As the words of a Walt Whitman verse go…
’I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,
all is recall’d as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured…’
Unlike the seriousness of these words dedicated to the memories of strangers in the night is the spirit of ’When Harry Met Sally’. It is a light, anecdotal, good humored, fresh spin on the adage that can a man and a woman maintain the sacred thread of friendship? Well in the words of Harry (played by a effulgent Billy Crystal) asks of Sally (Meg Ryan)… ’’Can’t a man and woman be friends without sex getting in the way?’’
His character is to soon find out the answer to that golden question in course of the romantic comedy.
Harry and Sally are two quirky sparkling individuals whose paths cross at every significant juncture of their adult lives starting from their college days. There is a definitive spark of chemistry between the two, which they stay unaware of for quite a period. A friendship ignites between the two resulting in many wacky, humorous sequences in the film. Especially the scene that helped Meg Ryan break from her wholesome blonde American girl next door stereotype; the famous fake orgasm sequence in a crowded restaurant. What is most priceless to note in this scene is Billy Crystal’s fish rod face when Ryan shocks onlookers.
Anyway the movie does take a cliched romantic comedy ending. But what makes it unique is the fact that this movie was the first of its breed. It was after this that we got to witness other masterpieces of the same kind like ’Sleepless in Seattle’, ’While You Were Sleeping’, ’One Fine Day’, etc. The underlying theme just stays the same…bottom line..fall in love. But what sets these intelligent romantic comedies apart from cliched love sagas is their ingenious scripts and effervescent performances.
I for once have always been a fan of Billy Crystal’s subtle humor. Be it an aged has-been comedian in ’Mr Saturday Night’ or the stiff lawyer teaming up with a bohemian Robin Williams in ’Father’s Day’ or a reluctant Jewish psychiatrist embroiled in Mafia conceit with Robert DeNiro in ’Analyze This’ ; he gives the most ordinary characters new life and sparkle. Meg Ryan, has made a name for herself in the scheme of film history with her varied vista of roles. She has dabbled in roles complex as they can get. A frustrated alcoholic wife in ’When a man loves a woman’, fast talking small bookstore owner in ’You got mail’, a tough as nails army officer in ’Courage under fire’, you got it, she’s done it all. As for the ebullient screenplay, you couldn’t trade it for any other one. Its fresh take awarded it an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. I’ve had my say about the movie…the rest is upto to you to get out there watch it and decide for yourself it deems as worthy of your appraisal.
I think I’ll never be tired of movies that entertain and enthrall audiences with the might of their scripts and ensemble casts. I mean who cares if the theme is one repeated in more movies than one. Not all films need to enlighten us and take us to higher ground. What will then happen to good time popcorn, laid back on the couch, put your feet up sort of merry films?