Roger Ebert praised Rob Reiner as one of Hollywood’s best comedy directors and emphasized the chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
In the discussion (1)
- The transcript reports Ebert’s positive assessment and his focus on the two leads’ chemistry.
Albert Brooks declined Harry; Susan Dey, Elizabeth Perkins, Elizabeth McGovern, and Molly Ringwald were considered for Sally, with the panel strongly preferring the released pair.
In the discussion (5)
- Albert Brooks reportedly declined because the project felt too similar to Woody Allen and Broadcast News territory.
- Susan Dey is reported as Rob Reiner’s first Sally choice.
- Elizabeth Perkins and Elizabeth McGovern were reportedly considered.
- Molly Ringwald reportedly had a scheduling conflict; the panel rejects her as a poor match with Crystal.
- Meg Ryan gave up Shelby in Steel Magnolias to play Sally, opening that role for Julia Roberts.
Research covers rejected titles, Crystal isolating himself, real-couple interludes, Gerald Ford’s son, the original platonic ending, Reiner’s changed outlook, and improvised material.
In the discussion (8)
- Ephron reportedly proposed “How They Met,” and a crew contest considered Just Friends, Playing Melancholy Baby, Boy Meets Girl, Blue Moon, Words of Love, It Had to Be You, Harry, This Is Sally, and How They Met.
- Billy Crystal reportedly stayed apart from the cast and crew in another hotel to find Harry’s lonely mindset.
- The interlude couples are reported as real people rather than actors.
- Gerald Ford’s son Jack played Joe.
- The script initially kept Harry and Sally platonic; Reiner changed the ending after meeting his future wife during production.
- A 2004 stage adaptation starred Luke Perry and Alyson Hannigan.
- Reiner and Crystal met playing best friends on All in the Family, and Carrie Fisher knew Reiner through Penny Marshall.
- Harry and Sally’s final interview was reportedly improvised from a much longer filmed exchange.
The panel challenges Harry’s age makeup and locations, the travel time, unshown careers, Emily breakup, post-sex behavior, dual phone lines, missing best-man speech, disconnected friend circles, food-bar hygiene, and compressed dating timelines.
In the discussion (11)
- College-age Harry looks far too old.
- Sally appears to drop Harry and all his luggage in Washington Square Park, and the location complicates assumptions about his final run.
- Chicago to New York should take closer to twelve or thirteen hours than the stated eighteen.
- Neither Sally’s reporting nor Harry’s political consulting is ever shown or meaningfully specified.
- Harry’s breakup with the attractive pie-business owner Emily is unexplained.
- Harry’s panic and abrupt departure after sleeping with a close friend feel under-motivated without more drinking or bad sex.
- Marie and Jess inexplicably maintain separate landline numbers on opposite sides of one bed.
- The film omits what should have been a strong Billy Crystal best-man speech.
- Sally, Jess, Harry, and Marie unrealistically remain in isolated pairs despite overlapping journalism and New York Magazine circles.
- Picky, hygienic Sally uses shared hot-food-bar tongs across dishes.
- Joe says “I love you” after one month, while Harry brings an anthropologist to a wedding within three weeks of sleeping with Sally.
The panel asks whether the film would be better without the romantic ending, how far Harry ran, and whether its success helped Seinfeld receive more episodes.
In the discussion (3)
- Would the film be better if Harry and Sally stayed friends?
- How far does Harry run to the Puck Building? Research estimates half a mile and about six minutes at five miles per hour.
- Would Seinfeld have received its four-episode continuation without this film proving an audience for talk-heavy New York friendship stories?
Roger Ebert's review