Sleepless in Seattle

After his wife's funeral, Sam (Tom Hanks), an architect, moves from Chicago to Seattle with his son, Johna (Ross Malinger) so he can stay away from all those things that remind him of his beloved wife, which he just can't bear any longer.

In Baltimore, Annie (Meg Ryan), a newspaper journalist, is engaged to Walter (Bill Pullman) and is looking forward to getting married. But when Annie's mother talks about the 'magic' that she instantly feels when Annie's father holds her hand, Annie cannot comprehend the meaning. One evening, Annie hears Johna on a national radio show, saying his dad is lonely and sad, still cannot forget his late wife and Johna thinks his dad needs a new wife to make him happy. Thousands of women across the country write to Sam, among them is Annie. Her letter in the rubbish bin is sent out by her good friend Becky (Rosie O'Donnell).

So Annie travels all the way to Seattle in hope to meet Sam, but it doesn't work out fine. However, when Johna reads the letter from Annie, he knows she's the right one and he replies on his father's behalf for meeting each other on the roof of the Empire State Building...

This is a refreshing, quite light-hearted story. It's slow but I'm sure many people would like it. It's funny that, when Sam first sees Annie, he somehow feels that he has met her before...rather funny, isn't it? Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are great on the screen together and the flick is perfect for relaxing. With a delightful soundtrack.

Sleepless in Seattle is written and directed by Nora Ephron. It's based on a story by Jeff Arch and it stars Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin and Meg Ryan as Annie Reed. The film takes its inspiration from An Affair to Remember and uses both its theme song and clips from the film in critical scenes. Plot sees Sam recently widowed and tricked by his young son Jonah to chat on the phone about his grief on a late night radio show. His honesty and sadness touches the hearts of America's listening females, particularly Annie, a young journalist who lives the other side of the country in Baltimore.

Major smash hit at the box office, where it coined in a $200 million profit before it even made it out for rental, Sleepless In Seattle is the sort of romantic comedy that's almost impossible not to like. OK, there's those who probably have aversions to some of the stars in the piece (tho both Ryan & Hanks are adorable here), but as a story it's warm, sweet and very touching. Ephron's script throws up a number of funny treats along the way, including moments to make the boys smile, while the fact that the potential cross country lovers are kept apart for almost the entirety of the film is smart move that pays off dividends. Admirable support to Hanks & Ryan comes from Rosie O'Donnell & Rob Reiner as the best friends of both, while Ross Malinger as Jonah gives one of the more pleasing child performances from the 90s.

It doesn't push the boundaries of light entertainment, but really you would have to be devoid of heart to not feel just a bit better for having sat thru this movie. 7/10

I won't lie to you-this movie is a CHICK FLICK! Though I never saw it with a guy, it is definitely a chick flick. That said, it's a high-end chick flick, which probably a few guys might enjoy, unless they happen to be the exploding helicopter type^^; This movie feels more like a modern day adaptation of the classic romance "An Affair To Remember," and it keeps referencing it too (In fact, the Cary Grant classic is very integral to the plot). Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have great chemistry together, and they both do what they're good at-Tom Hanks portraying the Everyman, and Meg Ryan being cute and innocent. I have to disagree with an earlier comment that this film is unfair to guys-the way the characters are portrayed, I'd have to say that in the reverse situation, I'd still feel the same way. Meg Ryan does not have the "evil woman" syndrome that popped up in later 90's chick flicks (The most notorious of which was "My Best Friend's Wedding"). She is very believable and actually does care about the feelings of her fiance. What I particularly liked is that the fiance was not portrayed as someone who Meg would do well to leave. Most movies fall into this trap-Someone is about to marry someone who is horrible and find that someone else is better, the viewer supposedly not feeling bad because the fiance was a jerk anyway. Tom Hanks really shines here as someone who has lost the most important person in his life and is trying to rebuild again. He always has a knack for easily slipping into the roles he's given and making them really convincing. He does not fail here-you feel for him especially during the sequences where he starts remembering his late wife. The movie's plot starts to stretch plausibility at the end, but not to the point where it destroys the entire film. The ending scene in particular is handled very carefully. You could have had a big, romantic, tear-jerking moment. Instead, the movie takes a more simplistic approach, and it succeeds-it feels much more natural than the alternative. Overall, if you're in for a feel good romance, you should see this. If you happen to be female, this is DEFINITELY worth watching.

The movies are full of alternate universes and maybes that make them a great escape. Sleepless In Seattle is a great romantic comedy. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in a movie where they are hardly onscreen together and yet we feel both of their characters infatuation. It's an amazing job that director Nora Ephron does in making us care about the relationship between these two characters when their not hardly together onscreen. The movie also has great performances, from the leads and from supporting players Rosie O'Donnell and Rob Reiner, as well as a very goofy but sweet turn from Bill Pullman. This movie will make you feel good.

Sleepless in Seattle is manipulative and unashamedly so. The fact that it is somewhat old-fashioned is not a bad thing at all, in fact it is done wonderfully. In general, Sleepless in Seattle is just a charming romantic comedy, co-scripted and directed by When Harry Met Sally writer Nora Ephron.

The idea to keep Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan apart for most of the movie is a dangerous one, but guess what, I found that it worked! Strictly speaking, Sleeping in Seattle is made up of two story lines, one is about a recently widowed man who moves to Seattle and does nothing but grieve. The other is features a woman journalist from Baltimore, who overhears the broadcast with Hanks's son pouring his heart out about his concerns for dad and decides to track him down.

The scenery is striking, the soundtrack is very welcoming, the direction is solid and the script has heart and wit. In terms of acting, both Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan give marvellous lead performances, while Ross Malinger is a nice surprise as Hanks's son. The climax at the top of the Empire State Building takes its inspiration from the 1950s weepie An Affair to Remember(with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr), and is very effective.

Overall, a charming and enjoyable film. Hanks, Ryan and Ephron teamed up again for You've Got Mail, which is inferior but still worthwhile. 8/10 Bethany Cox