncomfortable questions on purpose. Harry reiterates this idea several years later when the two meet for the second time at the airport, again after Sally rejects his advances. However, when they meet again several years later after Harry’s divorce and Sally’s long-term relationship ends, they do become friends. At this point in his life all he wants is someone who makes him feel valued, laughs at his jokes, and listens to him; he just needs a friend, ‘the sex part would get in the way.’
Sally is initially portrayed as a high-maintenance (‘apple pie a la mode; with the pie heated and the ice cream on the side, and strawberry instead of vanilla if they have it. If not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if it is real…’) career/success driven woman; even if it is to the detriment of her relationships. This idea is encapsulated perfectly when they talk about Casablanca on their road trip. Harry argues that Humphrey Bogart’s character wants Ingrid Bergman’s character to leave for her own good, so he puts her on the plane. Sally, however, argues that Ingrid Bergman did not want to stay. She believes it would be better to be the first lady of Czechoslovakia than be with a man who runs a bar, she recognises that this is a ‘snobbish’ opinion, but at this point, she chooses success and status above personal relations. Years later the two watch Casablanca together. Harry brings up her previous statement that she would rather stay with Victor Laszlo than Rick, however, Sally does not seem to recall saying that. The notion of choosing potential status over love and comfort seems absurd to her now. Growth in this film is shown through casual events and dialogue. It is never explicitly spelt out for the viewer, however, it is always there between the lines.
‘When Harry Met Sally’ is not only an entertaining, funny and heartwarming romantic comedy that needs to be seen at least once, it is an excellent example of great pacing, dialogue and meaningful growth. It is able to completely engross the viewer whilst not taking them for granted or treating them like an idiot. Overall, ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a must-see and must-talk-about on every cinephile’s list.
