When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writer (WGA):

Nora Ephron (written by)

Release Date:

21 July 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Can two friends sleep together and still love each other in the morning?

Plot:

Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Friendship | New York | University Of Chicago | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Billy Crystal	...	Harry Burns
Meg Ryan	...	Sally Albright
Carrie Fisher	...	Marie
Bruno Kirby	...	Jess
Steven Ford	...	Joe
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Alice
Michelle Nicastro	...	Amanda Reese
Gretchen Palmer	...	Stewardess
Robert Alan Beuth	...	Man on aisle
David Burdick	...	Nine-year-old boy
Joe Viviani	...	Judge
Harley Jane Kozak	...	Helen Helson (as Harley Kozak)
Joseph Hunt	...	Waiter at wedding
Kevin Rooney	...	Ira Stone
Franc Luz	...	Julian
Tracy Reiner	...	Emily
Kyle T. Heffner	...	Gary (as Kyle Heffner)
Kimberley LaMarque	...	Waitress (as Kimberley Lamarque)
Stacey Katzin	...	Hostess
Estelle Reiner	...	Older customer in orgasm scene ("I'll have what she's having")
John Arceri	...	Christmas-tree salesman
Peter Day	...	Joke teller at wedding
Kuno Sponholz	...	Documentary couple #1
Connie Sawyer	...	Documentary couple #1
Charles Dugan	...	Documentary couple #2
Katherine Squire	...	Documentary couple #2
Al Christy	...	Documentary couple #3
Frances Chaney	...	Documentary couple #3
Bernie Hern	...	Documentary couple #4
Rose Wright	...	Documentary couple #4
Aldo Rossi	...	Documentary couple #5
Donna Hardy	...	Documentary couple #5
Peter Pan	...	Documentary couple #6
Jane Chung	...	Documentary couple #6
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Ader	...	Tap dancer (uncredited)
David Giardina	...	Extra (uncredited)
Nicholas Glaeser	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Marilyn Spanier	...	Tap dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Rob Reiner

Writing credits (WGA)
Nora Ephron		(written by)

Produced by
Nora Ephron	....	associate producer
Steve Nicolaides	....	co-producer
Rob Reiner	....	producer
Andrew Scheinman	....	producer
Jeffrey Stott	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Barry Sonnenfeld		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Leighton

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Jane Musky

Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson
Sabrina Wright		(as Sabrina Wright-Basile)

Costume Design by
Gloria Gresham

Makeup Department
Stephen Abrums	....	makeup artist: Meg Ryan
Joseph A. Campayno	....	makeup artist: Meg Ryan
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist: Billy Crystal (as Kenneth Chase)
William A. Farley	....	hair stylist
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist
Peter Montagna	....	makeup artist: Billy Crystal

Production Management
Mark A. Baker	....	unit manager
Steve Nicolaides	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aaron Barsky	....	first assistant director
Forrest L. Futrell	....	additional second assistant director
Lucille Ouyang	....	additional second assistant director (as Lucille A. Ouyang)
Michael Waxman	....	second assistant director
Charles Zalben	....	additional second assistant director

Art Department
James J. Archer	....	props
David L. Glazer	....	property master
Billy Puzo	....	scenic artist
Harold Thrasher	....	art department coordinator
Dick Tice	....	property master
Frank Viviano	....	construction coordinator
Mychael Bates	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Michael D. Costello	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Clare Scarpulla	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Chris Snyder	....	construction foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Baetz	....	boom operator
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Timothy Carden	....	sound editor
Larry Carow	....	sound editor
Dean Drabin	....	foley mixer
Robert Eber	....	sound mixer
Louis L. Edemann	....	supervising sound editor
Richard C. Franklin	....	sound editor (as Richard C. Franklin Jr.)
John Fundus	....	boom operator (as John K. Fundus)
David Gertz	....	dubbing recordist
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pamela G. Kimber	....	assistant sound editor (as Pam Kimber)
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chuck Neely	....	sound editor
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rod Rogers	....	assistant adr editor
Larry Singer	....	supervising adr editor
Tim Song Jones	....	sound transferer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian W. Armstrong	....	assistant camera (as Brian Armstrong)
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Angelo Di Giacomo	....	assistant camera (as Angelo DiGiacomo)
Christopher Duskin	....	assistant camera
Russell Engels	....	gaffer (as Russell W. Engels)
Dennis Gamiello	....	key grip
M. Todd Henry	....	camera operator
Kevin Kelley	....	gaffer
Thomas Miligan	....	assistant camera
Andrew D. Schwartz	....	still photographer (as Andy Schwartz)
Michael Burke	....	electrician (uncredited)
Raymond Fortune	....	electrician (uncredited)
Paul Jacobsen	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)
Maricella Ramirez	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Robin Joy Allan	....	casting associate (as Robin Allan)
Michael Hirshenson	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer L. Parsons	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Norman Buckley	....	assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Debbie Goldsmith	....	assistant editor
Steven Nevius	....	assistant editor (as Steve Nevius)
J. Kathleen Gibson	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Harry Connick Jr.	....	special musical performances and arrangements
John Richards	....	music scoring mixer
Marc Shaiman	....	music adaptor
Marc Shaiman	....	music arranger
Marc Shaiman	....	orchestrator
Thomas Richard Sharp	....	orchestrator (as Thom Sharp)
Scott Stambler	....	music supervisor
Mahlon Clark	....	musician: clarinet (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James Fanning	....	transportation coordinator (as James E. Fanning)
Tim Roslan	....	transportation coordinator
Bobby Marsh	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Joshua Abeles	....	production assistant
Nicole Barnum	....	production secretary
Judy Bauer	....	production accountant
Donna E. Bloom	....	location manager (as Donna Bloom)
Carlyn Bochicchio	....	production assistant
Kathy Bond	....	production secretary
Jason Charles	....	production assistant
Leslie Cornyn	....	assistant accountant
Victoria Cullingham	....	production assistant
Iddo Lampton Enochs Jr.	....	production assistant (as Lampton Enochs)
Eddie Fickett	....	production assistant (as Edward Fickett)
Linda Folsom	....	production coordinator (as Linda Allan)
Don Garrison	....	location manager
Lynn Goldman	....	assistant accountant
Shell Hecht	....	production secretary
Dave Jenkins	....	production assistant (as David Jenkins)
Emily Maupin	....	assistant: Mr. Reiner
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor
Gregory L. McMurry	....	video: Video Image (as Greg McMurray)
Hwei-Chu Meng	....	production coordinator
Maura Minsky	....	production secretary
Michael Neumann	....	production assistant
Jane Raab	....	production coordinator
Donna Santora	....	assistant accountant
Frans J. Afman	....	financial services (uncredited)
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Dianne Ketchum Friedgen	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Douglas Tirola	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Jay L. Cooper	....	thanks (as Jay Cooper)
Ronnie Davis	....	thanks
Sol Horn	....	special thanks
Tina Nielsen	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment
• Nelson Entertainment

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical) (North America)
• 20th Century Fox (1989) (France) (theatrical)
• Nelson Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Orion Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Mundial Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1990) (Argentina) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1992) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (West Germany)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Palace Pictures (1989) (UK) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Films (1989) (Argentina) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Sound  sound re-recording
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Columbia Records  soundtrack published by
• Evergreen Recording Studios  music recording
• Lee Lighting America  lighting and grip equipment
• Nancy Seltzer & Associates  publicity
• O'Melveny & Myers  legal services
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Wilkinson/Lipman  publicity

Also Known As:

Harry, This Is Sally (USA) (working title)
When Harry Met Sally (USA) (DVD box title)
Cuando Harry conoció a Sally (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Quand Harry rencontre Sally... (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Cuando Harry encontró a Sally (Spain) [es]
Da Harry mødte Sally (Denmark) [da]
Da han møtte henne (Norway) (TV title) [no]
Da han møtte henne - eller vennskap og sex (Norway) [no]
Harry & Sally - Feitos um Para o Outro (Brazil) [pt]
Harry Sally'le tanisinca (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Harry und Sally (West Germany) [de]
Harry, ti presento Sally (Italy) [it]
Kdyz Harry potkal Sally... (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Kiedy Harry poznal Sally (Poland) [pl]
Kun Harry tapasi Sallyn... (Finland) [fi]
När Harry mötte Sally (Sweden) [sv]
När Harry träffade Sally (Sweden) [sv]
Um Amor Inevitável (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

96 min | Turkey:89 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | Norway:11 (TV rating) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Italy:T | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

The orgasm scene was filmed at Katz's Deli, an actual restaurant on New York's E. Houston Street. The table at which the scene was filmed now has a plaque on it that reads, "Congratulations! You're sitting where Harry met Sally."

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Sally tells Marie that "Harry doesn't even like sweets," but on New Year's Eve, Harry says how great Mallowmars are.

Quotes:

Harry Burns: I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Movie Connections:

References Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Soundtrack:

The Surrey With The Fringe On Top

peerless

I love romantic comedies, and this may be my all-time favorite. Nora Ephron's writing is sharp and VERY funny, and the perfect cast delivers the dialogue with flawless timing. I own it on DVD, and will almost invariably turn to it for at least a couple of minutes when I see it in the TV schedule. There are so many priceless moments that I can't pick out one to highlight; most of them are subtler and funnier than the famous Simulated Orgasm scene. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher are perfect in their supporting roles, and Rob Reiner's direction couldn't be better. I'm afraid that I'm doing nothing but gushing in this review, but great is great, and it's hard to say anything else.