When Harry Met Sally on DVD

New Collector’s Edition Features Reiner, Ephron, Crystal Commentary

Jun 24, 2008

The chemistry between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal elevated this clever romantic comedy into an instant classic.

Recently ranked as the sixth best romantic comedy by the American Film Institute (AFI), the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally has delighted audiences with its quirky characters for nearly 20 years. Screenwriter Nora Ephron was nominated for an Academy Award for best writing (screenplay written directly for the screen) for the hilarious dialogue in this story of two friends who consider taking their relationship to the next level.

Harry and Sally

With dating advice, rules for holding, and an unforgettable restaurant scene involving how to fake sexual satisfaction (parodied in Date Movie), director Rob Reiner’s romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally holds a special place in many people’s hearts. For those who haven’t seen it yet, this new Collector’s Edition bursting with bonus features is the version to watch.

A perky reporter for a New York magazine (Meg Ryan as Sally Allbright) and a political consultant (Billy Crystal as Harry Burns) alternately become enemies, friends, and lovers over a period of more than 12 years. Happy-go-lucky Sally and glass-is-half-empty Harry trace their ever-changing relationship from college 1977 through the present-day. Woven throughout the story of Harry and Sally are anecdotes from older married couples who tell tales of how they met.

Although she remains bright and happy most of the time, Sally has tendencies toward obsessive-compulsive disorder where she painstakingly orders special foods at restaurants and alphabetizes her videotapes on index cards. On the other hand, Harry (nicknamed “The Angel of Death”) finds that the best way to shake off his constant gloom and doom is by hooking up with any agreeable woman for the night.

Harry, Sally, and Others

Through their relationships with their best friends (Carrie Fisher as Marie and Bruno Kirby as Jess) who develop their own intimate relationship with each other, Harry and Sally eventually come to terms with their evolving friendship. When Harry Met Sally explores the beginning, middle, and ending of various love stories and examines the crucial question that has plagued people since the dawn of mankind: “Can men and women really be friends without sex getting in the way?”

Clever, romantic, and insightful, this terrific film features a soundtrack by Marc Shaiman with special musical performances by Harry Connick, Jr. and a goose-bump-inspiring ending that was hilariously parodied on an episode of the television series Scrubs.

The copyright of the article When Harry Met Sally on DVD in Romantic Comedy Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish When Harry Met Sally on DVD in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.