I really was dreading watching this movie because I’d seen clips of it online that induced second-hand embarrassment so painful that I had to look away.
And while there are plenty of scenes that I will never rewatch, this movie has more than earned its status as a rom-com classic.
For starters, this movie has the best-written dialogue I have ever seen. Even though Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) is kind of a jerk, I didn’t want to stop listening to his conversations with Sally Albright (Meg Ryan). Their dynamic was so interesting, even though I never would have paired the two of them together.
The movie also managed to create a slow-burning romance that didn’t feel excessively drawn out.
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In this case, they needed the time to grow as people. Harry needed to learn to value emotional connections as much as physical ones. He also needed to stop denying that he actually cares about people. Sally is a bit more complicated. She is an incredibly particular person who knows exactly what she wants, but when she’s with Joe (Steven Ford), she puts her desire to get married and to have a family on the back burner for the life that he wants to lead. She breaks down crying because being wanted and loved is understandably very important to her, but it’s also where she gets some of her self-worth. She needed to be honest with herself about what she wants in life and to prioritize that. But she also needed to open herself up to new experiences and let go of being totally in control. Harry brings out her more adventurous and confident side. Meanwhile, she makes Harry more thoughtful and considerate. Together, they just enjoy life more.
I don’t know if the topic ‘can men and women truly be just friends’ was fresh back when this movie was written, but it definitely felt stale to me. Despite this, I think it’s a wonderful movie, even though I do feel really sorry for all the characters who got dragged into Harry and Sally’s messy relationship.