I can’t say how many times I’ve watched my favorite movie, “When Harry Met Sally…,” but it never gets old. I mostly watch it by myself since I know all the words and annoy the hell out of anyone else in the room as I talk along to the lines as they appear on screen (“If you need a root canal, Sheldon’s your man” or “You’re right, you’re right, I know you’re right” or “I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich…”), laughing as if I’d heard and seen it for the first time.
It’s one of those films that provides a familiar joy and loving comfort at anytime, good or bad. It’s one of the few DVDs I still own, having purged my library since streaming became a thing. And so it was delightful to learn that AFI (American Film Institute), which has launched their “Movies To Watch Together While We’re Apart” program, chose “When Harry Met Sally” as their film of the day.
AFI recruited Elizabeth Moss, wearing her “I’ll Have What She’s Having” fan-girl T-shirt (jealous!), expressing her love for the film and then reading Nora Ephron’s introduction to the famous screenplay, which Elizabeth highly recommends reading as do I. You can download it here.
The AFI Movie Club launched their program “to raise the nation’s spirits by bringing artists and audiences together – even while we are apart.” To view where you can stream “When Harry Met Sally…” go to AFI.com/MovieClub, which has partnered with Reelgood to deliver the film’s direct links to streaming sites such as Amazon’s Prime Video, YouTube, VUDU, iTunes and Microsoft.
Last year the rom-com classic celebrated its 30th Anniversary with events and screenings, including the opening night film slot at the 2019 TMC Film Festival in Los Angeles with appearances of Rob Reiner, Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. There was also a People magazine Collector’s Edition featuring the “inside story of America’s favorite romantic comedy.”
Another real treasure for fans is this discussion between Nora and Rob recalling how the film came together, from the early days of the project and the coordination of schedules to the development of key plot points based on the reality of being single, dating, and the unknown truths from a women’s (Nora) and a man’s (Rob) perspective.
While there a bazillion new shows and movies to watch on numerous streaming channels, sometimes cozying up with a classic that will give you a comforting escape is just what we need. So I’ll meet you in New York City. I’ll bring the virtual wine, popcorn and blanket.
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