Certain works bestride their genre like monuments, both inspiring and intimidating those who
come after. Any dramatist who isn't a hack feels Shakespeare's plays looming over him. Any
novelist worth taking seriously knows he'll probably never write anything as perfectly crafted as
Great Expectations or as apparently effortless as Huckleberry Finn. Any director aspiring
to make an epic has to figure out how to learn from David Lean without being overwhelmed and
paralyzed by the mastery of Lawrence of Arabia or The Bridge on the River Kwai. And anyone trying to create a romantic comedy has to resign themselves to the near-certainty that they'll
never do anything as near to flawless as When Harry Met Sally . . . (hereafter,
WHMS).
It's been twenty-two years, and I have yet to see a film about male-female relationships that
matches WHMS in wit, insight, durability or sheer entertainment. The film has permeated the
culture, and not just because everyone has heard of the orgasm scene and "I'll have what she's
having" is among the AFI's Top
100 Movie Quotes (a fact of which director Rob Reiner is
especially proud, because his mother delivered the line). As star Billy Crystal remarked in 2008,
even the obscure line "baby fish mouth" gets quoted to him. In my own household, the film has
entered common parlance the way Hamlet is now embedded in the English language. Phrases
like "you're right, you're right, I know you're right"; "having a date on national holidays"; "I am
the dog?"; and "Phone moi" are heard regularly.
I've seen WHMS at least a hundred times -- in the theater, on cable, laserdisc, DVD and now Blu-ray
-- and I still can't say for sure why it worked then and holds up today. One clue is that its
creators didn't start out to write a romantic comedy; they weren't trying to check off a genre
"box". The film arose from inquiries into human behavior that were being pursued with deeply
personal urgency -- in the case of director Reiner, why was he so miserable in his private life ten
years after his divorce; and in the case of screenwriter Nora Ephron, what could she make out of
this golden opportunity to get two typical men (Reiner and his producer, Andrew Scheinman) to
tell her things they wouldn't even tell their shrinks, because, hey, when you're trying to make a
good movie, everything is fair game.
Opposites?
As rich as WHMS is in character and incident, its plot is relatively simple. In 1977, two recent
graduates of the University of Chicago, Harry Burns (Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan, in
her first starring role), share a ride from Chicago to New York, where both are starting jobs. It's
Sally's car, and her friend Amanda (Michelle Nacastro), who is dating Harry, puts the two of
them together. During the eighteen-hour drive, Harry and Sally discover that they're opposites.
She's neat, organized, upbeat, detail-oriented and romantically choosy. He's a slob, an
improviser, a cynic (but like most cynics, a romantic underneath), doesn't sweat the details and
will sleep with almost anything female. When they shake hands and part near Washington Square
Park, they're glad to see the back of each other.
During the next ten years, Harry and Sally meet twice, first on the upswing, and then on the
downswing of key relationships with other people. Harry marries Helen (Harley Jane Kozak),
who crushes his ego by divorcing him for another man. ("I don't know if I've ever loved you",
she tells him, just before movers ring the doorbell to pick up her belongings.) Sally spends years
living with Joe (Steven Ford, son of former Pres. Gerald Ford), until she realizes one day that the
relationship is stalled and forces a confrontation that finishes it. When the two acquaintances
meet again by chance in 1987, they're at loose ends, and they're surprised to find that they can
handle each other now. They haven't exactly mellowed, but they've at least gained enough self-confidence to
listen. A friendship begins.
Attempting to play matchmakers, Harry and Sally introduce each other to their best friends,
Marie (Carrie Fisher) and Jess (the late, much-missed Bruno Kirby). But their matchmaking
plays out unexpectedly when Jess and Marie become an instant item, leaving Harry and Sally on
their own again. One night they become lovers, and everything falls apart -- until they finally
figure out that this has been their destination all along. (Harry: "It only took three months." Sally:
"Twelve years and three months.")
One of the film's most inspired devices is the use of "couples interludes" interspersed throughout
the narrative, in which elderly married couples relate how they first met. The stories are real -
one is that of Ephron's parents; another is that of the parents of Reiner's friend, Alan Horn, co-founder of
Castle Rock Entertainment and later president of Warner Bros. -- but they've been
rewritten for brevity by Ephron and are delivered by actors, who are trained to speak scripted
dialogue with the appearance of spontaneity. The interludes provide an optimistic counterpoint to
whatever obstacle happens to be confronting Harry and Sally at that moment in the film. They
also serve as a reminder (as Reiner notes in one of the featurettes) that every couple has a story,
and each of the stories is interesting.
Countless elements contribute to WHMS's enduring appeal. They include Ephron's witty
dialogue, bolstered by ingenious improvs from both Crystal and the rest of the cast; Ryan's off-kilter line
readings, which convert even ordinary exchanges into banter (listen to the different
ways she says "Yes!" in the argument they have outside Jess and Marie's apartment); the
chemistry between Crystal and Ryan, which far exceeded the later and more famous pairing of
Ryan with Tom Hanks; and the precision timing of Reiner's direction, which he has rarely
matched since.
Then there's the shared eccentric streak that Harry and Sally recognize in each other from early
on. Harry is overtly unconventional, and he uses it aggressively, both as a defense mechanism
and to get women's attention. Throughout the film, Meg Ryan finds endless variations in the
mixture of astonishment, horror and fascination with which Sally regards Harry's shtick (though
all of her expressions feature "the crinkle above your nose" that Harry comes to love). But Sally
too has a crazy streak, and it comes out in such things as the fastidious restaurant ordering
epitomized by the phrase "on the side". It's no accident that Harry's first pass at Sally is
prompted by watching her order dinner on their cross-country drive, because that's when she first
really interests him. Years later, when Harry tells Sally that she's "high maintenance" who thinks
she's "low maintenance" -- a phrase that could equally describe him -- he explains it by simply
saying: "on the side". To which Sally could just as easily reply: "Oh yeah? Last page of the novel
first!"
(Sally's ordering habits were taken directly from Nora Ephron, who, incredibly, was unaware that
she ordered that way until Reiner and producer Andrew Sheinman pointed it out and insisted that
she give Sally the same behavior. They must have instinctively sensed that this distinctive and
talented woman with whom they were connecting so successfully on a creative level had just
supplied them with a vital characteristic that would help their film's heroine connect with Harry,
who was based on them, on a romantic level.)
Ephron has said repeatedly and with a resigned tone that, in real life, most Harry-and-Sally
relationships aren't successful. If the spark wasn't there to begin with, there was probably
something missing. That may be true, but it's also irrelevant. Romantic films are idealized tales,
fables in which the lead characters do and say the things we hope we'd do and say if we had the
chance (or maybe wish we'd done and said when we did). The genius of a cinematic soufflé like
WHMS is to lift up such sentiments on bubbles of laughter and send you out of the theater (or
media room) with a light step buoyed by happy feelings.
Crystal had just completed Throw Momma from the Train, and he recommended its
cinematograher, Barry Sonnenfeld, to Reiner. Sonnenfeld's work on WHMS is unusual for him,
eschewing his trademark odd angles and shooting scenes simply and unobtrusively. Sonnenfeld
balanced the film's color pallette midway between everyday naturalism and the kind of
fantasyland that New York typically becomes in a Woody Allen film. The New York City of
WHMS is enticing and exciting, but not so much that it ceases to be a place where real people
live. (By the same token, the apartments inhabited by Harry and Sally are real, but they're far too
spacious for people of their age and occupations to afford, a decision that was conscious,
according to the production designer.)
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer has been taken from nearly pristine source material and
displays excellent detail, black levels and color fidelity. There is an occasional but very light
presence of visible grain, but overall this is a richly smooth image, without any evidence that the
smoothness was achieved by digitally stripping detail. In some of the sustained shots where
characters are walking and talking, detail sometimes suffers, but this is not a flaw in the transfer.
It's a result of the focus puller struggling to maintain focus under difficult conditions on location.
(Reiner comments on the challenge of staging these scenes in the extras.) There are a few
moments of aliasing on fine patterns of clothing here and there, but otherwise I saw no artifacts
in the transfer.
The film's original stereo track has been remixed for 5.1 and is presented in DTS lossless, but the
rear channels do almost nothing other than support the musical score comprised of standards
selected, arranged and often played on piano by Marc Shaiman; sung by Louis Armstrong, Ella
Fitzgerald, Ray Charles or Frank Sinatra; or, in the closing credits, performed by Harry Connick,
Jr. and his orchestra. Dialogue, which is the principal element of this soundtrack, is always clear
and natural and is mostly centered except for an occasional panning or stereo effect, e.g., in the
scene where Harry and Sally are having a telephone conversation late at night and are shown in
split screen.
As much as WHMS is supposed to be a "New York" movie, the sound mix is actually quite
artificial, as it doesn't just dampen, but virtually eliminates most of the city noise that would
accompany any of its outdoor scenes and most of its indoor settings. This approach is consistent
with the film's narrative strategy of using the urban landscape to provide visual interest while
maintaining tight focus on the inner life, as expressed through conversation, of a few people in a
city of millions.
Come on, Fox. With so many special features, can't you at least provide a basic menu from
which to browse them? Just like on your own catalogue releases? But once again, Fox has
mastered an MGM disc so that it plays continuously, and the special features can only be
accessed one at a time from a pop-up menu. And as usual, the disc has been mastered with BD-Java, omitting
the essential ability to set bookmarks but otherwise not providing any advanced
capabilities.
All of the special features have been ported over from two previous DVD releases in 2001 and
2008. Items marked with a single asterisk (*) appeared only on the 2001 DVD. Items marked
with a double asterisk (**) appeared on both. Unmarked items appeared only on the 2008 DVD.
*Commentary with Director Rob Reiner: This is a disappointing commentary marked by
frequent and lengthy stretches of dead air. Much of what Reiner does say repeats his
contributions to the "When Harry Met Sally Documentary" that was also included on the 2001
DVD, where the information is conveyed more efficiently.
Commentary with Director Rob Reiner, Screenwriter Nora Ephron and Actor Billy
Crystal: The commentary recorded for the 2008 DVD is superior, because the three participants
stimulate and prompt each other (although there are still too many dead spaces in the latter third
of the film). Many of the stories are repeats from one or more of the documentaries, but new ones
emerge. They include: Ephron identifying which of the "couples interlude" vignettes was the story
of her parents; Crystal describing how he developed Harry's routine with the grapes in the
opening driving sequence from a previous standup routine; the continued currency of "baby fish
mouth" among the film's more sophisticated fans; Crystal's discomfort at having to pretend to
"date" Reiner's daughter, Tracy, who played one of Harry's interim women, because he'd known
her since she was little; a more extensive account of the complex logistics of shooting the three-panel,
four-person telephone call when Harry and Sally separately call Jess and Marie the
morning after they first sleep together; and the most detailed version of the rewrites and reshoots
required to get the ending right. Ephron also reveals that she has had her own table at Café
Luxembourg ever since the blind date dinner scene was shot there.
*How Harry Met Sally Documentary (SD; 1.33:1; 33:21): This 2000 documentary is
well made and the single best overview of the film's genesis and production. It includes interviews with
Ephron, Reiner, Crystal, Fisher, music supervisor Marc Shaiman (whom Crystal brought over
from SNL), costume designer Gloria Gresham, hair stylist Barbara Lorenz and, in vintage 1988
footage, Ryan and Kirby.
It All Started Like This (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 19:47): An informal conversation between
Ephron and Reiner, both of whom seem entirely at ease on camera. They reminisce about the
origins of the film, recalling different aspects of their original meeting and often disagreeing
about what was said, but a full account emerges as they trade recollections. They also discuss the
evolution of the ending, the struggle over the title, the development of the orgasm scene (and
such interesting trivia as Princess Diana's reaction to it at an official screening) and what from
the experience lingers in each of their memories.
Stories of Love (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 5:10): Reiner discusses the origin of the "couples
interludes" that punctuate the film. It's a story he tells in both commentaries and several other
documentaries, but in this featurette he explicitly relates it to his own experience of meeting his
wife during the making of the film. Both Reiner and Crystal relate that story in detail.
When Rob Met Billy (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 3:55): Reiner and Crystal met and became friends
when Crystal was cast on an episode of All in the Family. Still, Crystal was not Reiner's first
choice for Harry. Reiner had to see a number of other actors (none of whom are named) before he
became convinced that Crystal was the right choice for Harry. Once he was cast, Crystal became
a major contributor to the script.
Creating Harry (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 5:47): Diverse observations on the character of
Harry Burns, with contributions from Ephron, Fisher, Crystal, Reiner and critics Thelma Adams and
Richard Roeper.
I Love NY (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 8:29): A discussion of the film's settings, with
substantial contributions from production designer Jane Musky, and additional thoughts from Reiner,
Crystal, Eprhon, Fisher and critics Adams and Roeper. Ephron is a stereotypical chauvinist about New
York, but she makes an important practical point that is echoed by Fisher: WHMS is a film that's
almost entirely composed of talking, which is what most of us do in our daily lives -- and talking
is a visually dull activity. To make it cinematic, it helps to have a location where the inhabitants
do a lot of walking as part of their daily routine.
What Harry Meeting Sally Meant (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 12:29): Why the film worked and why
it endures: thoughts and theories from Ephron, Reiner, Crystal, Fisher and critics Adams and
Roeper, who are given more screen time in this featurette than in any other.
So Can Men and Women Really Be Friends (SD; 1:78, enhanced; 7:54): As Reiner says, it
depends on what you mean by "friends". This featurette adds a sex therapist and a sociologist to
the collection of talking heads.
**Deleted Scenes (SD; 1:85, non-enhanced; 7:24): There are seven scenes, all short. No
explanation is provided for their removal, but it's easy to see where each scene would have fit
into the sequence of events, with the exception of an additional "couples interlude" which could
have replaced any of those used in the film. Given the perfect pacing of the finished product (the
editor was Reiner's usual collaborator, Robert Leighton), one has to assume these scenes were
sacrificed in the process.
**Music Video by Harry Connick, Jr. (SD; 1.33:1; 2:49): This is Connick's version of "It
Had to Be You", with footage from the film intercut with footage of Connick performing. The irony is
that the film used Sinatra's version of the song at the critical moment, not Connick's.
**Theatrical Trailer (SD; 1:85, enhanced; 2:12): Clever and entertaining.
Wal-Mart is currently listing for pre-order the MGM catalog titles, When Harry Met Sally, Throw Momma from the Train, A Fish Called Wanda, Legally Blonde, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. The Blu-rays will be released courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment as ...
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