Never got the fuss about ‘When Harry Met Sally’

[Monetm]

Just reading a review of Meg Ryan’s new romcom which compares it to When Harry Met Sally as if the latter was some kind of holy grail of filmmaking. AIBU to remember it as a pretty white bread and basic film that has some decent performances and doesn’t actively insult your intelligence, but really isn’t anything special? The speech Billy Crystal gives her at the end about how he loves the little crease in her forehead, or whatever it is, I honestly find really cheesy and cringe. I don’t particularly think they have chemistry. I liked Meg Ryan better in ‘In the Cut’. I would think less of anyone who told me they loved WHMS.

AIBU?

I feel like it was of its time? I was only 7 when it came out so it passed me by but I remember the hype. I love watching 70s and 80s movies for the nostalgia and storytelling 🙂

Was it a sort of 'revolutionary' anti-romcom of the era? I only actually watched it a couple of years ago and didn't love Billy Crystal as a romantic lead but appreciate he was a big deal at the time with his fast talking/self deprecating humour.

Agreed!

I love it, it’s one of my favourite films.

It Happened One Night

Four Weddings and a Funeral

I’m not a massive fan of romcoms in general, but I find both of those fresh, original and funny

I have already commented earlier about how much I like it but reading sone of these comments has reminded me just how good it is - I think every time I watch it I see something new/recall why I like something etc and yes the vignettes and he music - just lovely

When Harry Met Sally is a wonderful film - the writing, acting, music are all just fabulous!

I probably find myself quoting a line from it at least once a week...

This 100 percent.
I hadn’t watched it in years and watched it about two years ago and just adored it. Saw it in such a different light.

It made me rewatch loads of classic Romcoms.
Nora Ephron ones are my favourite .

I do love 4 weddings, bar Andie MacDowell, who was beyond wooden! How does that woman keep getting work?

I like both of those as well.
You'll have to continue to think less of me though as I thought WHMS was better.

Me too.

Whenever we play pictionary I have to say, "Draw SOMETHING that resembles ANYTHING !"

Whilst on romcoms 'of a generation' , Groundhog Day is another of my faves. Dh is all about Jerry Maguire but doesn't fully do it for me.

I find four weddings much more boring and stereotypical, but each to their own!

Hanks is a good actor but wouldn’t have done a good job with the NY Jewish dialogue and delivery. I adore Billy Crystal. He’s smart and very funny and to my mind, that makes him fanciable.

BABY FISH MOUTH

Comedy is comedy. Do you think that Some Like It Hot is no longer funny?

I love it. Every time I watch it I enjoy it even though I virtually know it by heart. Just makes me feel good. And I like the dry wit.

Oh I've just watched Rye Lane thanks to this thread, so lovely!

Thanks for the recommendation.

I am going to have to watch it again now (for probably the 100th time) and happy to be looked down upon as a result.

But WHMS was ‘fresh, original and funny’ when it came out.

And 4WAAF definitely would not be ‘fresh, original and funny’ to modern day audiences.

I absolutely love 4 Weddings, but I love WHMS, too. I also love Some Like It Hot - all of their era, that brought something new to the genre (SLIT isn’t a romcom, although it is a comedy and it has romance).

WHMS was part of that 80s/90s New York Jewish comedy genre, along the lines of Woody Allen, Seinfeld, Curb, etc - that is definitely a certain type of humour that not everyone will get, but which is really clever and funny.

Can’t you just like/prefer what you like @Monetm and leave other people to like/prefer what they like, without thinking less of them? It seems so … immature to do that. Like a 15YO who isn’t evolved enough to realise they Don’t Know Everything (™️ of every teen since time immemorial).

The rich tapestry of humanity is what makes life interesting.

I signed up to MGM free trial (must remember to cancel) and watched it last night! It was absolutely fantastic and much better quality than my old video (you can tell it's a long time since I've seen it). I still remembered the whole script! But noticed more of the costumes, music etc. So many wonderful details: the vignettes, the split screen talking scene. As well as amazing acting, and Carrie Fisher so beautiful! And no ridiculously unnecessary swearing constantly.

I agree, Billy Crystal was perfect for that role.

Me too, am very glad this thread prompted me to watch it again as I was only 16 when it came out and I remember seeing it in the cinema and loving it but I had zero life experience so would not have identified with it at all. I probably have rewatched at some point in the interim but don’t really remember. It makes a lot more sense now. I love the whole NY setting. Agree the split screen conversation is so well done, as are most of the set pieces, and the chemistry is fantastic.

It struck me that some bits of it were prototypes for Friends and Sex and the City- Billy Crystal has shades of Chandler Bing about him, Sally is fussy like Monica and it was a long friendship that turned into love. Then you have that scene where we first see Carrie Fisher’s character, three female friends sitting somewhere nice in NY having brunch and discussing relationships. The other friend is even a redhead like Miranda. And it’s very SATC to have the story advance against a backdrop of different NY locations.

Loved the old-fashioned things I’d forgotten - Marie getting out a Rolodex at the table to go through the single men she knows. The karaoke machine with tapes and the whole store that was basically the Innovations Catalogue!

A few things shocked me though with hindsight- the whole first car journey felt wrong- she’s never met him and they are in a confined space at night together and he is quite sleazy and won’t take no for an answer. Then the bit where he says that he made a joke on his date about “no food in Ethiopia” and she laughs! Also her pickiness in restaurants is funny but she is really quite rude to the serving staff.

I also wondered if “High Maintenance” was actually coined by WHMS?

I’m so pleased pp loved Rye Lane. I also highly recommend Rose Matafeo’s Starstruck on the iPlayer. It’s a romcom tv show rather than a film but all three series are 6 x 26min eps (which tbh is shorter than a lot of films these days) and I have watched all three series in one session as they have come out. I’ve had a rare quiet day off today and just watched s3. Really good writing, well-developed supporting characters, and genuinely very funny.