When Harry Met Sally (1989)
92%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
4 wins & 17 nominations total
Rob Reiner’s touching, funny film set a new standard for romantic comedies, and he was ably abetted by the sharp interplay between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
When Harry Met Sally is the rom-com that sets the standard for all others. It’s the perfect blend of witty banter, heartwarming moments, and a love story that will make you swoon. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have an undeniable chemistry that makes you root for them from the very beginning. And let’s not forget about that iconic scene in the diner. It’s the perfect movie to watch with your significant other or even just with a tub of ice cream on a Friday night. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Production Company(ies)
Preferred Content Sundial Pictures,
Distributor
Columbia Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Katz’s Delicatessen – 205 East Houston Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1989
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 35m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 1989 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Steven Ford, Lisa Jane Persky, directed by Rob Reiner, written by Nora Ephron, comedy, romance, R rating, box office success, $90.4M gross, reviewed by THR Staff, Glenn Heath Jr., Ian Nathan, Peter Bradshaw, Kate Muir, Dave Kehr, Fico Cangiano, Cate Young, Mike Massie, Katie Duggan, Tim Allis, Pablo Muñoz, 1989 release, Columbia Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., produced by Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, sound mix: Surround, Stereo
Worldwide gross: $93,273,565
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $227,286,411
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 626
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 24,785,868
US/Canada gross: $93,117,425
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $226,905,933
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 299
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,094,453
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,666,932
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,173
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $16,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $38,988,352
Production budget ranking: 980
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $20,995,227
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $167,302,831
ROI to date (est.): 279%
ROI ranking: 487
Meg Ryan – Sally Albright
Carrie Fisher – Marie
Bruno Kirby – Jess
Steven Ford – Joe
Lisa Jane Persky – Alice
Director(s)
Rob Reiner
Writer(s)
Nora Ephron
Producer(s)
Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
4 wins & 17 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (69) | Rotten (7)
When Harry Met Sally is a beautiful, brainy, touching and lilting romantic comedy that should touch the heartstrings of lovers and those yearning to be in love everywhere.
July 18, 2018
THR Staff
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Cynically lovely and a whip smart archetype for the modern rom-com.
December 11, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Glenn Heath Jr.
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Ephron’s tart, grown-up script examines the inevitably of love finding a way despite the fight put up by this famous pair of snappy New Yorkers.
December 10, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Still a treat.
December 10, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Quite possibly the greatest romantic comedy since Some Like It Hot.
January 1, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Reiner wants to maintain the sitcom sense of comfort and familiarity; he creates types that we somehow already know, slightly out-of-focus images in which we can see ourselves and our friends.
July 30, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Without a doubt, one of the best romantic comedies ever. A warm, funny and intelligent exploration regarding friendships between men and women. Full review in Spanish
March 9, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
“As the archetypes for men and women onscreen for 30 years now, both the characters and the film hold up surprisingly well. The banter between the leads is believable, charming, fun, and frequently funny.”
March 19, 2021
Cate Young
Thirty, Flirty + Film
One of the very best romantic comedies of its time.
September 8, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The title informs audiences they will hear about the circumstances surrounding the meeting of Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan)… but the ellipsis suggests it is not the meeting itself that is the story. It is all about what happens after.
July 27, 2020
Katie Duggan
Film Daze
The movie’s brush strokes are bright, the finished canvas is pleasing but uninspired.
May 21, 2020
Tim Allis
OutWeek
It has aged perfectly. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 24, 2020
Pablo Muñoz
Espinof…
Plot
Harry and Sally meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally a close friendship blooms between them, and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: “Can a man and a woman be friends, without sex getting in the way?”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found on Fresh Kernels about the film.
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