Classic 90s Movie: “You’ve Got Mail”
May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Adrian Patenaude.
Movie Title: You’ve Got Mail
Year: 1998
Writers: Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, based on the play “Parfumerie” by Miklós Lázló
Lead Actors: Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks
Director: Nora Ephron
IMDB Plot Summary: Two business rivals hate each other at the office but fall in love over the internet.
My logline: Two New York bookstore owners fall in love over the Internet, but when they meet in real life they are pitted against each other in a battle of businesses.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 90s Movie: I was only 5 when You’ve Got Mail came out, but it was an instant classic in my family. My mom and I probably re-watched it together every few months when I was growing up. Now, as a young adult, I still swear the 90s were the golden age of romantic comedy.
There are a few things I can point to in You’ve Got Mail that always remind me of the era. First, the film is set in a big city, just like many other rom-coms of the time: Chicago (While You Were Sleeping), New York City (When Harry Met Sally), Seattle (Sleepless in…you guessed it!). Next is the intro credit sequence consisting of lovingly crafted B-roll of the film’s chosen city, set to an upbeat pop song. You’ve Got Mail does this with its own technological twist, panning over a computer-generated skyline of New York City. The movie also stars the most popular on-screen couple of the decade: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. And of course, writer and director Nora Ephron. She was the queen of romantic comedy at the time, bringing to the screen other classics like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: My favorite moment in the movie is after Joe Fox puts Kathleen Kelly’s beloved bookstore out of business, then realizes she is the woman he fell in love with over the Internet. When he finds out she’s stuck at home with a cold, he barges into her apartment with a bouquet of daisies, hoping he can at least win her friendship.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Birdie (talking to Kathleen Kelly after her bookstore closes): You are daring to imagine that you could have a different life. Oh, I know it doesn’t feel like that. You feel like a big fat failure now. But you’re not. You are marching into the unknown armed with… [pause] Nothing. Have a sandwich.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: After watching this movie so often growing up, it took reading the screenplay to recognize some of the more brilliant aspects of the film. First, every character is so funny and unique: Frank, Kathleen’s boyfriend who is “in love with his typewriter”; Patricia, Joe’s girlfriend who “makes coffee nervous”; Birdie, Kathleen’s mentor with a mysterious love life; and a host of others. I didn’t realize until I read the screenplay how well-developed each of them are, with character arcs of their own. Even though some of their scenes were cute from the final film, the depth of each character remained.
Also, watch how the movie transitions subtly between seasons. The film starts out in the fall, progresses through winter, and culminates in spring. It adds a wonderful richness to the story and does a beautiful job of mirroring the act changes as well.
Thanks, Adrian! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
You can go here for Adrian’s blog.
We already have a set of 80s Movies. This month we cover 90s movies. So thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies they should watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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