"Pecan Pie" scene is improvised as well. Caught Meg Ryan off-guard, and you see her surprise when she looks off-camera to Rob Reiner with that "what the" look on her face.
11:39 Has anyone mentioned that Billy was improvising the whole 'pecan pie' conversation. Meg genuinely started to laugh and turns to Rob Reiner expecting him to call a cut but he was loving it and gestured to Meg to keep it going. Genius directing, genius acting and a genius film. In my top 10 for Billy's final monologue to Meg about wanting to start your life with someone straight away. Love it.
His nickname was Satchmo, which was short for "satchel-mouth," although there isn't a definitive explanation for where that came from. It might have been from his childhood habit of storing coins in his mouth.
That line cracked me up the first time I saw the film in a theater in 1989, and it still cracks me up every single time I play this movie. Ya go dancing, ya do the white man's overbite...
Well that’s the good thing about Depression, you get your rest - a phrase that made its way into my real life lexicon years ago. lol I love the dialogue in this movie!
Jack Quaid, Meg Ryan's son (who's in The Boys and Plus One), was interviewed about *that scene* and he said he felt really proud of his mom and how brave she had to be to act that.
"Draw something resembling anything!" "Baby talk? That's not a saying!" "Oh, but Baby Fishmouth is sweeping the nation..." The dialogue in this movie is fantastic, and I've always loved Billy Crystal's dry wit!
This movie gave me a deeper appreciation for Romantic Comedies. This was one of your BEST reactions EVER!!! Keep these coming! I've watched 95% of your reactions to date (saving some for my viewing first), and they just get better and better!!
I literally stopped half way this reaction because I realized I never saw this movie because I’m usually not into rom-coms. After seeing this reaction I had to give it a try. Then returned to see the rest of the reaction. I have so much respect for this writing and direction as a film now.
The "interviews" were all done with actors, but taken from actual couple stories. They originally tested just couples telling their stories, but decided it was better to use actors in the long run (mainly for comedic timing)
Love this movie, and for another great Billy Crystal and Bruno Kirby comedy I recommend City Slickers. New Yorkers try to be cowboys, it's dark and hilarious.
You said that "every rom com has this point of no return moment" This was THE first one that did this, the blueprint for almost every rom com since... And it holds up SO WELL!! This has been my favorite of your reactions. Keep 'em comming!
I'm glad someone else suggested City Slickers, one of my favorites, worked at a theater in college and this was playing, so I was able to watch this movie over and over and never got tired of it.
Fyi, this movie is fully worthy of being your gold standard to measure other romances or romcoms against. You've Got Mail, had Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, but they had a more successful romcom earlier with, Sleepless in Seattle. But that was not their first romcom. The first movie they did together was, Joe Versus the Volcano, an amazing movie that is entirely overlooked. It comes from the same era as Tom Hanks' stand-up days, perhaps just after, maybe the movie that decided it, the same time as, Splash, Bachelor Party, and the sitcom, Busom Buddies, with Peter Scolari.
@@themoviedealers He did, and he was in the Groundlings briefly. I never saw his stand-up, but he he said it was pretty amateurish, in an interview when he did the movie, Punchline. I can't quote you the show or the interviewer, but I recall him saying it, and about how it informed his performance in the movie, how comedy got him into TV and then the movies, and that, Punchline, was the perfect way to try his hand at something more dramatic. I personally have a hard time reconciling the actor we know today with the guy from, Busom Buddies, and, Bachelor Party, they don't fit together in my head well.
But looking at his movies just now, Joe Versus the Volcano, wasn't an early film at all for him, 1990. Well, I'm no expert, but it's still wildly overlooked.
I think you might like "City Slickers" Billy Crystal Mr Moustache (Bruno Kirby), Daniel Stern, Helen Slater. You might also like "Running Scared" Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines as buddy cops in Chicago.
Ephron talked about "Christian" vs "Jewish" romcoms, I think in an interview about "You've Got Mail." She said that the former involves an external obstacle preventing the leads from getting together, and the latter has the relationship being blocked by the characters' respective neuroses. Ephron generally writes the latter. However, she also wrote Sleepless in Seattle, which is arguably an example of the former.
That’s interesting. In Sleepless in Seattle, though, the obstacle doesn’t feel like a cheap plot device, because it’s literal distance. That movie, for me at least, is one of the few great good modern rom coms. So is When Harry Met Sally, obviously.
The Jewish Man/Gentile Woman romantic pairing dynamic was obviously a staple of Woody Allen, but it really went into overdrive and became more accessible because of this movie. It then evolved and was copied into those romantic TV shows with the same vibe, like Paul Reiser/Helen Hunt (Mad About You), and Richard Lewis/Jamie Lee Curtis (Anything But Love), etcetera. It was definitely a thing then.
One of my favorite movies of all time! I can't count how many times I have seen it, but I have watched it quite a lot. Your reactions were so cute, and I really enjoyed the extra information you provided at the end of the film. Nora Ephron was a comedic genius! RIP Nora...you are sorely missed.
11:15 Mind blowing fact, When Harry Met Sally was made *BEFORE* Misery, by a year. Rob dropped a reference to a movie he would make the following year.
One of my favorites of all time. I don't remember Romcoms being much of a genre before this came out. After this, there was an explosion of movies trying to copy the success this one had.
Yes! Nora was a large journalist in her career before becoming a scriptwriter, her parents were so she always saw it as a path but always knew once she started with movies she wouldnt be able to stop, her biggest recommendation for starting scriptwriters is to do traditional journalism to help make the dialogue get to the point and to keep attention
I saw this in 1990 as a 15 year old. Had the exact same reactions though I didn't fully understand some of it. I then went on to basically live this exact life. Your reaction he made me very happy.
An interesting companion piece to this would be The Sure Thing, also directed by Rob Reiner. It's his take on teen romcoms and sort of a precursor to this one.
Another favorite, re-watchable movie! The writing, the directing, the acting, everything seems genuine and real-to-life. The dialog is fantastic, and so well performed that it never feels like they are reading a script. You are just listening in on actual conversations. Love it! Another movie that gives me similar vibes is another Billy Crystal movie. Forget Paris. Definitely recommend watching that if you haven't yet!
I love this movie soooo much!!! It's one of my all-time favorites, but I recently noticed that Sally asked Harry out first. He just interpreted it as them becoming friends. That changes so much, but I'm glad they stayed friends as long as they did and we got such an iconic story out of it. 😍
And to answer your question at the end of the video, yes, I saw it in theaters at the time--the audience was screaming laughing, especially during the diner scene. It felt special, and still does--a bit like other rom-coms want to be it, but can't quite manage to get there. I suspect the avoidance of cliches which you went into in your recap section.
I've watched this many times. I just now caught that the time jump starts with Sally making out with her boyfriend, in contrast to the opening with Harry making out with his girlfriend with her as the onlooker.
From a deconstruction point of view, this is easily my favorite reaction of yours. Also I love when you say "we." "We love Billy Crystal." I just love your channel.
This is my #1 rom-com, and probably my #1 movie of all time. Last line always gets me in the gut "When you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible". Too good, too fantastic. Plus, the Deli scene....I mean....cmon!! Edit: the woman who said "I'll have what she's having" was Rob Reiner's mother. Makes that scene even better
There's a great story told by the screenwriter, Nora Ephron. She was on a plane when they were playing this film on the screens. This was back before personal in flight entertainment was a thing, and the diner scene cut to the next scene before Sally fakes having an orgasm. And the entire cabin was enraged, with passengers groaning in disappointment and some even booing.
I was the 1000th like! Yay! One of my all time favorites! This was the movie that made me realize good writing in movies. Fell in love with Meg Ryan and what a soundtrack! This made Harry Connick Jr a household name. I worked at a movie theater when this was out and it stayed in the theater for months! It seemed like it would never leave but it never got stale or old. I still laughed at all the parts and eventually ended up memorizing the lines. Awesome reaction. I was giddy in anticipation of all the parts I thought would make someone laugh. Another great movie you might want to react to is Cinema Paradiso. It's in Italian but as someone in the industry you will appreciate the film making. Thank you... and today the rest of the day I will talk like Thissss. Peecan Piiieeee.... Peeecan Piiieeeee......
Not many people know this; Billy Crystal got his start in a 1970s comedy tv show called Soap that was a high-freaking-larious parody of day time soap operas. However it was one of the dramody type shows where every character had their seriosu moment. Billy Crystal played Jody who was as far as I know the first openly gay character on tv and they did a really good job of delving through his character on the show. It's worth a watch.
I still vaguely remember the Social Services custody interview. "I understand you are a practicing homosexual" "I don't have to practice, I'm very good at it"
It's currently streamimg on Tubi.. Billy Crystal just brilliant from the go.. and a gay empathetic character in the early 80s???! He was fantastic as Jody Dallas..
@@simonoleary9264 well they never got to vampires.. Which one of the soaps actually did. Lol. But after demonic possession, ninja cults and actually alien body swaps I don't know where season 5 would have went.
This is THE romcom that set the standard for all others to aim for. Whenever I hear that someone hasn’t seen this, I’m amazed. I’m so glad you watched it for your channel!
It's a nice movie (and reaction video!) but with all due respect, that's off the mark, this is very much a watered-down Hollywood version of Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" (which had won Best Picture a few years earlier), that's definitely the way it was seen at the time. I mean, even the opening credits is imitation Woody Allen. Ha, check it out: www.huffpost.com/entry/when-harry-met-sally-anniversary_n_5584730 See what I mean? It's a good movie, but it didn't re-invent the wheel. I remember sitting in the theatre thinking I was watching imitation Woody Allen/DIane Keaton. And, no offense to Billy and Meg, who were great but in that contest, Keaton & Allen win hands down, lol.
@@TTM9691 Everybody likes something different. I've seen Annie Hall and I have seen When Harry met Sally, and I actually prefer WHMS - it has more heart in it, and jokes land better for me.
@@lenusniq_9746 I'm just saying: stylistically, from the entire soundtrack to the font of the credits is Woody Allen. You get points for originality and innovation and being first. I like WHMS! And WHMS was just the next in a long line of imitators, starting with "The Goodbye Girl". It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of WHMS. It's like "A Bronx Tale" is imitation Scorsese. Know what I mean? I can still enjoy it while knowing it's not the original article.
Yes, Nora Ephron was a columnist. She use to write for The Republic. Her parents wrote screenplays for some great Hollywood movies including The Desk Set, Daddy Long legs, Carousel. Nora lived on the Upper West Side for the last 30 years of her life. I love her writing and her movies.
I was obsessed with this movie when it came out on VHS. I was 15 or so and had the dialogue memorized. I started telling people I wanted to be a political consultant like Crystals character and was in love with Meg Ryan. Still great all these years later.Btw, love your reactions Shanelle. The way you point things out behind the scenes is very cool.
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie, so so many. Best romantic comedy of all time, hands down. That line at the end "when you realize you want to spend the ret of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible" like COME ON I start sobbing minutes before we even get there because it's so perfect. I don't know who thought to put Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, I didn't watch this for years because I didn't think they would have any chemistry but they are absolute perfection together. I hope we get to see them together again someday.
I’ll recommend my favorite romcom that no one has ever seen. It’s a one-hour TV movie done for PBS back in 1980 called “Who Am I This Time?” It’s based on a Vonnegut short story, directed by Jonathan Demme, and stars Susan Sarandon and Christopher Walken as rather repressed residents of a small town in the ‘60s who blossom on the stage when they plays Stella and Stanley in a local playhouse’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” It’s a wonderful ode to amateur theatrics, and the chemistry between Sarandon and Walken is amazing. It’s a real shame he was never cast as the romantic lead again. You can see it on RU-vid.
That sounds amazing and I can’t believe I never heard of it before given how much I love those actors and how much of their work I’ve seen. Thank you for commenting!
Hi Shanelle, i was 16 when this came out but i was already a big fan of Goldie Hawn, Because of her lead role in the 1980 film Private Benjamin, Thanks for sharing your time and your critique, and looking forward to your next instalment ;)
I think that is why they added the physicality that Shannelle notices ( the grapes , them doing the wave , etc ) - to differentiate it a bit , so it doesn't look TOO much like a Woody Allen picture.
The dialogue in this movie is so amazing that it's much more than just a romcom. It's one of the greatest movies ever made. Romcom-wise. If you saw You've Got Mail, it was an attempt to recapture the magic of Sleepless in Seattle which would be a good place to go. If you just want to see a romance buried in a terrific script, you might want to consider Top Gun.
Sleepless in Seattle kept the leads apart for most of the movie, which is very different from the friends to lovers of When Harry Met Sally. It was Ryan and Hanks' second film together.
First off, I love your videos. You have such a soothing voice, these are perfect for when I'm winding down before bed. With that out of the way, this is my favorite romcom of all time, and I'm SO glad you've watched it! You badly need to get around to Sleepless in Seattle, if you haven't seen that one already. There are a lot of ways that I think that one might be a little bit better (for starters, Tom Hanks plays more to his type,) but this one always takes the top spot, because Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have such great chemistry. Some details I love: -The next time we see Marie after Jess promises, "You will never have to be out there again," she is trying on a wedding dress. -After Harry and Sally have sex, he literally has one foot out of bed, ready to run. -Harry mentioning he got to keep the apartment to Sally, but that moving men came when he was telling the story to Jess at the baseball game. When we see his apartment, it's practically empty. Helen is an asshole. -Unlike the majority of major romcoms I've seen, there's pretty much no focus on either of their careers. We don't see them at the office. We don't see them on the job. I think that's maybe to let the audience see them as they see each other? Or Nora Ephron rightly figured it was irrelevant to their friendship, so she didn't shoehorn anything in. RIP Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher
Nora Ephron, the writer, used herself and Rob Reiner, the director, as the templates for Sally and Harry, from Rob's last page 'fetish' to her own drinks orders, the latter of which came up later when a filght attendant getting her gorily detailed request asked if she'd ever seen this movie.
Re. the fake O scene - What I heard is they did a few takes of it, and Ryan was shall we say "more subdued." Reiner told her just to completely go for it, and that's the cut that's in the movie.
This is the quintessential romantic comedy. It’s sweet, beautiful, tearful, and always satisfying. It’s on my top 5 fave films list. So good. Thank you for the watch along!!
The Katz's scene when I saw it in a theater was a bit of a surprise for sure. A bit awkward when you are on a date. :) Such a great movie. Haven't seen it in years. And now I have again. :)
It was a game changer. Love ❤️ your views and commentary, I did not understand why you watched you’ve got mail before watching Sleepers in Seattle, as you’ve got mail was promoted as “Tom and Meg together again”.
As usual, Shanelle, this reaction was tops - I like that you keep it light but aren't afraid to make some insightful comments about the film. Being an actor, it was interesting to hear what you hadf to say about the split-screen phone call scene and the orgasm scene. You also commented on the funny action with the sad story technique which was spot-on. This is definitely one of my favourite comedies of all time - the dialogue is endlessly quotable, is fast-paced and (as you say) is complemented, or enhanced, by the choices of 'funny action' or the variety of settings to keep it fresh. Would definitely like to hear your take on another of my favourites - Something Wild from 1986. I missed your live Q&A and I know you get loads of requests but this is definitely one I think you would like for its quirkiness, its 80s setting, a killer soundtrack and loads of indie cool. Anyway, looking forward to your next reaction! Bye for now
So happy you covered this! One of my all-time favorites! Just an iconic rom-com. Enjoyed the trivia. Some I heard. Some were a surprise. Great catch on the physical action punctuating the dialogue. Never really thought about that, but it works so well. “Sleepless in Seattle” is of course a must, but I have to request/recommend “Roxanne”. Another one I could watch over and over, and have.
“You’ve Got Mail” was an updated version of the old Jimmy Stewart movie, “The Shop Around The Corner”, which I think is far superior. I watch it every December because it’s a good time of year for the atmosphere of the movie and it’s very poignant, just like the season. I really hope you watch it sometime, even if you don’t review it, though of course I’d love to see your reactions. I enjoy ALL of the reactions I’ve seen you do very much. Enjoy your insights and love your personality. Thanks for doing this channel. 🌺
Ohh, that movie is so adorable; it really surprised me how much I enjoyed it during a free showing at the library a few years ago. I definitely recommend it and would love it see it on this channel someday.
All time favorite. Your weepy eyes reaction is mine every time i watch this. And I’ve had it memorized for decades. Great movie, defines the genre for me.
I loved your analysis of the comedy patterns used here. I thought you were spot on about how men and women deal with things. Have you seen "Only You" with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.? It is a beautiful film.
Rob Reiner was depressed as he just divorced Penny Marshall. Google the Billy Crystal interview with The Today Show. He and Rob snuck into a screening in Burbank. When the Meg scene at Katz's came up the crowd went wild and only when everyone settled down did Billy realized he was holding hands with Rob through the entire scene
An oft-overlooked film, but my second favorite rom-com after WHMS is Down With Love, a loving tribute/parody of the classic Doris Day-Rock Hudson rom-coms of the '60s directed by Peyton Reed and starring Ewan MacGregor and Renée Zellweger. It came out in 2003 and has a great deal of your favorite tropes (since Zellweger had just finished Chicago and MacGregor had just done Moulin Rouge, Reed decided they HAD to do a musical duet number at the end) -- even if you're not familiar with the material it's a pastiche of, I think you'd really enjoy it. The comedic timing of the actors is impeccable.
