When Harry Met Sally… Collector's Edition

Rob Reiner’s Woody Allen-lite relationship comedy retains its charms as a precursor to some of the best and worst films, and sitcoms, of the ’90s. Featuring star-making turns by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, When Harry Met Sally… received an "R” rating upon its 1989 release based solely on its most famous scene — Sally (Ryan) loudly demonstrating to Harry (Crystal) how easy it is for women to simulate an orgasm while both are having lunch in a crowded New York deli. There are a few other edgy moments but by and large, the film is a pretty sanitised look at male/female relationship dynamics. Having met for the first time on a drive from Chicago to New York after graduating from university, Sally finds Harry dark and obnoxious, yet fortuitous encounters over subsequent years draw them close as friends until they finally admit their love for one another. The script was hatched by director Reiner and writer Nora Ephron, with both hoping to finally dispel myths about the opposite sex. In commentaries and featurettes, Reiner, Ephron and Crystal discuss how Harry’s philandering and attitude about women were, at least initially, harvested from Reiner’s own life as a baffled bachelor who truly believed it impossible for men and women to become friends without the prospect of sex complicating matters. Borrowing heavily from Allen’s Annie Hall and Manhattan, the film mostly streamlines angst for populist charm, influencing the audiences for reality-inspired programs like Seinfeld and Mad About You, if not the shows themselves. Reiner’s trust in Crystal’s improvisational comic instincts (on further display in deleted scenes) and Ryan’s lovely glow (which begat her many subsequent lead roles in romantic comedies with Tom Hanks) fosters tangible chemistry between the actors, enabling When Harry Met Sally… to resonate as a likable and even insightful comedy. Plus: Featurettes, original trailer, audio commentary.