America's Sweetheart & I'll Have What She's Having

I love romantic comedies. I watch them when I’m happy, I watch them when I’m sad and I watch them whenever I can’t decide on what to watch. I love how I can laugh and cry in the same movie. I love how I can fulfill my delusions that all it takes is a chunky sweater and a trip to the bookstore to find my true love. I’ve watched Meg Ryan, Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey, falling in love with their characters and their intense chemistry. The most unfortunate part about loving rom-coms is that I was born in 2001. Why is that a concern, you may ask? The best rom-coms came out either before my time, or before I could appreciate them. My love for How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is strong, yet I am always reminded that I could not appreciate it when it came out. 10 Things I Hate About You came out two years before I entered this world. While I love and appreciate these films now, it is super unfortunate that I couldn’t appreciate their hype when they were released.

I knew when creating this blog that I couldn’t just rant about my favorite rom-coms and why I love them dearly. That would be boring. But recently, I’ve realized just how few “classic” rom-coms I have seen. The originals, the ones that started it all. These next few months, I will be taking on the load of watching multiple rom-coms from “before my time” and seeing how they hold up to someone considered to be Gen Z. We begin with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, with “I’ll have what she’s having.” We begin with When Harry Met Sally (1989), also known as the namesake of this blog.

Many consider When Harry Met Sally to be the original rom-com. When thinking of the classic rom-com, this is usually the first movie that comes to mind. When I told my mom I hadn’t seen this movie, she almost fell to the floor in shock. “HOW?” she asked, to which I replied, “I’m not sure.” That’s what this blog is all about. So light a candle, read along and turn on one of rom-com’s best.

Source: Tenor GIFs

What’s Going On?

When Harry Met Sally takes place in New York City in the 80’s. Harry and Sally meet in college, carpooling a drive from Chicago to New York. Over the course of the film, Harry and Sally run into each other every five years. They never consider dating, instead setting each other up and becoming friends. Eventually, Harry and Sally continue to run into each other, their individual relationships failing. Without giving it away (it’s a rom-com, use your imagination), Harry and Sally test how men and women can platonically be friends.

My Personal Opinions

I loved it. I loved it so much. I was sold from the beginning of the movie. This movie is an example of a timeless classic. The question of men and women being “just friends” has been questioned for decades, and this movie did everything except answer it. Not that I am complaining! Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have the most beautiful chemistry, chemistry that is rarely matched in future rom-coms. There is a reason this movie is the template for every friends-to-lovers rom-com to come after it.

Favorite Scene

Many would probably guess that my favorite scene was the scene in which Sally (Meg Ryan) fakes an orgasm in a diner, embarrassing Harry (Billy Crystal). An elderly woman (director Rob Reiner’s mother) then follows with one of Hollywood’s most famous quotes: “I’ll have what she’s having.” Unfortunately, one scene overshadowed such a funny moment. This scene shows Harry and Sally talking about everything and nothing (including weird dreams), while walking through New York. The scene shows the friends walking through Central Park, the colored foliage all around them. As someone who adores fall, the cinematography of this scene sold me. But on top of that, the tension and the chemistry between Harry and Sally doing something as menial as going on a walk and talking really solidified this moment as my favorite scene.

Source: Fandango Movie Clips

Starring Meg Ryan as America’s Sweetheart

Anyone who loves rom-coms knows Meg Ryan. When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You’ve Got Mail (1998), you name it. She single-handedly defined rom-coms in the 90s. When I first watched When Harry Met Sally, I recognized her as Goose’s wife from Top Gun (1987). Her filmography is unmatched…yet how many people my age, in my generation, know Meg Ryan? What happened to America’s Sweetheart?

Source: GQ

Throughout the 90s, Meg Ryan cultivated a brand as the girl next door. She entered Hollywood bright-eyed and bushy tailed, making droves of people fall in love with her. Her chemistry with Billy Crystal was phenomenal, but it got even better when she began partnering with Tom Hanks on multiple romantic comedies throughout the 90s. She starred in a multitude of rom-coms, but unfortunately, never broke out of that mold. Other rom-com actresses (Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts) have received the branding of rom-com actress, then went on to win Oscars. Meg Ryan was not as lucky.

Breaking away from this mold was not necessarily by choice. Ryan found herself embroiled in a scandal between herself, her husband Dennis Quaid and co-star Russell Crowe in the early 2000s. Ryan was never able to fully recover from the scandal, slowly drifting from the spotlight. However, don’t be fooled. Ryan has been on record, claiming she is very happy with her career and lack of spotlight, enjoying the bits of privacy she didn’t get to have as Hollywood’s girl next door.

At the end of the day, we can all still love and adore Meg Ryan for the films she gave us. Regardless of her status as an actress now, Ryan will forever be America's Rom-com Sweetheart.

Playlist

Each post, I will create a playlist full of songs from the movie, as well as songs that make me think of the movie. I recommend listening to this after watching, so you can stay in the atmosphere of When Harry Met Sally as long as possible.

Where to Watch

Currently, When Harry Met Sally is not available for streaming. From time to time, it becomes available on various services, such as Amazon Prime. Keep checking, and if you still have cable, it may be found available sometime there too!