20th Favorite Movie - When Harry Met Sally
Make sure you have read the first post in this series ("My 50 Favorite Movies") before you read on...
It has been said before that all great love stories are the same: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. Think for a second: what percentage of "chick flicks" have that formula? It has to be at least 75%. The only other way to write it is to make it so they don't get together until the end (Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail), which accounts for the other 25%.
Speaking of "chick flick", I will argue to my death that When Harry Met Sally is not one of them. I will grant you that it is a romantic comedy, but it is not a chick flick. Here is why: it is a Billy Crystal movie, not a chick flick. By nature, Billy Crystal is incapable of being the leading man in a true chick flick. Even Forget Paris had the basketball scenes for guys to enjoy. Chick flicks are often more wishful and sentimental, while When Harry Met Sally is more edgy and realistic.
Also, there is something about the scenes where Billy Crystal is together with Bruno Kirby that is completely un-"chick flick". They are actually very funny, and they are written for men to enjoy. By the way, Bruno Kirby is one of my favorite actors of all time and I was sad when he passed away last summer. He was also brilliant in City Slickers and Godfather Part II. His screaming "baby fish mouth!" during the Pictionary scene when the correct answer was "baby talk" is one of my favorite scenes in this movie.
I don't want to give the impression that a chick flick cannot be a good movie, or a funny movie. I thought Notting Hill was good and very funny and I have probably seen it 10+ times. And coming soon on this list is a undeniable, no-doubt-about-it chick flick. So stay tuned.
Labels: movies
posted by Danny @ 11:39 AM
5 Comments:
Although you don't know me I somehow got to this blog via work boredom. I am in full Bruno Kirby agreement. He's fantastic. My favorite part is when discussing his writing with Princess Leah he says, "It spoke to you, and that pleases me." I hope to say that to someone someday.
Thanks for posting. That is a good line and that whole scene culminating with the jump into the taxi at the end is timed perfectly.
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Nice pick, bro! The cute lady in the diner is still one of the best pieces of popular film: "I'll have what she's having!" If I remember right, that's somebody's mother -- the director's or Billy's, I think.
The reason it's great for girls and guys is that it was written by a woman, using her stories and the director's stories - you can read about it in the published screenplay.
I've written about the movie as well -- http://finding-true-love-through-movies.blogspot.com/2009/02/post-valentines-day-and-idea-of-him.html
Hoping to educate girls before they marry, so they don't make the mistakes Sally does.
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