When Harry Met Sally...
Updated: 12/16/2025, 8:47:26 PM Wikipedia source
When Harry Met Sally... is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron. Starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby, it follows the title characters from the time they meet in Chicago and share a drive to New York City through twelve years of chance encounters in New York, and addresses the question "Can men and women ever just be friends?" Ideas for the film began when Reiner and Penny Marshall divorced. An interview Ephron conducted with Reiner provided the basis for Harry; Sally was based on Ephron and some of her friends. Crystal came on board and made his own contributions to the screenplay. Ephron supplied the structure of the film with much of the dialogue based on the real-life friendship between Reiner and Crystal. The soundtrack consists of standards from Harry Connick Jr., with a big band and orchestra arranged by Marc Shaiman. For his work on the soundtrack, Connick won his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance. Columbia Pictures released When Harry Met Sally in selected cities, letting word of mouth generate interest, before gradually expanding distribution. The film grossed $92.8 million in North America, and was released to critical acclaim. Ephron received the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as nominations for the Academy Award, WGA Award and Golden Globe. The film is ranked 23rd on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs list of the top comedy films in American cinema and number 60 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies". In early 2004, the film was adapted for the stage in a production starring Luke Perry and Alyson Hannigan. In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Infobox
Directed by
Rob Reiner
Written by
Nora Ephron
Produced by
mw- Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
Starring
Billy Crystal Meg Ryan Carrie Fisher Bruno Kirby
Cinematography
Barry Sonnenfeld
Edited by
Robert Leighton
Music by
Marc Shaiman[a] Harry Connick Jr.[b]
Productioncompanies
Castle Rock Entertainment Nelson Entertainment
Distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Release date
July 21, 1989 (1989-07-21)
Running time
95 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$16 million
Box office
$92.8 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen
Recipient(s)
Nora Ephron
Result
Nominated
American Comedy Awards
American Comedy Awards
Award
American Comedy Awards
Category
Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)
Recipient(s)
Billy Crystal
Result
Won
Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)
Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)
Award
Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)
Category
Meg Ryan
Recipient(s)
Won
Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Award
Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Category
Carrie Fisher
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Artios Awards
Artios Awards
Award
Artios Awards
Category
Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy)
Recipient(s)
Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson
Result
Nominated
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Award
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Category
Top Box Office Films
Recipient(s)
Marc Shaiman
Result
Won
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Award
British Academy Film Awards
Category
Best Film
Recipient(s)
Rob Reiner
Result
Nominated
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Award
Best Original Screenplay
Category
Nora Ephron
Recipient(s)
Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Award
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Category
Best Actress
Recipient(s)
Meg Ryan
Result
Nominated
David di Donatello Awards
David di Donatello Awards
Award
David di Donatello Awards
Category
Best Foreign Director
Recipient(s)
Rob Reiner
Result
Nominated
Best Foreign Actress
Best Foreign Actress
Award
Best Foreign Actress
Category
Meg Ryan
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
Category
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Recipient(s)
Rob Reiner
Result
Nominated
DVD Exclusive Awards
DVD Exclusive Awards
Award
DVD Exclusive Awards
Category
Best Audio Commentary
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Recipient(s)
When Harry Met Sally...
Result
Nominated
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Award
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Category
Billy Crystal
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Award
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Category
Meg Ryan
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Category
Rob Reiner
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Award
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Category
Nora Ephron
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards
Writers Guild of America Awards
Award
Writers Guild of America Awards
Category
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen
Recipient(s)
Nominated
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen | Nora Ephron | Nominated | |
| American Comedy Awards | Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Billy Crystal | Won | |
| Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Meg Ryan | Won | ||
| Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Carrie Fisher | Nominated | ||
| Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy) | Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson | Nominated | |
| ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards | Top Box Office Films | Marc Shaiman | Won | |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Rob Reiner | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Nora Ephron | Won | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Meg Ryan | Nominated | |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Director | Rob Reiner | Nominated | |
| Best Foreign Actress | Meg Ryan | Nominated | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Rob Reiner | Nominated | |
| DVD Exclusive Awards | Best Audio Commentary | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | When Harry Met Sally... | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Billy Crystal | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Meg Ryan | Nominated | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | Rob Reiner | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Nora Ephron | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen | Nominated |
References
- Music arrangements and adaptations.
- Special performances and arrangements.
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