When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writer:

Nora Ephron

Stars:

Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Crystal	...	Harry Burns
Meg Ryan	...	Sally Albright
Carrie Fisher	...	Marie
Bruno Kirby	...	Jess
Steven Ford	...	Joe
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Alice
Michelle Nicastro	...	Amanda
Gretchen Palmer	...	Stewardess
Robert Alan Beuth	...	Man on Aisle
David Burdick	...	9 Year Old Boy
Joe Viviani	...	Judge
Harley Jane Kozak	...	Helen (as Harley Kozak)
Joseph Hunt	...	Waiter at Wedding
Kevin Rooney	...	Ira
Franc Luz	...	Julian

Storyline

Harry and Sally meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally a close friendship blooms between them, and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: "Can a man and a woman be friends, without sex getting in the way?"

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | university of chicago | new york | love | fake orgasm | 

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Taglines:

Can two friends sleep together and still love each other in the morning?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM MGM - DVD site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Harry, This Is Sally

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$92,823,600 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Nelson Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 89 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the museum scene, Harry adlibs, "But, I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie." Sally laughs and looks to her right where Rob Reiner silently prompts her to go with it.

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Goofs

When Sally is faking the orgasm in Katz's Deli, the woman who says "I'll have what she's having" is seated in the self service section and a waiter would not have come over to take here order. The waiter service section is against the wall to Sally's left.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Documentary Couple: I was sitting with my friend Arthur Kornblum, in a restaurant, it was a Horn and Hardart cafeteria. And this beautiful girl walked in and I turned to Arthur and I said Arthur, you see that girl? I'm going to marry her. And two weeks later we were married. And it's over fifty years later and we are still married.

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Connections

Referenced in Awkward.: A Little Less Conversation (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Don't Be That Way"
Written by Edgar M. Sampson (as Edgar Sampson), Benny Goodman, and Mitchell Parish
Published by SBK Robbins Catalog Inc.

User Reviews

When romance met sheer genius

I am no expert on the genre, but I'd have to say "When Harry met Sally" is, besides the plethora of truly wonderful films made by Woody Allen, the wittiest and most funny romantic comdedy waiting for you out there in video world. I'd only wished I'd seen the film sooner because this seems like that perfect film for discussion with a circle of good friends at Pizzaria Uno. The movie came out in 1989, but for some reason, I think this is one even our kids may like.

Like all good films coming from the genere, this film thrives most on its witty dialgue and cleverness in not "sentimnetalizing" it too much. In other words, there is that perfect equilibrium between scenes of sheer poignancy and scenes of brutal comic relief. The thespians involved, of course, have a lot to do with the film's success and overall appeal. Ryan and Crystal are perfect for the roles assigned, each one of them bringing their charisma and fresh breath of life to the screen. Crystal fits snugly into that character we find all too obnoxious but can't help but loving and Ryan, well, she is as adorable as always.

The issue the film tackles is an important one, I think. It asks us a question of universal importance, namely, can women and men ever be friends?. I'll leave that for you and your friends to talk about at Pizzaria Uno. For now, I'll just say that with heaps of quirky, funny dialogue, a taut script from Nora Ephron, and clean directing form Reiner, "When Harry met Sally" is a highly enjoyable film that unsurprisingly has held strong a decade after its inception.

dan