Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Director:

Nora Ephron

Writers (WGA):

Jeff Arch (story)
Nora Ephron (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 June 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?

Plot:

A recently-widowed man's son calls a radio talk show in an attempt to find his father a partner.

Plot Keywords:

Radio | Love | Valentine's Day | Christmas Eve | Widower

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Dec. 18

6:30 PM

BRAVO

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Sam Baldwin
Ross Malinger	...	Jonah Baldwin
Rita Wilson	...	Suzy
Victor Garber	...	Greg
Tom Riis Farrell	...	Rob
Carey Lowell	...	Maggie Baldwin
Meg Ryan	...	Annie Reed
Bill Pullman	...	Walter
Le Clanché du Rand	...	Barbara Reed
Kevin O'Morrison	...	Cliff Reed
David Hyde Pierce	...	Dennis Reed
Valerie Wright	...	Betsy Reed
Frances Conroy	...	Irene Reed
Tom Tammi	...	Harold Reed
Calvin Trillin	...	Uncle Milton
Caroline Aaron	...	Dr. Marcia Fieldstone
Linda Wallem	...	Loretta
LaTanya Richardson	...	Harriet
Rosie O'Donnell	...	Becky
Tom McGowan	...	Keith
Steve Mellor	...	Wyatt (as Stephen Mellor)
Marguerite Schertle	...	Baltimore Waitress
Dana Ivey	...	Claire
Brian McConnachie	...	Bob
Rob Reiner	...	Jay
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Jessica
Matt Smith	...	Mailman
Amanda Maher	...	Clarise
Barbara Garrick	...	Victoria
Victor Morris	...	Seattle Maitre D'
Philip Mihalski	...	Seattle Waiter
Donald J. Lee Jr.	...	Seattle Detective
Mary A. Kelly	...	Nervous Woman on Airplane
Diane Sokolow	...	Tiffany Saleswoman
Hannah Cox	...	Jessica's Mother
Rich Hawkins	...	Jessica's Father
Tamara Plank	...	Stewardess (as Tamera Plank)
Michael Badalucco	...	New York Taxi Dispatcher (as Mike Badalucco)
Jeff Mazzola	...	New York Taxi Dispatcher
Philip Levy	...	Taxi Driver
Julie Janney	...	Cynthia
Tony Zazula	...	Maitre D'
John Boylan	...	Elevator Man
Robert Livingston	...	Elevator Man
Butch Stevenson	...	Valet
Sidney Armus	...	Information Booth Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Anagnos	...	Car Driver (uncredited)
Jason Bortz	...	Baltimore Mail Clerk (uncredited)
Chris Byrne	...	(uncredited)
Scott Duthie	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Nick Taylor	...	Bartender (uncredited)

Directed by
Nora Ephron

Writing credits (WGA)
Jeff Arch		(story)
Nora Ephron		(screenplay) and
David S. Ward		(screenplay) and
Jeff Arch		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jane Bartelme	....	associate producer
Patrick Crowley	....	executive producer
Delia Ephron	....	associate producer
Gary Foster	....	producer
Lynda Obst	....	executive producer
James W. Skotchdopole	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Marc Shaiman

Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert M. Reitano		(as Robert Reitano)

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Jeffrey Townsend

Set Decoration by
Clay A. Griffith		(as Clay Griffith)

Costume Design by
Judy L. Ruskin		(as Judy Ruskin)

Makeup Department
Colleen Callaghan	....	key hair stylist
Leonard Engelman	....	makeup artist: Meg Ryan
Sharon Ilson	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Patrick Crowley	....	unit production manager
Paul A. Levin	....	post-production supervisor
Jane Raab	....	production supervisor: New York

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald J. Lee Jr.	....	second assistant director
Maggie Murphy	....	second second assistant director
James W. Skotchdopole	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Charley Beal	....	art director: Baltimore/New York
Kelly R. Borisy	....	lead man: Chicago (as Kelly Borisy)
Mary Buri	....	key set dresser
Rick Butler	....	assistant art director: New York
Harold Collins	....	construction coordinator
Charles Daboub Jr.	....	set designer
Peter Damien	....	construction foreman
Daren Dochterman	....	illustrator
Steven E. Eyrse	....	chargeman scenic artist (as Steven Eyrse)
Joseph Garzero	....	stand-by scenic artist: New York (as Joe Garzero)
Chris Gibbin	....	lead man
Gershon Ginsburg	....	art director: Seattle/Chicago
Roberta J. Holinko	....	set decorator: New York (as Roberta Holinko)
Brick Mason	....	storyboard artist
James Mazzola	....	property master
Jeff Mazzola	....	property master
Michael McCombe	....	greensman (as Michael J. McCombe)
Michael Moran	....	key set dresser
John Oates Jr.	....	lead man: New York (as John P. Oates Jr.)
Stanley Pasay	....	stand-by painter: Baltimore (as Stanley Pasey)
Christopher Scheetz	....	construction foreman (as Chris Scheetz)
John H. Schulz	....	stand-by painter: Chicago (as John Schulz)
Wendy Skerritt	....	art department coordinator
Bob Warner	....	scenic artist
Becky Weidner	....	set decorator: Baltimore
Suzan Wexler	....	assistant art director (as Susan Wexler)
David M. Bowen	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Anne Hyvarinen	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)
Silvija L. Moess	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Richard Salinas	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Greg Wilkinson	....	on-set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bob Balzarini	....	cable person: New York
Louis Bertini	....	sound editor
Stan Bochner	....	sound editor
Kay Colvin	....	cable person
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Edelstein	....	assistant sound editor
Harriet Fidlow	....	adr editor (as Harriet Fidlow Winn)
Kirk Francis	....	production sound mixer
Larry Hoff	....	stand-by sound: New York
Kenton Jakub	....	assistant adr editor
Richard King	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Kirchberger	....	supervising sound editor
Dan Korintus	....	sound editor
Eytan Mirsky	....	assistant sound editor
James H. Nau	....	assistant adr editor (as Jim Nau)
Bitty O'Sullivan-Smith	....	sound editor (as Bitty O'Sullivan Smith)
Warren Shaw	....	apprentice sound editor
Mychal Smith	....	boom operator
Paul P. Soucek	....	assistant sound editor (as Paul Soucek)
Ira Spiegel	....	sound editor
David Wahnon	....	assistant sound editor
Tony Martinez	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Riggs	....	special effects coordinator (as Robert M. Riggs)
Ray Brown	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)
Casey Pritchett	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects producer
Mimi Everett	....	visual effects producer
Rick Fichter	....	visual effects supervisor: New York
Daniel Leung	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts (as Bruce Barbour)
Dick Hancock	....	stunts
Barbara Anne Klein	....	stunts (as Barbara Klein)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator (as Conrad Palmisano)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunts (as Conrad Palmisano)
Rick Seaman	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Richmond L. Aguilar	....	chief lighting technician (as Rich Aguilar)
Jack Bauer	....	best boy grip
Lucas Bielan	....	camera intern
Paul Caven	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Jeff Cronenweth	....	first assistant camera
Foster K. Denker	....	rigging best boy (as Foster Denker)
Joe Hicks	....	dolly grip
Kevin Jewison	....	camera operator
Gene Kearney	....	key grip
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Larry McConkey	....	Steadicam operator: Baltimore
Randy Nolen	....	Steadicam operator
Marty Oppenheimer	....	director of photography: second unit
George Patsos	....	key grip: New York
Paul Postelnicu	....	second assistant camera: Baltimore
Darcy Spires	....	second assistant camera
David Wagreich	....	director of photography: second unit, Baltimore
William Ward	....	chief lighting technician: New York (as Billy Ward)
Adam Berman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Jon Kranhouse	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Donald E. Lange	....	electrician (uncredited)
Lon Magdich	....	24 frame video operator (uncredited)
Michael Murray	....	electrician: Baltimore (uncredited)
David Norris	....	camera technician: Wescam camera (uncredited)
David Renken	....	electrician: Baltimore (uncredited)
Rick Strodel	....	grip (uncredited)

Animation Department
Kenneth Littleton	....	animation director (uncredited)
Lawrence Littleton	....	animation director (uncredited)

Casting Department
Eve Battaglia	....	casting assistant
Amy Caton-Ford	....	extras casting
Judie Fixler	....	extras casting: New York
Aleen Keshishian	....	casting assistant
Laura Rosenthal	....	casting associate
Jodi Rothfield	....	casting: Seattle
Katie Ryan	....	casting: Seattle
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kimberly Adams-Galligan	....	assistant costume designer (as Kimberly Adams)
Linda M. Boyland	....	costumer: Baltimore (as Linda Boyland)
Paul Drost	....	costumer: New York
Kaye Nottbusch	....	costumer: Chicago
Sally Roberts	....	costumer
Heidi Shulman	....	key costumer
Marienne O'Brien	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
James Brown	....	post-production assistant
Richard Friedlander	....	first assistant editor
Agnes Grandits	....	second assistant film editor
John Helde	....	second assistant film editor
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer
John Marston	....	apprentice film editor
Betsy Mcmullin	....	apprentice film editor (as Elizabeth McMullin)
Marcos Siega	....	post-production assistant
Lauren Waldron	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Nicholas Meyers	....	music editor
Nicholas Meyers	....	music supervisor
Jeffrey Pollack	....	music consultant
David Rogow	....	assistant music editor
Marc Shaiman	....	music adaptor
Marc Shaiman	....	music supervisor
Dennis Dreith	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Nick Vidar	....	music programmer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Robert T. Chestnut	....	transportation captain (as Robert Chestnut)
Calvin Chin	....	transportation coordinator: Chicago
Michael Luckeroth	....	driver
Dennis Milliken	....	transportation coordinator
Marshall Taylor	....	transportation captain
Foard J. Wilgis	....	transportation coordinator: Baltimore (as Foard Wilgis)
Charles E. Bauer	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Robin E. Agron	....	assistant location manager: Chicago (as Robin Agron)
Dana Armonda	....	production assistant: Chicago
Tamara Bally	....	production accountant
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer: main title
Barbara Bass	....	studio teacher
Sally Sue Beisel	....	production assistant
Janey Bergam	....	assistant: Ms. Ryan
Walter Bernard	....	title designer
Deborah Boyd	....	production assistant: Baltimore
Judith M. Brown	....	studio teacher (as Judith Brown)
Ken Cabrera	....	craft service: Chicago (as Kenny Cabrera)
Jennifer Campbell	....	assistant production coordinator
Kristin Capp	....	assistant location manager
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Terri Clemens	....	production coordinator: Chicago (as Terri Clemmons)
Mitchell E. Dauterive	....	production coordinator (as Mitchell Dauterive)
Debra Donaldson	....	assistant location manager: Baltimore
Andrea Dupras	....	production secretary
Mimi Everett	....	title designer: main title
Page Feldman	....	production assistant
David 'Flip' Filippi	....	production assistant: New York (as David Filippi)
Timothy Foster	....	production assistant
Jennifer Gardner	....	production assistant: Baltimore
Boris Gavrilovic	....	production assistant: New York
Aussie Geer	....	production assistant: New York
Milton Glaser	....	title designer
Walter Glinowiecki	....	craft service: Baltimore (as Walter Glinoweicki)
Sanford Golden	....	assistant: Mr. Foster
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
M. Nord Haggerty	....	production consultant (as Nord Haggerty)
Thad Hendrickson	....	production assistant
Amy Henkels	....	assistant: Ms. Ephron
Amy Herman	....	location manager: New York
Margee Hocking	....	production assistant: New York
Nick Hubbard	....	production assistant: New York
Murray Jones	....	medic
Mary A. Kelly	....	script supervisor
Paul Kostick	....	assistant: Mr. Hanks
Diane L. Langone	....	post-production accountant
Tim Lee	....	production assistant
Sarah Manley	....	production assistant (as Sara Scarritt)
Chandler Martin	....	production assistant: Baltimore
Brian McDonald	....	production assistant: New York
Steven W. McKinney	....	production assistant (as Steven McKinney)
Addie Moray	....	assistant production coordinator: Baltimore
Christopher Northup	....	production assistant: New York (as Chris Northup)
Kevin O'Brien	....	production assistant
Terry Odem	....	assistant: Mr. Hanks
Judy Pursley	....	assistant production accountant
Angela Quiles	....	assistant production coordinator: New York
Lisa M. Rowe	....	production assistant (as Lisa Rowe)
Elizabeth Segal	....	assistant: Ms. Ephron
Alison Sherman	....	production coordinator: Baltimore
Patricia Silkett	....	craft service
Christopher Kelley Snow	....	production assistant (as D. Christopher Johnson III)
Betsy Sokolow	....	unit publicist
Christina Stauffer	....	production assistant (as Tina Stauffer)
Debra Tanklow	....	production coordinator: New York
Carmen B. Weets	....	assistant: Ms. Obst (as Carmen Weets)
Jennifer Weiss	....	assistant production coordinator: Chicago
Leona Willis	....	production assistant: Baltimore
Kathryn Brubaker	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic (uncredited)
Wendy Eaton	....	double: Meg Ryan (uncredited)
Mark Haslett	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Theresa Marsh	....	first assistant production accountant: Chicago (uncredited)
John Marston	....	location projectionist (uncredited)
Jill Maxcy	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Catherine M. McDonald	....	assistant: Nora Ephron (uncredited)
Tammy Middleton	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Joshua Daniel Solovskoy	....	production assistant: Seattle (uncredited)
Jessica Wilson	....	accounting assistant (uncredited)
Elizabeth Zagrany	....	payroll accountant: second unit (uncredited)

Thanks
Donna James	....	special thanks
Christine Lewis	....	special thanks
Gene Moore	....	special thanks
Jay Schlossberg-Cohen	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• TriStar Pictures

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (1993) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (1993) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1993) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1996) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS) (special edition)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD) (10th anniversary edition)
• Prooptiki (199?) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (UK) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (199?) (Argentina) (video)
• Videosonic Arts (199?) (Greece) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Balsmeyer and Everett (visual effects)
• Dreamstate Effects

Other Companies

• Balsmeyer and Everett  main title sequence
• CRM Group Inc.  wescam aerial
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting
• Epic Soundtrax  soundtrack released by
• Gala Catering  catering
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Juniper Post  sound re-recording (audio)
• Sound One Corporation  post-production facilities
• Visual Concept Engineering (VCE)  end title sequence

MPAA:

Rated PG for some language.

Runtime:

105 min | Turkey:93 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #32238) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

1904 4th Avenue, Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Mary Kelly was the name Sam Baldwin gave as the eighth girl he "made it with" in college. Mary A. Kelly is the Script Supervisor and also played a bit role as the nervous woman on the plane.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Sound and vision for the fireworks are simultaneous and should not be.

Quotes:

Sam Baldwin: I am NOT going to New York to meet some woman who could be a crazy, sick lunatic! Didn't you see Fatal Attraction?

Movie Connections:

References Kismet (1955)

Soundtrack:

Stand By Your Man

Let's Talk About Love

Regardless of how cyberspace has seemingly diminished it's size, the world is still an awfully big place, and it's impossible for any one person to occupy more than a minuscule portion of it at any given time. So it's imperative that individuals find that special niche for themselves, that little piece of the world that becomes their own, where they can live and love and engage in the pursuit of happiness. And once that `perfect' world is created, it's devastating when something upsets the balance, as in the case of this film, the death of a spouse. When the love of a lifetime is abruptly taken away, how does one recover? Can one recover? How do you go on when your heart has been removed? All valid questions that are explored and addressed in Nora Ephron's touching and romantic `Sleepless In Seattle,' starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. The film begins on a somber note, with the funeral of Maggie Baldwin (Carey Lowell), respectively the wife and mother of Sam Baldwin (Hanks) and his son, Jonah (Ross Malinger). Maggie was the love of Sam's life, and inconsolable after her passing, he decides the best thing for himself and his son is to move to another city and try for a fresh start. So they head west as far as possible, to Seattle, where Sam remains unable to emerge from the funk of his loss. Christmas and New Year's is especially tough on Sam and Jonah, and around this time Jonah happens to tune into a late night talk show featuring Dr. Marcia Fieldstone (Caroline Aaron), whose job is to help her listeners with their problems. Jonah calls her and tells their story, then takes the phone to his dad in the next room, and in deference to his son, Sam consents to talk about his situation on National radio. In the Baltimore area, writer Annie Reed (Ryan) is listening, and touched by the sincerity in Sam's voice, she cajoles an assignment that subsequently takes her to Seattle, where she attempts to hook up with Sam, a man she knows only as a needful, disembodied voice from the radio.

So begins a romantic odyssey that probably could only happen in the movies, but it makes no difference because in Ephron's capable hands, this story works, and it works beautifully. There's a line in the movie, in fact, that kind of sums it all up: Becky (played by Rosie O'Donnell) says something to the effect to Annie that, `You don't want love, you want `movie' love. And maybe that's why this movie is so endearing and enduring; it's about the kind of love you find in a perfect world, the kind of love everybody wants and needs (though few will admit it, even to themselves) but rarely finds, and Ephron knows exactly how to make it connect with her audience. It has to do with understanding basic human needs and knowing how to translate it all into a cinematic art form that will effectively reach those who see it. And Nora Ephron does it as well-- or possibly better-- than any director before or since, and as she proved later with `You've Got Mail,' this film was no fluke; she knows her stuff, and she knows how to deliver it. It's intentionally and shamelessly sentimental, but rather than maudlin, Ephron hits just the right emotional tone, and it's perfect, from the romance to the humor she injects at just the right moment to offset the drama, to the music-- using just the right song at just the right time-- that does so much to enhance the story.

Having a great cast, of course, certainly helped her in her endeavor, beginning with Tom Hanks who, with his portrayal of Sam, demonstrates once again what a consummate actor he is. Few actors can step into any given genre of film and create a character that is so complete and believable every time out the way Hanks can. Some of his characters may share some traits and have similarities, but he manages to make each one unique, which is quite a feat. When you can watch Hanks and forget that you're watching `Hanks,' you know he's accomplished something. As an actor he is remarkably giving, and so undaunted when it comes to using and exposing what he has inside. And his ability to circumvent any natural inhibitions makes him great at what he does, and it's what makes a character like Sam so memorable.

Meg Ryan, as well, is an accomplished actor who can play drama as well as comedy (check out her performance in `When A Man Loves A Woman'), but she really sparkles in romantic comedies like this one, and she is absolutely perfect for the role of Annie (just as she was for her role in `You've Got Mail'). She makes Annie a very real person, and through her we can empathize with Sam's situation, as she enables and allows the audience to experience what she is feeling right along with her. Ryan, through her character, makes that emotional involvement possible, and it's one of the strengths of the film. And like Hanks with Sam, Ryan makes Annie a character you're going to remember.

The exemplary supporting cast includes Bill Pullman (Walter), Rita Wilson (Suzy), Victor Gerber (Greg), Tom Riis Farrell (Rob), David Hyde Pierce (Dennis), Dana Ivey (Claire), Gaby Hoffman (Jessica) and Rob Reiner (Jay). Essentially a poignant and heart-felt treatise by Nora Ephron on life and love, `Sleepless In Seattle' is a film that offers a multitude of rewards if you are simply willing to reach out and open yourself up to it. All you have to do is let it in. Do it, and you'll be glad you did, guaranteed. It's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 10/10.