Title: Sleepless in Seattle
Year released: June 25, 1993
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Notable Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Rita Wilson, Bill Pullman
Available to Stream: May be purchased
Fun Facts:
– Tom Hank’s wife, Rita Wilson, plays his sister in the role
– The Empire State building was recreated in a Seattle airline hanger.
– Nora Ephron has a cameo as one of the radio callers.
– The Dirty Dozen scene was completely improvised.
Synopsis:
After the death of his wife, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves to Seattle with his son, Jonah (Ross Mallinger). When Jonah calls in to a talk-radio program to find a new wife for his father, Sam grudgingly gets on the line to discuss his feelings. Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), a reporter in Baltimore, hears Sam speak and falls for him, even though she is engaged. Unsure where it will lead, she writes Sam a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
Review
Nora Ephron is one of my favorite writers of all time. I was introduced to her work on When Harry Met Sally like the rest of the world even if they don’t realize. Her writing is the Pinnacle of what became known as the RomCom. Her second directing credit, Sleepless in Seattle is a seamless torch pass from the Rob Reiner directed When Harry… The addition of Tom Hanks to her toolbox grounds this story and assures the funny. Interesting to note that he never did a movie that was solely a RomCom after working with Ephron.
An Affair to Remember is the spiritual cinematic engine that drives the widower’s courtship.One of two homage pieces Ephron is famous for. Ryan and Hanks have become a Valentine’s staple (if you haven’t seen Joe vs the Volcano, Do.), Bill Pullman is an affable goof as Meg Ryan’s mismatch. If you’re rewatching after reading this look for all the baseball references more than Pullman’s Lou Gehrig impression they are peppered throughout.
This is one of those crescendo movies. It starts with the belief of a child and culminates in a chance encounter that feels like it was written by fate when it was actually directed by Nora Ephron.