Sally is special lightning-in-a-bottle stuff that every member of the production has spent precious years of their lives trying to recreate, but always failing miserably.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:47
Fresh:43
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Rob Reiner's touching, funny film set a new standard for romantic comedies, and he was ably abetted by the sharp interplay between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
Synopsis: WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... tracks a star-crossed pair as they repeatedly drift apart and meet again over a span of 13 years and gradually fall madly, deeply, passionately into friendship, a friendship... WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... tracks a star-crossed pair as they repeatedly drift apart and meet again over a span of 13 years and gradually fall madly, deeply, passionately into friendship, a friendship ever teetering on the edge of love. Harry meets Sally when they share a car ride to New York City upon graduation from the University of Chicago. A few minutes into the trip, the conversation between womanizing, neurotic Harry (Billy Crystal) and driven, equally neurotic Sally (Meg Ryan) becomes heatedly contentious. The question arises: Can a man and a woman be just friends? Harry contends this proposition is impossible, that sex will always come along to screw up the friendship. Sally is aghast and disagrees, proclaiming the idea a distinct possibility. The two part ways rather acrimoniously in New York but before long meet again and eventually decide to indeed be friends. As life's mysterious coincidences pull Harry and Sally closer together, they share mystical, tender moments, confess secrets to each other, console each other, attend major holidays together, and do all the other things couples traditionally do. The question then reemerges: Can Harry and Sally remain mere friends, or will they--must they--fall in love? And can anyone forget Ryan's classic faking-it scene in Katz's Deli? [More]
Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Lisa Jane Persky, Estelle Reiner
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Rob Reiner
Screenwriter: Nora Ephron
Reviews for When Harry Met Sally...
Can a man and a woman be friends without worrying about having sex? Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan spend a beguiling dozen years trying to figure it out.
Director Rob Reiner has a killer instinct for setting up jokes and punchlines, and is vastly aided by the performances and chemistry of Crystal and Ryan, as well as crisp supporting work from Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby.
Fans of Billy Crystal's amphibian qualities may be amused, but the rest of us have to contend with a slavish Woody Allen imitation.
Rob Reiner directs with deftness and sincerity, making the material seem more engaging than it is, at least until the plot machanics begin to unwind and the film starts to seem shapeless.
Reiner's film breaks the romantic-comedy mold because it's not so much about Harry and Sally as it is about men and women.
Reiner clearly likes his characters, and elicits sturdy performances from a proficient cast (Kirby and Fisher are especially fine as friends and confidants to the pair).
What keeps the momentum going, despite the story's predictability, is the dialogue and the chemistry, which makes for a high-wire act.
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are terrific together in one of the best romantic comedies of the 1980s.
Latest News for When Harry Met Sally...
February 10, 2009:
Fall In Love With RT's Best Romantic Comedies!
With Valentine's Day on the horizon, we at RT are aware you've probably already thought of picking up flowers and candy for that special someone. However, if you're looking for... More...
August 16, 2006:
Character Actor Bruno Kirby, Dead at 57
You'd immediately recognize the face (and the voice) from movies like "City Slickers," "Good Morning Vietnam," and "When Harry Met Sally," but you... More...
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