The Golden Standard of Romantic Comedy

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 2013)

Now I'm not a fan of romantic comedies, at least not recent ones. Most movies already add in a love interest so the notion of making a small perfunctory part of a good movie the whole point of a single picture just seems trifling to me. It doesn't help that Hollywood no longer tries to make the genre appealing to all or even many; producers only make them desirable to middle-aged women and gullible tweens. Not knocking those demographics, its just not my thing. That being said, When Harry Met Sally (1989) is for all intents and purposes a romantic comedy yet it is a lot more than that.
The story takes place within the space of twelve years. Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet through a mutual friend. Sally agrees to take Harry with her to New York in her car and the two don't get along famously. Yes, there is banter, yes they eventually fall madly in love, yes every romantic comedy before and after When Harry Met Sally have followed the exact same pattern but here its different.
The late, great Nora Ephron wisely took the romance as a starting point to truly delve into and study the notion of love. Harry and Sally's story is intertwined with interviews from elderly couples who briefly discuss how they first fell in love. Director Rob Reiner enhances the experience with poignant editing and a smart use of split screen for some humorous and enlightening set pieces along with some truly lovely views of New York City in all its glory.
Twelve years is an awful long time to track two characters and its amazing to see how each time the story jumps to a certain time and place how they have changed yet remained the same. Harry starts out as a little self-absorbed yet always charming and funny in the only way Billy Crystal can be. Years later his character goes through a brutal divorce that humanizes Harry in both the eyes of the audience and Sally. Sally goes through a similar transition through the progression of time. She doesn't deal with her life altering breakup lying down even though her mannerisms betray her proactive attitude.
Throughout the movie Harry and to a lesser extent Sally often explore the differences between men and women when it comes to sex and love. Again, this is a common theme in romantic comedies from Adam's Rib (1949) to The Ugly Truth (2009). Yet while reinforcing gender tropes in the collective minds of the audience, this writing trick serves a larger purpose in When Harry Met Sally. It fleshes out the characters we've grown to love. Take the famous scene at Katz Deli where Sally fakes an orgasm proving the point that men can't tell the difference. Funny? Yes. True? The jury's still out. Do we love her for it? Of course.
My only real concern with When Harry Met Sally is this; they never seem to be working. Or talking about their work. Supporting characters Jess (Bruno Kirby) and Marie (Carrie Fisher) mention their work albeit casually. Harry and Sally on the other hand almost never do. In an interview with Rob Reiner, the director explained he didn't want to include their work life because A: its not the point of the movie; and B: no one likes to talk about their work outside of work. Fair enough to the first point but I find it hard to believe that no one in Rob Reiner's circle of friends talks about their work on a quasi-regular basis. I prefer explaining it away as a question of editing. Within a twelve year span, Harry and Sally talked about work, it just wasn't filmed.
When Harry Met Sally is the golden standard for modern romantic comedy. A standard that many have attempted but few have achieved and fewer still have surpassed. It exhibits the talents of the brilliant Billy Crystal and the strikingly beautiful and exuberant Meg Ryan. It presents the work of director Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron at the top of their game and it showcases timeless love songs by virtuosos George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers. Truly, does anyone know anyone who doesn't enjoy it? If you do dump them from your life; they're too high-maintenance.
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