When Harry Met Sally...


1h 35m 1989

Brief Synopsis

A man and a woman turn a feud into a lasting friendship, until love threatens to ruin everything.

Film Details

Also Known As
När Harry mötte Sally, Quand Harry rencontre Sally, Quand Harry rencontre Sally...
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Romance
Romantic Comedy
Release Date
1989
Distribution Company
Sony Pictures Releasing
Location
Silvercup Studios, New York City, New York, USA; New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; Hollywood Center Studios, Hollywood, California, USA; Chicago, Illinois, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 35m

Synopsis

Does sex make it impossible for men and women to be true friends? This romantic comedy chronicles this dilemma through the eleven year relationship between Harry and Sally who meet in college, then pursue their own lives until they reconnect ten years later.

Crew

Joshua Abeles

Production Assistant

Stephen A Abrums

Makeup

Robin Allan

Casting Associate

Linda Allan-folsom

Production Coordinator

James Archer

Props

Brian Armstrong

Camera Assistant

Louis Armstrong

Song Performer

George Baetz

Boom Operator

Mark A Baker

Unit Manager

Nicole Barnum

Other

Aaron Barsky

Assistant Director

Judy Bauer

Production Accountant

Irving Berlin

Song

Felix Bernard

Song

Richard Betts

Song

Bruce Birmelin

Photography

Ralph Blane

Song

Donna Bloom

Location Manager

Carlyn Bochicchio

Production Assistant

Kathy Bond

Other

Norman Buckley

Assistant Editor

Gary Burritt

Negative Cutting

Joseph A Campayno

Makeup

Charles L Campbell

Sound Editor

Paul Carden

Sound Editor

Larry Carow

Sound Editor

Jason Charles

Production Assistant

Ray Charles

Song Performer

Ken Chase

Makeup

Harry Connick

Music Arranger

Harry Connick

Song Performer

Harry Connick

Music

Jay Cooper

Assistant

Leslie Cornyn

Accounting Assistant

Bing Crosby

Song Performer

Victoria Cullingham

Production Assistant

Michael Curtiz

Other

Ronnie Davis

Assistant

Angelo Digiacomo

Camera Assistant

Dean Drabin

Foley Mixer

Vernon Duke

Song

Chris Duskin

Camera Assistant

Robert Eber

Sound Mixer

Louis L Edemann

Sound Editor

Duke Ellington

Song

Russ Engels

Gaffer

Lampton Enochs

Production Assistant

Nora Ephron

Screenplay

Nora Ephron

Associate Producer

James Fanning

Transportation Coordinator

William Farley

Hair

Eddie Fickett

Production Assistant

Ella Fitzgerald

Song Performer

Joe Frank

Song Performer

Richard C Franklin

Sound Editor

John K Fundus

Boom Operator

Forrest L Futrell

Assistant Director

Dannis Gamiello

Key Grip

Don Garrison

Location Manager

George Gershwin

Music

Ira Gershwin

Theme Lyrics

David Gertz

Sound

David Glazer

Property Master

Lynn Goldman

Accounting Assistant

Debbie Goldsmith

Assistant Editor

Benny Goodman And His Orchestra

Song

Gloria Gresham

Costume Designer

Oscar Hammerstein Ii

Song

Lorenz Hart

Song

Tony Hatch

Song

Shell Hecht

Other

M Todd Henry

Camera Operator

Janet Hirshenson

Casting

Michael Hirshenson

Casting Associate

Sol Horn

Assistant

David J Hudson

Sound

David Jenkins

Production Assistant

Jane Jenkins

Casting

Isham Jones

Song

Gus Kahn

Song

Kevin Kelley

Gaffer

Laura Kenyon

Song

Pam Kimber

Sound Editor

Dennis Lambert

Song

Robert Leighton

Editor

Barbara Lorenz

Hair

Lee Lighting Ltd

Lighting

Hugh Martin

Song

Emily Maupin

Assistant

Peter Mccan

Song

Kerry Lyn Mckissick

Script Supervisor

Greg Mcmurray

Video

Chuck Meely

Sound Editor

Mel Metcalfe

Sound

Thomas Milligan

Camera Assistant

Maura Minsky

Other

Peter Montagna

Makeup

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Music

Jane Musky

Production Designer

George R. Nelson

Set Decorator

Michael Neumann

Production Assistant

Steve Nevius

Assistant Editor

Steven Nicolaides

Production Manager

Steven Nicolaides

Coproducer

Tina Nielsen

Assistant

Lucille Ouyang

Assistant Director

Mitchell Parish

Song

Jennifer Parsons

Costume Supervisor

Ralph Penland

Song Performer

Terry Porter

Sound

Brian Potter

Song

Billy Puzo

Scenic Artist

Jane Raab

Production Coordinator

Andy Razaf

Song

Rob Reiner

Producer

Reynolds

Song Performer

John Richards

Music

Richard Rodgers

Song

Rod Rogers

Adr Editor

Tim Roslan

Transportation Coordinator

Bob Russell

Song

Edgar Sampson

Song

Donna Santora

Accounting Assistant

Andrew Scheinman

Producer

Andy Schwartz

Photography

Marc Shaiman

Music Arranger

Marc Shaiman

Original Music

Marc Shaiman

Song

Marc Shaiman

Music

Thom Sharp

Original Music

Frank Sinatra

Song Performer

Larry Singer

Adr Editor

Dick Smith

Song

Barry Sonnenfeld

Dp/Cinematographer

Barry Sonnenfeld

Director Of Photography

Scott Stambler

Music Supervisor

Max Steiner

Music

Jeff Stott

Coproducer

Harold Thrasher

Art Department Coordinator

Dick Tice

Property Master

Frank Viviano

Construction Coordinator

Jennifer Warnes

Song Performer

Michael Waxman

Assistant Director

Chick Webb

Song

Scott Wittman

Song

Ben Wolfe

Song Performer

Sabrina Wright-basile

Set Decorator

Charles Zalben

Assistant Director

Film Details

Also Known As
När Harry mötte Sally, Quand Harry rencontre Sally, Quand Harry rencontre Sally...
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Romance
Romantic Comedy
Release Date
1989
Distribution Company
Sony Pictures Releasing
Location
Silvercup Studios, New York City, New York, USA; New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; Hollywood Center Studios, Hollywood, California, USA; Chicago, Illinois, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 35m

Award Nominations

Best Original Screenplay

1989

Articles

When Harry Met Sally...


Director Rob Reiner had no idea that he would strike such a chord with his 1989 film When Harry Met Sally... by posing the simple question: "Can men and women really be friends?" This charming romantic comedy explores this idea by following the characters of Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) over the course of twelve years through a series of chance encounters. At first, the two can't stand each other. Harry is a laid back pessimist with low expectations of relationships, while Sally is a rigid optimist. Over time, the two form a platonic friendship. Falling in love seems inevitable for these two polar opposites, but the question is whether or not they can make that leap without destroying their friendship.

The initial idea for When Harry Met Sally... evolved from Rob Reiner's personal experiences as a man who had been married for several years, divorced and then thrown back into the dating pool again. "I had been single for ten years," said Reiner, "and that really was the basis for the whole movie...trying to figure out how I could ever get with a woman again, and my single life and making a mess of it." The actual script was a "true collaboration," according to Reiner, between himself, producer Andrew Scheinman, writer Nora Ephron, with some notable contributions from stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. Over lunch, Reiner and Scheinman shared their personal relationship stories with Nora Ephron, who in turn shared her own. For them, the humorous exchange illuminated the differences between a man's perspective and a woman's perspective on relationships. This "he said/she said" formula became the basis for the screenplay that Ephron eventually completed. Ephron herself provided the inspiration for one of Sally's most distinctive character traits. Scheinman and Reiner noticed Ephron's habit of placing complicated orders in restaurants, though she was oblivious to its comic effect. Reiner insisted that she put it in the script. Ephron's ordering idiosyncrasies became Sally's hilarious fixation with having everything provided "on the side" in the film.

During the famous scene in New York's Katz's Deli where Harry and Sally are debating whether or not women fake orgasms, it was Meg Ryan's idea to have Sally actually fake an orgasm at the table. Reiner loved the idea, but when it came time to shoot the scene, Ryan became a little nervous. According to Reiner, "The first take was very tentative. Then I said, "Meg, if this is going to work, we've got to really go at it." When Ryan still didn't quite deliver what he was looking for, Reiner himself stepped in and took her place at the table to demonstrate exactly what he wanted. Reiner went all out, pounding the table with his hands and yelling, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" to the amusement of everyone on the set.

Visiting her son that same day was Estelle Reiner, Rob's mother. Reiner put her to work as an extra in the deli while Meg Ryan finally delivered her famous fake orgasm performance with the comic gusto Reiner was looking for. Billy Crystal then made the suggestion of having one of the other customers immediately say afterwards, "I'll have what she's having." Reiner gave the memorable line to his mother, and it turned out to be the biggest laugh in the movie.

When Harry Met Sally... contains a series of documentary-like testimonials of various couples recounting the stories of how they met. This was a touch inspired by a time when Reiner had asked the father of one of his close friends how he had met his wife. Reiner noticed how the man lit up and came alive as he told the story of their courtship. This gave him the idea to film real couples and record their true stories and use them in the finished film. At first he did use real couples for these interviews. Their stories were wonderful, but they weren't being delivered concisely enough to suit the flow of the film. Actors were then hired and given scripted versions of the various true stories.

For the music in the film, Reiner wanted to use old standards as a way to give the film a timeless quality. A friend of his gave him a tape of a then-unknown 20-year-old musician/singer named Harry Connick, Jr. Reiner found just the sound he was looking for in Connick's Sinatra-inspired sound and hired him to contribute some songs and special musical arrangements to the film's soundtrack. He provided fresh takes on old favorites like I Could Write a Book and It Had to be You which perfectly fit the mood of the film. The success of the movie and soundtrack gave Harry Connick, Jr.'s career a huge boost.

When Harry Met Sally... was a big hit with audiences and critics alike with Nora Ephron's screenplay going on to be nominated for an Academy Award. For Rob Reiner, the biggest success related to the film was a personal one. It was during the making of When Harry Met Sally... that he met his second wife. When asked how he hoped the film would be remembered throughout time, Reiner answered, "...hopefully that I was honest and people who recognized human behavior the way it really is were entertained and had gotten some laughs."

Producer: Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Jeffrey Stott, Steve Nicolaides
Director: Rob Reiner
Screenplay: Nora Ephron
Art Direction: Jane Musky
Cinematography: Barry Sonnenfeld
Editing: Robert Leighton
Music: Harry Connick, Jr, Marc Shaiman
Cast: Billy Crystal (Harry Burns), Meg Ryan (Sally Albright), Carrie Fisher (Marie), Bruce "Bruno" Kirby, Jr. (Jess), Steven Ford (Joe), Lisa Jane Persky (Alice).
C-96m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning.

by Andrea Passafiume
When Harry Met Sally...

When Harry Met Sally...

Director Rob Reiner had no idea that he would strike such a chord with his 1989 film When Harry Met Sally... by posing the simple question: "Can men and women really be friends?" This charming romantic comedy explores this idea by following the characters of Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) over the course of twelve years through a series of chance encounters. At first, the two can't stand each other. Harry is a laid back pessimist with low expectations of relationships, while Sally is a rigid optimist. Over time, the two form a platonic friendship. Falling in love seems inevitable for these two polar opposites, but the question is whether or not they can make that leap without destroying their friendship. The initial idea for When Harry Met Sally... evolved from Rob Reiner's personal experiences as a man who had been married for several years, divorced and then thrown back into the dating pool again. "I had been single for ten years," said Reiner, "and that really was the basis for the whole movie...trying to figure out how I could ever get with a woman again, and my single life and making a mess of it." The actual script was a "true collaboration," according to Reiner, between himself, producer Andrew Scheinman, writer Nora Ephron, with some notable contributions from stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. Over lunch, Reiner and Scheinman shared their personal relationship stories with Nora Ephron, who in turn shared her own. For them, the humorous exchange illuminated the differences between a man's perspective and a woman's perspective on relationships. This "he said/she said" formula became the basis for the screenplay that Ephron eventually completed. Ephron herself provided the inspiration for one of Sally's most distinctive character traits. Scheinman and Reiner noticed Ephron's habit of placing complicated orders in restaurants, though she was oblivious to its comic effect. Reiner insisted that she put it in the script. Ephron's ordering idiosyncrasies became Sally's hilarious fixation with having everything provided "on the side" in the film. During the famous scene in New York's Katz's Deli where Harry and Sally are debating whether or not women fake orgasms, it was Meg Ryan's idea to have Sally actually fake an orgasm at the table. Reiner loved the idea, but when it came time to shoot the scene, Ryan became a little nervous. According to Reiner, "The first take was very tentative. Then I said, "Meg, if this is going to work, we've got to really go at it." When Ryan still didn't quite deliver what he was looking for, Reiner himself stepped in and took her place at the table to demonstrate exactly what he wanted. Reiner went all out, pounding the table with his hands and yelling, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" to the amusement of everyone on the set. Visiting her son that same day was Estelle Reiner, Rob's mother. Reiner put her to work as an extra in the deli while Meg Ryan finally delivered her famous fake orgasm performance with the comic gusto Reiner was looking for. Billy Crystal then made the suggestion of having one of the other customers immediately say afterwards, "I'll have what she's having." Reiner gave the memorable line to his mother, and it turned out to be the biggest laugh in the movie. When Harry Met Sally... contains a series of documentary-like testimonials of various couples recounting the stories of how they met. This was a touch inspired by a time when Reiner had asked the father of one of his close friends how he had met his wife. Reiner noticed how the man lit up and came alive as he told the story of their courtship. This gave him the idea to film real couples and record their true stories and use them in the finished film. At first he did use real couples for these interviews. Their stories were wonderful, but they weren't being delivered concisely enough to suit the flow of the film. Actors were then hired and given scripted versions of the various true stories. For the music in the film, Reiner wanted to use old standards as a way to give the film a timeless quality. A friend of his gave him a tape of a then-unknown 20-year-old musician/singer named Harry Connick, Jr. Reiner found just the sound he was looking for in Connick's Sinatra-inspired sound and hired him to contribute some songs and special musical arrangements to the film's soundtrack. He provided fresh takes on old favorites like I Could Write a Book and It Had to be You which perfectly fit the mood of the film. The success of the movie and soundtrack gave Harry Connick, Jr.'s career a huge boost. When Harry Met Sally... was a big hit with audiences and critics alike with Nora Ephron's screenplay going on to be nominated for an Academy Award. For Rob Reiner, the biggest success related to the film was a personal one. It was during the making of When Harry Met Sally... that he met his second wife. When asked how he hoped the film would be remembered throughout time, Reiner answered, "...hopefully that I was honest and people who recognized human behavior the way it really is were entertained and had gotten some laughs." Producer: Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Jeffrey Stott, Steve Nicolaides Director: Rob Reiner Screenplay: Nora Ephron Art Direction: Jane Musky Cinematography: Barry Sonnenfeld Editing: Robert Leighton Music: Harry Connick, Jr, Marc Shaiman Cast: Billy Crystal (Harry Burns), Meg Ryan (Sally Albright), Carrie Fisher (Marie), Bruce "Bruno" Kirby, Jr. (Jess), Steven Ford (Joe), Lisa Jane Persky (Alice). C-96m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning. by Andrea Passafiume

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States July 14, 1989

Released in United States on Video December 14, 1989

Released in United States September 1989

Released in United States Summer July 12, 1989

Wide Release in United States July 21, 1989

Began shooting August 29, 1988.

Completed shooting November 15, 1988.

Released in United States Summer July 12, 1989

Released in United States July 14, 1989 (Los Angeles)

Wide Release in United States July 21, 1989

Released in United States September 1989

Released in United States on Video December 14, 1989