When Harry Met Sally (1989): one of the best romantic comedies ever
This movie is worth its generational hype
Photo courtesy of Erika99/Wikimedia Commons
With the recent passing of the beloved and highly respected director, Rob Reiner, I decided to sit down and rewatch one of his most praised movies, When Harry Met Sally (1989). I first watched this movie years ago with my parents and honestly felt it was a little slow and boring. It wasn’t until I recently watched it again, for the third time, that I appreciated it for the cinematic masterpiece that people claim it to be.
I think the challenging thing about this movie is that it does not have an intense plot or captivating twists and turns. It is not a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but it is a movie that makes you squeeze your pillow a little bit harder when you go to bed that night. The film follows the most pure relationship that forms between two best friends over a number of years.
In my opinion, the simplicity of this plot is what gives the film its beauty. It is a story that feels so familiar, even if you have never been in the kind of situation that Harry and Sally are in. I believe you have to watch this movie multiple times to truly understand its meaning on how sometimes the most fulfilling and genuine relationships are the ones that are easy, honest, and silly. I mean, it’s pretty much telling you: fall in love with your best friend.
Here are some of the reasons why I think this movie deserves all its hype, even 36 years later, and why I think you’ll love it.
It is going to make you laugh. Like, out loud, many times.
If you have ever seen anything with Billy Crystal, you could probably assume the movie will have some jokes, but Crystal’s role as Harry brings out a kind of humor that is different from any other. His strict sarcasm, rapid-fire wit, honesty, and overdramatic rants are laughable because they are so unhinged and relatable. Billy’s comedic performance will make you feel a little less crazy and a little less stressed about life. Meg Ryan’s comedic timing and her character’s clingy personality also perfectly match with Billy’s neurotic charm.
The film beautifully captures love in New York City.
I may be biased on this one because fall in New York is one of my favorite things, but the aesthetics of Harry and Sally’s New York scenes are unmatched. You will view them walking through a red and gold Central Park, sitting close together at a restaurant sharing secrets, Christmas tree shopping on the Upper West side, wandering through the Metropolitan discussing their relationship, and designing their apartments together in big cozy sweaters. Harry and Sally may be the only two people in most of the movie's scenes, but that is what gives the film its intimacy. It makes you feel like you could find their easy banter and obvious chemistry anywhere in New York.
Harry and Sally’s relationship is raw, imperfect, and realistic.
Rom-coms can be tricky to like because so many of them are completely fantasized and unrealistic. The plot usually starts with a dramatic love at first sight and falls easily into a cookie-cutter romance with the happy ending that everyone wants and expects. However, while When Harry Met Sally (1989) does have a happy ending, the in-between scenes that lead to that point are reflective of real drama, dilemmas, and feelings in the dating world.
Over a number of years, Harry and Sally have their own awkward, heartbreaking, confusing, and unfortunate romantic experiences. One of the best things about this movie is that these are the things that bring Harry and Sally together; they bond over their experiences as single adults, finding comfort in each other's advice and company.
It is a romance movie, but it is also a movie based on friendship.
In my opinion, a friends-to-lovers trope is the best one, and Harry and Sally show the magic and beauty of this trope like none other. As the film follows Harry and Sally through real-life days and conversations, it makes you feel like you are right along with them laughing over inside jokes that no one else understands. I believe that Harry and Sally are able to eventually form a romantic relationship simply because of the deep foundation they made as friends. Even if Harry and Sally did not end up together romantically, the film would still have a magical air of comfort, love, and appreciation through their scenes of being simply friends.
This movie will make you feel good and will make you appreciate the one person you tell everything to.
This movie is about being known. It is about the person that you want to experience every part of life with, the one that you want to sit with you while you laugh and cry, and the one you want to stay up on the phone talking with for hours. It is about those people that you look at one day and realize that you can’t imagine your life without them.