You've Got Mail (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Based on the 1940 Jimmy Stewart-Margaret Sullavan classic, The Shop Around the Corner, as well as a Miklos Laszlo's play, 'You've Got Mail' (a charming romantic comedy directed & co-written by Nora Ephron) proves that one can triumphantly update an endearing film, and that lightning can, indeed, strike twice -- I love both the 1940 & 1998 versions. Speaking of lightning striking twice, that goes for the 2 stars, Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan, who lit up the screen 5 years prior in Sleepless in Seattle, as well. Like that fantastic 1993 hit, this movie is lightweight fluff, but it is just so expertly rendered.
Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) runs The Shop Around the Corner, a small, but thriving children's bookshop in NY's Upper West Side. Living with a highbrow newspaper columnist, Frank (Greg Kinnear), Kathleen enjoys life to the fullest & appreciates the company of her employees, such as Birdie (Jean Stapleton) & George (Steve Zahn). Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) also enjoys his life. He happens to live just a few blocks away from Kathleen with his arrogant book editor girlfriend, Patricia (Parker Posey). Heir to the Fox Books superstore chain run by his father (Dabney Coleman), Joe's opening of one of their megastores right around the corner from Kathleen's quaint little shop could possibly put her store right out of business.
Unbeknownst to the two of them - who, soon enough become bitter business enemies - they have been anonymously flirting with each other via e-mail conversations using the pseudonyms NY152 & Shopgirl on AOL. As Joe & Kathleen's book store rivalry grows, so, too, does their online relationship. Matters change for Joe once he discovers that the wonderful 'Shopgirl' woman he's been interacting with online happens to be Kathleen, in reality. From that point on, the 2 trifle with friendship & even love as Joe tries to figure out what to do next with their odd, two-fold relationship. If & when Kathleen were to figure out that her online love is her real like enemy, how would she react?
The plot may be predictable and, cynics might scoff that the movie is too saccharin sweet. To that, I say, poo poo to them. Ya just can't beat the wonderful & natural chemistry btwn. Hanks & Ryan, or Nora Ephron's deft direction & dialogue writing. Instead of using the exact template of Sleepless in Seattle - where the two protagonists don't meet until the end of the film - the storyline here allows for them to interact with each other the entire time {online} while still maintaining the anonymous 'little do they know that they know each other' element. In a way, it becomes more enjoyable to watch this film over Sleepless in Seattle, because we, the audience, get to see the characters together throughout the film.
Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan couldn't be more well-suited, appealing & likeable than they are here. Having worked together before, they are SO comfortable playing against each other, and are also so effervescent in their individual portrayals. Hanks & Ryan are like America's sweethearts; an everyday man & woman with flaws & wonderful attributes -- they just bring a smile to our faces. Jean Stapleton is great to see as Kathleen's mother-like co-worker who works the books. Parker Posey is enjoyable as Joe's elitist, hyperkinetic, sourpuss girlfriend. Greg Kinnear is stellar as Kathleen's nice, but self-obsessed, scholarly boyfriend who just doesn't quite cut it, for her. And smaller turns by Steve Zahn & David Chappelle provide good comic relief.
'You've Got Mail' is the rare film that I enjoyed SO much so, that I really, truly couldn't wait to watch it all over again. It's the prototypical 'feel good' escapist movie of the year and, that is evidenced by its great box office results. I liked seeing NYC in all of its glory. I enjoyed the film's clever takes on book stores, The Godfather, Starbucks, cold remedies, grocery stores, journalism, the media, and the perils of both modern relationships & online dating. As mentioned, cynics may scoff at the decidedly lightweight, wish-fulfillment romantic fantasy nature of this film. But it lifted me up when I needed some lifting; and it should do the same for most other audiences, as well. And if you DON'T need lifting up, then all the better.
Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) runs The Shop Around the Corner, a small, but thriving children's bookshop in NY's Upper West Side. Living with a highbrow newspaper columnist, Frank (Greg Kinnear), Kathleen enjoys life to the fullest & appreciates the company of her employees, such as Birdie (Jean Stapleton) & George (Steve Zahn). Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) also enjoys his life. He happens to live just a few blocks away from Kathleen with his arrogant book editor girlfriend, Patricia (Parker Posey). Heir to the Fox Books superstore chain run by his father (Dabney Coleman), Joe's opening of one of their megastores right around the corner from Kathleen's quaint little shop could possibly put her store right out of business.
Unbeknownst to the two of them - who, soon enough become bitter business enemies - they have been anonymously flirting with each other via e-mail conversations using the pseudonyms NY152 & Shopgirl on AOL. As Joe & Kathleen's book store rivalry grows, so, too, does their online relationship. Matters change for Joe once he discovers that the wonderful 'Shopgirl' woman he's been interacting with online happens to be Kathleen, in reality. From that point on, the 2 trifle with friendship & even love as Joe tries to figure out what to do next with their odd, two-fold relationship. If & when Kathleen were to figure out that her online love is her real like enemy, how would she react?
The plot may be predictable and, cynics might scoff that the movie is too saccharin sweet. To that, I say, poo poo to them. Ya just can't beat the wonderful & natural chemistry btwn. Hanks & Ryan, or Nora Ephron's deft direction & dialogue writing. Instead of using the exact template of Sleepless in Seattle - where the two protagonists don't meet until the end of the film - the storyline here allows for them to interact with each other the entire time {online} while still maintaining the anonymous 'little do they know that they know each other' element. In a way, it becomes more enjoyable to watch this film over Sleepless in Seattle, because we, the audience, get to see the characters together throughout the film.
Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan couldn't be more well-suited, appealing & likeable than they are here. Having worked together before, they are SO comfortable playing against each other, and are also so effervescent in their individual portrayals. Hanks & Ryan are like America's sweethearts; an everyday man & woman with flaws & wonderful attributes -- they just bring a smile to our faces. Jean Stapleton is great to see as Kathleen's mother-like co-worker who works the books. Parker Posey is enjoyable as Joe's elitist, hyperkinetic, sourpuss girlfriend. Greg Kinnear is stellar as Kathleen's nice, but self-obsessed, scholarly boyfriend who just doesn't quite cut it, for her. And smaller turns by Steve Zahn & David Chappelle provide good comic relief.
'You've Got Mail' is the rare film that I enjoyed SO much so, that I really, truly couldn't wait to watch it all over again. It's the prototypical 'feel good' escapist movie of the year and, that is evidenced by its great box office results. I liked seeing NYC in all of its glory. I enjoyed the film's clever takes on book stores, The Godfather, Starbucks, cold remedies, grocery stores, journalism, the media, and the perils of both modern relationships & online dating. As mentioned, cynics may scoff at the decidedly lightweight, wish-fulfillment romantic fantasy nature of this film. But it lifted me up when I needed some lifting; and it should do the same for most other audiences, as well. And if you DON'T need lifting up, then all the better.