A Look at “When Harry Met Sally” - Dietrich Theater Lasting Legacy series

Last week, the Dietrich Theater started their Lasting Legacy series with the film “The Way We Were” (Robert Redford). This week, this series will be featuring the final two films of this small series - the beloved romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” (Rob Reiner) and “The First Wives Club” (Diane Keaton) (review also available in this edition).

During its initial release, Columbia Pictures released the movie in selected cities, letting word of mouth generate interest, before gradually expanding distribution. This seemed to pay off as the film earned $92.8 million domestically alone, and received a lot of acclaim. The comedy has appeared in numerous top comedy/movie lists and eventually was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2022.

In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns and Sally Albright shared a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argued about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends.

Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective best friends, Jess and Marie, attempt to stay friends without sex becoming an issue between them.

This actually ended up being the second time I have ever checked out this beloved film. The first time was for the Examiner last year for a Valentine’s review. And the film is still just as entertaining and hilarious as the first time I watched it.

“When Harry Met Sally” is a timeless classic that redefined the modern romantic comedy. The film delivers some emotional depth, very sharp wit and a realistic portrayal of how love can gradually grow out of a messy, long-term friendship.

One thing about this film that can easily connect with some viewers is the film’s

depiction of love. Now, unlike many romantic comedies that somehow condenses romance into a few days, this overall story spans over almost 12 years, allowing the characters to mature and eventually make mistakes before finally ending up together. This also gives us more time to sort of get to know the characters even more as they go through their lives and other romances that will eventually lead to each other.

And, now that I have seen this film a second time, I honestly can’t see anyone else portraying either Harry or Sally. The chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is so incredibly great and all of their scenes together - even the ones where they are just simply bickering back and forth - feels so natural and authentic. Even the late Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby (who also acted with Crystal in “City Slickers”) had great chemistry together as their best friends.

Quick side note: It was also really great to see Crystal and Meg Ryan reunite at the Oscars for the Rob Reiner tribute.

This iconic romantic comedy features many memorable moments that still does a tremendous job entertaining viewers decades later. The “Men and Women Can’t Be Friends” debate that Harry and Sally have during their 18 hour road trip is still quite humorous and throughout the film we see couples sharing stories of how they met (the couples are actually paid actors, but the stories are real).

One of the best moments in the film is when Harry finally professes his love to Sally on New Year’s Eve and is easily one of the best endings of a romantic comedy ever. And, of course, the infamous deli scene that leads up to one of the most infamous lines ever for either a romantic comedy or a movie in any genre ever - “I’ll have what she’s having.”

“When Harry Met Sally” is an influential romantic comedy that explores whether men and women can maintain platonic friendship, ultimately arguing that love requires maturity, effort, and a foundation of friendship. The film still remains popular decades later because it balances cynical views on dating with the optimistic belief that finding the right person is worth the wait and effort.

MPA: Rated R   (95 minutes)

TRIVIA: The scene where all four lead characters are talking to each other individually on various phones took sixty takes to nail due to the actors flubbing their lines and starting the scene over. The film is ranked at No. 6 on the AFI’s list of the 10 greatest films in the Romantic Comedy genre. 

“When Harry Met Sally” is showing at the Dietrich Theater on Sunday March 29 at 1 pm and 7 pm.

Streaming service: Hulu/various PVOD services (as of this review)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7utaa1Ify4

• The segments of married couples telling the stories of how they met are real stories that director Rob Reiner collected for the film. Then they hired actors to relay the stories.

• The scene where all four lead characters are talking to each other individually on various telephones took sixty takes to nail.

• The concept of Sally being a picky eater was based on the film's screenwriter, Nora Ephron. Years after the movie came out, when Ephron was on a plane and ordered something very precise, the stewardess looked at her and asked, "Have you ever seen the movie When Harry Met Sally?"

• Nora Ephron supplied the structure of the film with much of the dialogue based on the real-life friendship between Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal. For example, in the scene where Sally and Harry appear on a split screen, talking on the telephone while watching their respective television sets, channel surfing, was something that Crystal and Reiner did every night.

• This film is ranked #6 on AFI's list of the 10 greatest films in the "Romantic Comedy" genre.

• The "Win, Lose or Draw" scene was entirely improvised.

• Nora Ephron wrote the screenplay, and its numerous drafts, over a period of nearly five years.

• This film marked the first appearance on a soundtrack for Harry Connick Jr.

• In many romantic comedies, there is a bullying significant other or a contrived misunderstanding that would keep the two leads apart. This film is special in that it has neither of these clichés; the only thing keeping Harry and Sally apart is their own various neuroses.

• Rated #23 among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

• In 2022, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress deeming it "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

• Rated #25 in the American Film Institute's 2002 list of the Top 100 America's Greatest Love Story Movies.