A Smart and Sexy Love Story with a Winning Screenplay...

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2005)

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan shine in the title roles of the 1989 comedy WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...an episodic romantic comedy that follows two lonely souls from a road trip after college graduation over a 10-15 year period where they actually become friends first instead of lovers, even though Harry believes men and women can't be just friends. After their initial parting after the road trip, Harry and Sally "meet cute" a couple of times and become friends who see each other through jobs and other relationships. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher lend strong support as their best friends but the real star of this film is the outstanding screenplay by Nora Ephron. The rapid fire dialogue and funny exchanges between Crystal and Ryan seem to roll of their tongues with such ease and I'm sure director Rob Reiner and Crystal had input in what finally ended up on the screen, script wise. All I know was, after seeing the film for the first time, I said to myself, "This movie should definitely get an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay." And it did. Sadly, it did not win, but I have found WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...to be one of my favorites...it's part of my collection and I can watch it a million times. How can you get tired of Meg's fake orgasm in the sandwich shop or the game of charades (Baby Fish Mouth!), or Billy and Meg singing "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" or the four way telephone scene when Harry and Sally call Jess and Marie? A masterful screenplay mounted by a skillful director and performed by a perfect cast.