"When Harry Met Sally ..." @ 30

Every so often a movie comes along that's more than just a movie but becomes a talisman for life. It helps you navigate your own path forward, your own relationships and feelings, and it becomes a part of your heart.

For my generation, it's When Harry Met Sally ... which came out 30 years ago this month. I was a kid burgeoning on teenager-dome, and this movie -- this great, brilliantly written, magically acted, beautifully made, perfectly executed film -- made me think about what it might be like to be a grown up, to date, to have different kinds of friendships, about what kind of person I might become. I can't say, by any stretch of the imagination, that I live a life like any of the characters in the film (well, maybe a little, once upon a time) but this movie, and the issues it raises about men and women, are as timely today as they were back then -- and, believe you me, this movie was the topic of many conversations I had as a young man with both men and women.

If you've seen this movie it's impossible not to fall in love with it. There are so many great scenes, hilarious lines and moments, such fascinating characters, that to try to describe it or sum it up here would be to do the movie a disservice. And, if you haven't seen it, stop everything and SEE IT NOW! You will fall hopelessly in love with it. 

Naturally, When Harry Met Sally ... is a great NYC movie. It is a shameless "love letter" to the city, showing its full beauty, you might call it pure NYC p-o-r-n. While today NYC is a dream scape for many (or nightmare, depending on who you talk to), it's hard to remember that, back in 1989, NYC was perceived by most of America and the world as being in crises -- the Central Park Jogger, the crack epidemic, high crime, urban decay, political corruption. The city was seen as a scary place and this movie said -- "No! NYC is as great as ever!" In so many ways, this movie was far ahead of its time.

I've blogged about When Harry Met Sally ... over the years and you can find the complete coverage here.

So go out, get a pastrami sandwich, and watch or re-watch this classic NYC fable.