‹ All movies

The Rewatchables ·

When Harry Met Sally...

year 1989decade 80sdirector Rob Reinergenre Comedygenre Romance
host Bill Simmonshost Juliet Litmanhost Amanda Dobbins
All 18 categories

Most Rewatchable Scene · 20:47

Split: the first diner conversation

Bill Simmons: The 1977 car ride, grape spitting, diner order, Sheldon discussion, days-of-the-week underwear, and last-page habit are nominated as an opening cluster.

Bill Simmons: The 1982 airplane scene is nominated for the airport rule, white-man’s overbite, and debate over post-sex affection.

The film

When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

Directed by Rob Reiner · Comedy

95 minutes

IMDb Letterboxd JustWatch Find on Rotten Tomatoes
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Billy Crystal Harry Burns
Meg Ryan Sally Albright
Michelle Nicastro Amanda Reese
Kevin Rooney Ira Stone
Harley Kozak Helen Hillson
Estelle Reiner female customer

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

17:15

Roger Ebert's review

Rating from RogerEbert.com

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:15Read transcript
  • The transcript reports Ebert’s positive assessment and his focus on the two leads’ chemistry. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Roger Ebert's review answers
56:21

Casting What-Ifs

Albert Brooks declined Harry; Susan Dey, Elizabeth Perkins, Elizabeth McGovern, and Molly Ringwald were considered fo...

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)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:21Read transcript
Share this discussion More Casting What-Ifs answers
1:01:03

Half-Assed Internet Research

Rejected titles, Crystal isolating himself, real-couple interludes, Gerald Ford’s son, the original platonic ending, ...

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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:03Read transcript
  • 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. — Bill Simmons
  • Billy Crystal reportedly stayed apart from the cast and crew in another hotel to find Harry’s lonely mindset. — Bill Simmons
  • The interlude couples are reported as real people rather than actors. — Bill Simmons
  • Gerald Ford’s son Jack played Joe. — Bill Simmons
  • 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. — Bill Simmons
  • Reiner and Crystal met playing best friends on All in the Family, and Carrie Fisher knew Reiner through Penny Marshall. — Bill Simmons
  • Harry and Sally’s final interview was reportedly improvised from a much longer filmed exchange.
Share this discussion More Half-Assed Internet Research answers
1:09:44

Picking Nits

Harry’s age makeup and locations, the travel time, unshown careers, Emily breakup, post-sex behavior, dual phone line...

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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:44Read transcript
  • 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. — Juliet Litman
  • 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. — Bill Simmons
  • Harry’s panic and abrupt departure after sleeping with a close friend feel under-motivated without more drinking or bad sex. — Bill Simmons
  • 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. — Amanda Dobbins
Share this discussion More Picking Nits answers
1:23:46

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Would the film improve without the romantic ending? How far did Harry run? Did its success help Seinfeld receive more...

Would the film improve without the romantic ending? How far did Harry run? Did its success help Seinfeld receive more episodes?

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:46Read transcript
  • Would the film be better if Harry and Sally stayed friends? — Bill Simmons
  • How far does Harry run to the Puck Building? Research estimates half a mile and about six minutes at five miles per hour. — Bill Simmons
  • Would Seinfeld have received its four-episode continuation without this film proving an audience for talk-heavy New York friendship stories? — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Probably Unanswerable Questions answers