My Favorite Nora Ephron Films In Order:
- When Harry Met Sally -
- Sleepless in Seattle (tied for first)
- Julie & Julia
- You've Got Mail
- Bewitched
I just can't decide between my top two. I consider both classics, near perfect romantic comedies. I like Tom Hanks more than Billy Crystal, but I love the supporting cast of "When Harry Met Sally." The Pictionary game makes me laugh out loud every viewing. I do like "You've Got Mail" but I'm not sure I should, and "Bewitched" is good, not great, but has one of my favorite lines in any movie.
Julie & Julia is a better film than Ephron has made in years. I loved how it switched time periods with little visual cues, for example, the heroines use the same orange pot. I loved both couples, especially their strong supportive husbands. Also, I will admit to cooking tofu with butter, instead of my usual olive oil, after watching this movie, I wouldn't recommend it.
I can't help thinking about the other Nora Ephron movies I really love, how they revolve around writers and each film keeps up with current technology. Meg Ryan's character in "You've Got Mail" owns a bookstore, loves "Pride and Prejudice," and writes a children's book after her store closes. The characters Annie and Sally are both journalists. Sally writes for The New Yorker, while Annie is a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. Nicole Kidman plays a witch turned actress - she does not fit in with this observation. Ignore her. Amy Adams plays a would-be writer who starts a blog which is eventually published. Which leads me to the thing about technology and Ephron. She keeps up pretty well.
Julia Child's has a pen pal she's never met in person but has corresponded with for years. Forty years later, 1989 era NYC, Sally's love grows through autumn walks in Central Park and late-night phone conversations. Four years after that we find Annie in her sweats and French braid plugging away on her typewriter compelled to make contact with a stranger's voice heard only on the radio. Enter the Internet and AOL in 1998, who provide the ultimate modern twist on an old story - love through (dial-up) instant messages. Times change and forms of communication change with it. Blogs are common and instant forms of expression - anyone can have one, not just the pros. Julie Powell's blog became a best-selling book and who else but Nora could have translated it so well into film?
