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{{Short description|1989 film by Rob Reiner}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = WhenHarryMetSallyPoster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Rob Reiner]]
| writer         = [[Nora Ephron]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* Rob Reiner
* [[Andrew Scheinman]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|<!-- per poster -->
* [[Billy Crystal]]
* [[Meg Ryan]]
* [[Carrie Fisher]]
* [[Bruno Kirby]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Barry Sonnenfeld]]
| editing        = [[Robert Leighton (film editor)|Robert Leighton]]
| music          = {{Plainlist|
* [[Marc Shaiman]]{{efn|Music arrangements and adaptations.}}
* [[Harry Connick Jr.]]{{efn|Special performances and arrangements.}}
}}
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Castle Rock Entertainment]]
* [[Nelson Entertainment]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1989|7|21}}
| runtime        = 95 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $16 million
| gross          = $92.8 million
}}

'''''When Harry Met Sally...''''' is a 1989 American [[romance|romantic]] [[comedy-drama]] 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 [[Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male|Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance]].

[[Columbia Pictures]] released ''When Harry Met Sally'' in selected cities, letting [[Word-of-mouth marketing|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 for Best Original Screenplay|Academy Award]], [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|WGA Award]] and [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Golden Globe]]. The film is ranked 23rd on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs]] list of the top comedy films in [[Cinema of the United States|American cinema]] and number 60 on [[Bravo (US TV channel)|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".<ref name="Ulaby">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/12/14/1141630795/iron-man-super-fly-and-carrie-are-inducted-into-the-national-film-registry|title='Iron Man,' 'Super Fly' and 'Carrie' are inducted into the National Film Registry|date=December 14, 2022|first=Neda|last=Ulaby|website=[[NPR]]|access-date=December 14, 2022}}</ref>

==Plot==
In 1977, Harry Burns and Sally Albright graduate from the [[University of Chicago]]. Harry is dating Sally's friend Amanda Reese, leading to Harry and Sally ride-sharing to New York City. Sally is attending journalism school there and Harry has a job waiting.

During the drive, Harry and Sally discuss their differing ideas about relationships; Sally disagrees with Harry's assertion that men and women cannot be friends as "the sex part gets in the way". They stop at a diner, and when Harry tells Sally she is very attractive, she angrily accuses him of making a pass. They part company in New York, never intending to see each other again.

Five years later in 1982, Harry and Sally find themselves on the same flight. Sally is dating Harry's neighbor Joe, and Harry is engaged to Helen, which surprises Sally, as it seems uncharacteristically optimistic of him. Harry suggests they become friends, forcing him to qualify his previous position about the impossibility of male-female friendships. They separate, concluding that they will not be friends.

Five years later in 1987, Harry and Sally run into each other at a bookstore. They have coffee and talk about their previous relationships; Sally and Joe have broken up and Helen has left Harry for another man. They agree to pursue a friendship and have late-night phone conversations, go to dinner, and spend time together discussing their love lives.

During a New Year's Eve party, Harry and Sally find themselves growing attracted to each other and share an awkward midnight kiss. They remain friends and set each other up with their respective best friends, Marie and Jess. When the four go out, neither Marie nor Jess is attracted to Harry or Sally and instead immediately fall for each other. Soon after, the two are engaged.

One night, Sally tearfully calls Harry to say that her ex, Joe, is getting married. Harry goes to Sally's apartment to comfort her but they end up having sex. Harry leaves the next morning, feeling awkward and filled with regret. Their friendship cools until they have a heated argument at Jess and Marie's wedding reception. Harry attempts to mend their relationship, but Sally feels that they can no longer be friends.

At a 1988 New Year's Eve party with Jess and Marie, Sally misses Harry. He is spending New Year's Eve at home, watching [[Dick Clark]]'s 16th annual New Year's Rockin' Eve. Before midnight, Harry walks around the city. As Sally is about to leave the party, Harry appears and declares his love for her. She claims he is only there because he is lonely, but he lists the many reasons he loves her. Harry and Sally marry three months later, exactly 12 years and three months after their first meeting.

The film contains several interspersed segments of older couples discussing how they met. The true stories, gathered by Nora Ephron, are reenacted by actors. The final couple interviewed, before the closing credits, is Harry and Sally.

==Cast==
{{Castlist|
* [[Billy Crystal]] as Harry Burns
* [[Meg Ryan]] as Sally Albright
* [[Carrie Fisher]] as Marie, Sally's friend
* [[Bruno Kirby]] as Jess
* [[Steven Ford]] as Joe, Harry's neighbor and Sally's ex-boyfriend
* [[Lisa Jane Persky]] as Alice
* [[Michelle Nicastro]] as Amanda Reese, Sally's friend and Harry's girlfriend while he was at university
* [[Kevin Rooney (comedian)|Kevin Rooney]] as Ira Stone
* [[Harley Jane Kozak|Harley Kozak]] as Helen Hillson, Harry's ex-fiancée
* [[Estelle Reiner]] as female customer
* [[Robert Alan Beuth]] as man on aisle
}}

==Production==
In 1984, director [[Rob Reiner]], producer Andrew Scheinman, and writer [[Nora Ephron]] met over lunch at the [[Russian Tea Room]] in New York City to develop a project.<ref name="keyser">{{cite news | title=It's Love at the box office for ''Harry Met Sally...'' | work=[[The Washington Times]] | date=July 25, 1989 | last=Keyser | first=Lucy}}</ref> Reiner pitched an idea for a film that Ephron rejected.<ref name="dvd1">{{cite news | title=It All Started Like This | publisher=[[20th Century Fox]] | work=When Harry Met Sally... Collector's Edition DVD | year=2008}}</ref> The second meeting transformed into a long discussion about Reiner and Scheinman's lives as single men. Reiner remembers, "I was in the middle of my single life. I'd been divorced for a while. I'd been out a number of times, all these disastrous, confusing relationships one after another."<ref name="weber">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/09/movies/film-can-men-and-women-be-friends.html | title=Can Men and Women Be Friends? | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=July 9, 1989 | access-date=September 23, 2007 | last=Weber | first=Bruce | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101095514/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/09/movies/film-can-men-and-women-be-friends.html | archive-date=November 1, 2009 | url-status=live }}</ref> The next time they all met, Reiner said that he had always wanted to do a film about two people who become friends and do not have sex because they know it will ruin their relationship but have sex anyway. Ephron liked the idea, and Reiner acquired a deal at a studio.<ref name= "keyser"/>

For materials, Ephron interviewed Reiner and Scheinman about their lives, creating the basis for Harry. Reiner was constantly depressed and pessimistic yet funny. Ephron also got bits of dialogue from these interviews. Sally was based on Ephron and some of her friends.<ref name= "keyser"/> She worked on several drafts over the years while Reiner made ''[[Stand by Me (film)|Stand by Me]]'' (1986) and ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987).<ref name= "dvd1"/> Billy Crystal "experienced vicariously" Reiner's (his best friend at the time) return to single life after divorcing comedian/filmmaker [[Penny Marshall]] and in the process was unconsciously doing research for the role of Harry.<ref name= "keyser"/> [[Tom Hanks]], [[Richard Dreyfuss]], [[Michael Keaton]] and [[Albert Brooks]] were all offered the role of Harry Burns but all of them turned it down, with Brooks feeling the movie was too reminiscent of [[Woody Allen]]'s work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/the-lost-roles-of-albert-brooks.html|title=The Lost Roles of Albert Brooks|date=June 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/14/when-harry-met-sally-turns-25-director-rob-reiner-reveals-the-secrets-of-the-romcom-classic.html|title = 'When Harry Met Sally' Turns 25: Director Rob Reiner Reveals the Secrets of the Romcom Classic|newspaper = The Daily Beast|date = July 14, 2014|last1 = Stern|first1 = Marlow}}</ref>

During the screenwriting process when Ephron did not feel like writing, she would interview people who worked for the production company. Some of the interviews appeared in the film as the interludes between certain scenes featuring couples talking about how they met,<ref name= "keyser"/> although the material was rewritten and reshot with actors. Ephron supplied the structure of the film with much of the dialogue based on the real-life friendship between Reiner and Crystal.<ref name="lacey">{{cite news | title=Pals make "buddy picture" | work=[[The Globe and Mail]] | date=July 15, 1989 | last=Lacey | first=Liam}}</ref> For example, the scene depicting Sally and Harry in split-screen conversing with each other by telephone and simultaneously watching television and channel surfing was something that Crystal and Reiner did every night.<ref name= "lacey"/>

Originally, Ephron wanted to call the film ''How They Met'' and went through several different titles. Reiner even started a contest with the crew during principal photography: whoever came up with the title won a case of champagne.<ref name= "dvd1"/> In order to get into the lonely mindset of Harry when he was divorced and single, Crystal stayed by himself in a separate room from the cast and crew while they were shooting in [[Manhattan]].<ref name= "lacey"/> The script initially ended with Harry and Sally remaining friends and not pursuing a romantic relationship because she felt that was "the true ending", as did Reiner.<ref name= "dvd1"/> Eventually, Ephron and Reiner realized that it would be a more appropriate ending for them to marry, though they admit that this was generally not a realistic outcome.<ref name="featurette">{{cite news | title=How Harry Met Sally... | publisher=[[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] | work=When Harry Met Sally DVD | last=Schwarz | first=Jeffrey | year=2000}}</ref> Reiner related that the film originally had a sad ending before he met his second wife Michele, which inspired him to change the ending.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/when-harry-met-sally-director-rob-reiner-originally-sad-ending-1235828886/|title='When Harry Met Sally' Director Reveals How Meeting Wife Changed Film's Ending|date=February 17, 2024 |publisher=Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>

When posed the film's central question, can men and women just be friends, Ryan replied, "Yes, men and women can just be friends. I have a lot of platonic (male) friends, and sex doesn't get in the way." Crystal said, "I'm a little more optimistic than Harry. But I think it is difficult. Men basically act like stray dogs in front of a supermarket. I do have platonic (women) friends, but not best, best, best friends."<ref name="peterson">{{cite news | title=When boy meets girl | work=[[USA Today]] | date=July 17, 1989 | last=Peterson | first=Karen S}}</ref> Reiner's mother [[Estelle Reiner|Estelle]] and daughter [[Tracy Reiner|Tracy]] both played roles in the film.

===Katz's Delicatessen scene===
[[File:Whenharry3.jpg|thumb|Film still from the famous restaurant scene]]
[[File:Harry und Sally bei Katz' Deli.JPG|thumb|Katz's Deli hangs this sign above the table.]]
In a scene featuring the two title characters having lunch at [[Katz's Delicatessen]], a well-known [[Jewish deli]] in Manhattan, the couple are arguing about a man's ability to recognize when a woman is [[Fake orgasm|faking an orgasm]]. Sally claims that men cannot tell the difference, and to prove her point, she vividly (fully clothed) fakes one as other diners watch. The scene ends with Sally casually returning to her meal as a nearby patron (played by [[Estelle Reiner|Reiner's mother]]) places her order, deadpan: "I'll have what she's having." When Estelle Reiner died at age 94 in 2008, ''[[The New York Times]]'' referred to her as the woman "who delivered one of the most memorably funny lines in movie history".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/movies/30reiner.html "Estelle Reiner, 94, Comedy Matriarch, Is Dead"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625151050/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/movies/30reiner.html |date=June 25, 2017 }}. ''[[The New York Times]]''. October 29, 2008.</ref> This scene was shot "over and over again",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/132865755/meg-ryan-talks-about-that-scene-in-when-harry-met-sally|title=Meg Ryan talks about THAT scene in When Harry Met Sally|first=Colleen|last=Hawkes|date=September 3, 2023|website=Stuff}}</ref> and Ryan demonstrated her fake orgasms for hours.<ref name= "featurette"/> Katz's Deli still hangs a sign above the table that says, "Where Harry met Sally... hope you have what she had!"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://guestofaguest.com/new-york/movies/12-nyc-spots-used-in-famous-movie-scenes&slide=1 | title=12 NYC Spots Used In Famous Movie Scenes: Katz's Delicatessen | publisher=[[Guest of a Guest]] | access-date=December 23, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224103040/http://guestofaguest.com/new-york/movies/12-nyc-spots-used-in-famous-movie-scenes%26slide%3D1 | archive-date=December 24, 2013 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.yahoo.com/katzs-delicatessen-yorks-famous-unique-deli-181400732.html | title=Katz's Delicatessen: New York's Famous, Unique Deli | work=[[Yahoo! News]] | date=April 1, 2013 | access-date=December 23, 2013 | last=Holden | first=Eric | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224120049/http://news.yahoo.com/katzs-delicatessen-yorks-famous-unique-deli-181400732.html | archive-date=December 24, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref>

The memorable scene was born when the film started to focus too much on Harry. Crystal remembers saying, {{"'}}We need something for Sally to talk about,' and Nora said, 'Well, faking orgasm is a great one,' and right away we said, 'Well, the subject is good,' and then Meg came on board and we talked with her about the nature of the idea and she said, 'Well, why don't I just fake one, just do one?{{'"}}<ref name= "keyser"/> Ryan suggested that the scene take place in a restaurant,<ref>Ephron (?) speaking on [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ BBC Radio 4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713194841/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ |date=July 13, 2013 }} programme ''[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00m6zpr When Harry Met Sally At 20] '' (aired August 27, 2009), about 17 mins in</ref> and it was Crystal who came up with the scene's classic punchline – "I'll have what she's having."<ref name= "keyser"/> In 2005, the quote was listed 33rd on the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes]] list of memorable movie lines. Reiner recalls that at a test screening, all of the women in the audience were laughing while all of the men were silent.<ref name= "dvd1"/>

In late 2013, [[Improv Everywhere]], the New York City initiative behind the annual [[No Pants Day]] in the subways and various flash-mob stunts, convened and filmed a re-enactment in Katz's Delicatessen. While a look-alike couple performed the scene, 30 others joined as if it was contagious. Surprised staff and customers responded in appreciation. The film and follow-up interviews are public.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://improveverywhere.com/2013/11/12/when-harry-met-sally-in-real-life-movies-in-real-life-episode-7/ | title=When Harry Met Sally In Real Life | publisher=ImprovEverywhere.com | date=November 12, 2013 | access-date=November 12, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112165718/http://improveverywhere.com/2013/11/12/when-harry-met-sally-in-real-life-movies-in-real-life-episode-7/ | archive-date=November 12, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> In October of the same year, Katz's invited [[Baron Von Fancy]] to display his ten-foot-high mural quoting the famous line in its pop-up gallery next door, The Space.<ref>{{Citation | last=Eby | first=Margaret | url=http://forward.com/food/187080/katzs-deli-gets-artsy/ | title=Katz's Deli Gets Artsy | newspaper=Forward.com | date=November 6, 2013 | access-date=July 6, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709131244/http://forward.com/food/187080/katzs-deli-gets-artsy/ | archive-date=July 9, 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In February 2025, Ryan and Crystal recreated the scene as part of an advert for [[Hellmann's and Best Foods|Hellmann's]] [[mayonnaise]] which aired during [[Super Bowl LIX]]. The "I'll have what she's having" line was delivered by [[Sydney Sweeney]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/hellmanns-takes-harry-and-sally-back-to-katzs-deli-for-super-bowl-ad/|title=Hellmann's Takes Harry and Sally Back to Katz's Deli for Super Bowl Ad|last=Daniels|first=Colin|date=29 January 2025|work=[[Adweek]]|accessdate=14 February 2025}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Main|When Harry Met Sally... (soundtrack){{!}}''When Harry Met Sally...'' (soundtrack)}}
The ''When Harry Met Sally...'' soundtrack album features American singer and pianist [[Harry Connick Jr.]] [[Bobby Colomby]], the drummer for [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]], was a friend of Reiner's and recommended Harry Connick Jr., giving the director a tape of the musician's music.<ref name="dvd3">{{cite news |last=Reiner |first=Rob |author2=Nora Ephron |author3=Billy Crystal |date=2008 |title=DVD Audio Commentary |work=When Harry Met Sally... Collector's Edition DVD |publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]}}</ref> Reiner was struck by Connick's voice and how he sounded like a young [[Frank Sinatra]]. The movie's soundtrack album was released by [[Columbia Records]] in July 1989. The soundtrack consists of standards performed by Harry Connick Jr. with a [[big band]] and orchestra arranged by Marc Shaiman. Connick won his first [[Grammy]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male|Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance]].<ref name="grammy">{{cite news | url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=1989&genre=All | title=Past Winners Search | publisher=The Recording Academy | access-date=January 9, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321142209/http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=1989&genre=All | archive-date=March 21, 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Arrangements and orchestrations on "[[It Had to Be You (song)|It Had to Be You]]", "[[Where or When]]", "I Could Write a Book", and "But Not for Me" are by Connick and Shaiman. Other songs were performed as piano/vocal solos, or with Connick's trio featuring Benjamin Jonah Wolfe on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. Also appearing on the album are [[tenor saxophone|tenor saxophonist]] Frank Wess and guitarist Jay Berliner. The soundtrack went to #1 on the [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] [[Billboard charts#Top Jazz Albums|Traditional Jazz Chart]] and was within the top 50 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Harry Connick Jr.: He's All That Jazz | work=[[USA Today]] | date=December 28, 1989 | last=Jones | first=James T}}</ref> Connick also toured North America in support of this album.<ref>{{cite news | title=Brazilian rhythms with lots of appeal ''When Harry Met Sally...'' Harry Connick Jr. | work=[[The Globe and Mail]] | date=November 23, 1989 | last=Miller | first=Mark}}</ref> It went on to reach [[RIAA certification|double-platinum status]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.legacyrecordings.com/Harry-Connick-Jr/Biography.aspx | title=Harry Connick Jr. Biography | publisher=Legacy Recordings | access-date=June 15, 2008 | last=Bush | first=John | archive-url=https://archive.today/20080107212730/http://www.legacyrecordings.com/Harry-Connick-Jr/Biography.aspx | archive-date=January 7, 2008 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> The soundtrack features performances by [[Louis Armstrong]] and [[Ella Fitzgerald]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Ray Charles]], [[Bing Crosby]], and [[Harry Connick Jr.]]

==Reception==
===Box office===
[[Columbia Pictures]] released ''When Harry Met Sally...'' using the "platform" technique which involves opening a film in a few select cities then letting word of mouth generate interest before gradually expanding distribution over subsequent weeks. On its opening weekend, the movie grossed $1,094,453 in 41 theatres,<ref name="boxoffice">{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=whenharrymetsally.htm | title=When Harry Met Sally... | website=Box Office Mojo | date=November 29, 2007 | access-date=November 29, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802180737/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=whenharrymetsally.htm | archive-date=August 2, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> the second highest-grossing opening weekend for a film on fewer than 50 screens, behind ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977).<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=September 20, 1994|page=24|title=All-Time Opening Weekends: 50 Screens or Less}}</ref> Billy Crystal was worried that the film would flop at the box office because it was up against several summer blockbuster films, like ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'' and ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]''.<ref name= "keyser"/> The film opened in early July and went into wide release on July 21, 1989, grossing $8.8&nbsp;million in 775 theaters in its first weekend of national release.<ref name="boxoffice"/> The film later expanded to 1,174 theaters, and ultimately grossed $92.8&nbsp;million in North America, well above its $16&nbsp;million budget.<ref name= "boxoffice"/>

===Critical response===
On the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''When Harry Met Sally...'' holds an approval rating of 89% based on 128 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Rob Reiner's touching, funny film set a new standard for romantic comedies, and he was ably abetted by the sharp interplay between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/when_harry_met_sally/ | title=When Harry Met Sally (1989) | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=February 4, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829061829/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/when_harry_met_sally/ | archive-date=August 29, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/when-harry-met-sally | title=When Harry Met Sally... | website=[[Metacritic]] | access-date=February 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024060743/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/when-harry-met-sally | archive-date=October 24, 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a rare "A+" grade.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-cinemascore-matters-box-office-225563|title=Why CinemaScore Matters for Box Office|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 19, 2011|language=en|access-date=2020-03-02}}</ref>

The film led [[Roger Ebert]] to call Reiner "one of Hollywood's very best directors of comedy", and said the film was "most conventional, in terms of structure and the way it fulfills our expectations. But what makes it special, apart from the Ephron screenplay, is the chemistry between Crystal and Ryan."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/when-harry-met-sally---1989 | title=When Harry Met Sally . . . | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date=July 12, 1989 | access-date=July 2, 2024 | last=Ebert | first=Roger | author-link=Roger Ebert | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930072140/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19890712%2FREVIEWS%2F907120301%2F1023 | archive-date=September 30, 2007 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In a review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Caryn James called ''When Harry Met Sally...'' an "often funny but amazingly hollow film" that "romanticized lives of intelligent, successful, neurotic New Yorkers"; James characterized it as "the sitcom version of a [[Woody Allen]] film, full of amusing lines and scenes, all infused with an uncomfortable sense of ''déjà vu''".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/12/movies/review-film-it-s-harry-loves-sally-in-a-romance-of-new-yorkers-and-neuroses.html | title=It's Harry (Loves) Sally in a Romance Of New Yorkers and Neuroses | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=July 12, 1989 | access-date=September 23, 2007 | last=James | first=Caryn | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325182254/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/12/movies/review-film-it-s-harry-loves-sally-in-a-romance-of-new-yorkers-and-neuroses.html | archive-date=March 25, 2009 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Rita Kempley of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' praised Meg Ryan as the "summer's [[Melanie Griffith]] – a honey-haired blonde who finally finds a showcase for her sheer exuberance. Neither naif nor vamp, she's a woman from a pen of a woman, not some [[Cinderella]] of a ''[[Working Girl]]''."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/whenharrymetsallyrkempley_a0c9a5.htm | title=Romance That Dances | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=July 12, 1989 | access-date=June 15, 2008 | last=Kempley | first=Rita | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105102142/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/whenharrymetsallyrkempley_a0c9a5.htm | archive-date=November 5, 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref> Mike Clark of ''[[USA Today]]'' gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "Crystal is funny enough to keep Ryan from all-out stealing the film. She, though, is smashing in an eye-opening performance, another tribute to Reiner's flair with actors."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/55933280.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+12%2C+1989&author=Mike+Clark&pub=USA+TODAY+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=01.D&desc=%60Harry+Met+Sally%27+is+Reiner%27s+next+sure+thing | title=''Harry Met Sally'' is Reiner's next sure thing | work=[[USA Today]] | date=July 12, 1989 | last=Clark | first=Mike}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[David Ansen]] provided one of the rare negative reviews of the film for ''[[Newsweek]]''. He criticized the casting of Crystal, "Not surprisingly he handles the comedy superbly, but he's too cool and self-protective an actor to work as a romantic leading man", and felt that as a film, "of wonderful parts, it doesn't quite add up".<ref>{{cite news | title=To Make True Lovers of Friends | work=[[Newsweek]] | date=July 17, 1989 | last=Ansen | first=David}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[62nd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen]]
| [[Nora Ephron]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1990 |title=The 62nd Academy Awards (1990) Nominees and Winners |access-date=October 17, 2011 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706095721/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/62nd-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[American Comedy Awards#1990 awards|American Comedy Awards]]
| Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)
| [[Billy Crystal]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan="3" align="center"| <ref>{{Cite news|date=1990-03-18|title=AMERICAN COMEDY AWARDS|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1990/03/18/american-comedy-awards/90da5dfb-9c54-4434-a363-ec7d366826b9/|access-date=2020-07-01|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> <br /><ref>{{Cite web|date=1990-03-11|title=American Comedy Awards winners announced Saturday.|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/03/11/American-Comedy-Awards-winners-announced-Saturday-Funniest-female-performer/1552637131600/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=UPI, United Press International, Inc|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)
| [[Meg Ryan]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
| [[Carrie Fisher]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Casting Society of America#Artios Awards|Artios Awards]]
| [[Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy)|Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy)]]
| Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Artios Awards |url=https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1990 |access-date=2020-06-28 |publisher=[[Casting Society of America]] |language=en |archive-date=June 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629122121/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1990 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards]]
| Top Box Office Films
| [[Marc Shaiman]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |last=Steinblatt |first=Jim |date=2007 |title=Playback, From Hollywood to Broadway and Back |url=http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/filmtv/2007/mancini.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524131611/http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/filmtv/2007/mancini.html |archive-date=2011-05-24 |publisher=[[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP]] |at=Filmography table}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[43rd British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| [[Rob Reiner]]
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/search?search=when+harry+met+sally |title=When Harry Met Sally... |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |access-date=June 28, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Nora Ephron
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1989|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| Meg Ryan
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |publisher=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |date=January 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[David di Donatello|David di Donatello Awards]]
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Director|Best Foreign Director]]
| Rob Reiner
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mubi.com/films/when-harry-met-sally/awards |title=When Harry Met Sally... (1989) awards & festivals on MUBI |publisher=[[Mubi (streaming service)|Mubi]] |access-date=July 5, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress|Best Foreign Actress]]
| Meg Ryan
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[42nd Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| rowspan="2"| Rob Reiner
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1980s/1989.aspx?value=1989 |title=42nd Annual DGA Awards |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=June 28, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| [[DVD Exclusive Awards]]
| Best Audio Commentary
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Audio Commentary. 2001 Winners and Nominees |url=http://www.dvdexclusive.com/HTMLNews/Winners/BestAudioCommentary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040122200844/http://www.dvdexclusive.com/HTMLNews/Winners/BestAudioCommentary.html |archive-date=2004-01-22 |publisher=[[DVD Exclusive Awards]]}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[47th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="5" align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/when-harry-met-sally/ |title=When Harry Met Sally... |publisher=[[Golden Globe Foundation]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| Billy Crystal
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| Meg Ryan
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]]
| Rob Reiner
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Motion Picture]]
| rowspan="2"| Nora Ephron
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[42nd Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |title=Awards Winners |publisher=[[Writers Guild of America Awards]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |archive-date=December 5, 2012 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2000: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs]] – #23<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=2016-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052741/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2002: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions]] – #25<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=2016-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052654/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2004: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]:
** "[[It Had to Be You (song)|It Had to Be You]]" – #60<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/songs100.pdf |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=2016-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313151657/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/songs100.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2005: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]]:
** Customer: "I'll have what she's having." – #33<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/quotes100.pdf |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=2016-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150615/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/quotes100.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2008: [[AFI's 10 Top 10]]:
**# 6 Romantic Comedy Film<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 10 Top 10: Top 10 Romantic Comedy |url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=2 |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=2016-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615004316/http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=2 |archive-date=June 15, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Home media==
''When Harry Met Sally...'' was  first released on VHS in late 1989, a few months after its theatrical release. It was later re-released on VHS in 1994 as part of a Billy Crystal collection,<ref>''Billboard'' (May 21, 1994), page 55.)</ref> and in 1997 under the ''Contemporary Classics'' edition; the latter release included trailers that were not included in the original VHS release. It was released on DVD for the first time on January 9, 2001, and included an [[audio commentary]] by Reiner, a 35-minute "Making Of" documentary featuring interviews with Reiner, Ephron, Crystal, and Ryan, seven [[deleted scene]]s, and a music video for "It Had To Be You" by Harry Connick Jr.<ref>{{cite magazine
 | last = Richter
 | first = Erin
 | title = ''When Harry Met Sally...'': Special Edition
 | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]]
 | date = January 12, 2001
 | url = https://ew.com/article/2001/01/12/when-harry-met-sally-special-edition/
 | access-date = June 20, 2007
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130621141805/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,279400,00.html
 | archive-date = June 21, 2013
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> A Collector's Edition DVD was released on January 15, 2008, including a new audio commentary with Reiner, Ephron, and Crystal, eight deleted scenes, all new featurettes (''It All Started Like This'', ''Stories Of Love'', ''When Rob Met Billy'', ''Billy On Harry'', ''I Love New York'', ''What Harry Meeting Sally Meant'', ''So Can Men And Women Really Be Friends?''), and the original theatrical trailer.<ref name="karpel"/> The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] on July 5, 2011, containing all of the special features found on the 2008 DVD release.<ref>{{cite web|last=Reuben|first=Michael|title=When Harry Met Sally Blu-ray Review|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/When-Harry-Met-Sally-Blu-ray/25490/#Review|publisher=Blu-ray.com|access-date=September 13, 2012|date=July 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918030014/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/When-Harry-Met-Sally-Blu-ray/25490/#Review|archive-date=September 18, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, a 30th anniversary Blu-ray was released by [[Shout! Factory]] from a new 4K transfer of the original camera negative, containing special features from previous home media releases, as well as a new interview with director Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal.<ref>{{cite web | title=When Harry Met Sally... Blu-ray (30th Anniversary Edition) | url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/When-Harry-Met-Sally-Blu-ray/216766/ }}</ref> In 2012, critic Linda Holmes observed that significant portions of the soundtrack had been changed for the Amazon digital release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Linda |title=The Big Bad Swap: The Problem With Replaced Music. |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/01/03/144624329/the-big-bad-swap-the-problem-with-replaced-music |website=National Public Radio |date=January 3, 2012 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
Over the years, ''When Harry Met Sally...'' has become "the quintessential contemporary feel-good relationship movie that somehow still rings true".<ref name="tan">{{cite news | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20010216/harry16/when-harry-met-sally-for-some-its-become-a-film-icon | title=''When Harry Met Sally'': For some, it's become a film icon | work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] | date=February 16, 2001 | access-date=June 15, 2008 | last=Tan | first=Cheryl Lu-Lien |authorlink=Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193312/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20010216&slug=harry16 | archive-date=March 3, 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref> Before she died, Ephron still received letters from people obsessed with the film and still had "people who say to me all the time, 'I was having a Harry-and-Sally relationship with him or her'."<ref name="tan"/> The film is 23rd on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs]] list of the top comedy films in American cinema and number&nbsp;60 on [[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo's]] "100 Funniest Movies."<ref name="bravo2">{{cite news | url=http://themoviepage.net/bravo100funnyfilms1.html | title=Bravo's 100 Funniest Films | publisher=Boston.com | date=July 25, 2006 | access-date=November 29, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106134641/http://themoviepage.net/bravo100funnyfilms1.html | archive-date=January 6, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named it as one of the Top&nbsp;10 romantic movies of all time.<ref name="ewtop10">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,198095_8,00.html | title=Top&nbsp;10 Romantic Movies | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=January 29, 2002 | access-date=June 15, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621150114/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C198095_8%2C00.html | archive-date=June 21, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The magazine also ranked it 12th on their Funniest Movies of the Past 25 Years list.<ref name="ewtop25">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20221235_13,00.html | title=The Comedy 25: The Funniest Movies of the Past 25 Years | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=August 27, 2008 | access-date=August 27, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621142258/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0%2C%2C20221235_13%2C00.html | archive-date=June 21, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The periodical also ranked it 7th on their 25 Best Romantic Movies of the Past 25 Years list<ref name="ewtoprom25">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20224567_18,00.html | title=25 Best Romantic Movies of the Past 25 Years | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=September 11, 2008 | access-date=September 12, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621151908/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0%2C%2C20224567_18%2C00.html | archive-date=June 21, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and #3 on their Top 25 Modern Romances list.<ref name="TopRomances">{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2002/02/08/top-25-modern-romances/ | title=Top 25 Modern Romances | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=February 8, 2002 | access-date=February 26, 2009 | first1=Kristen | first2=Scott | last1=Baldwin | last2=Brown | last3=Burr | first3=Ty | last4=Cruz | first4=Clarissa | last5=Feitelberg | first5=Amy | last6=Fonseca | first6=Nicholas | last7=Kepnes | first7=Caroline | last8=Lee | first8=Alice M. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621154200/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,252562,00.html | archive-date=June 21, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> The film has inspired countless romantic comedies, including ''[[A Lot Like Love]]'',<ref name="hobson">{{cite news | url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Reviews/A/A_Lot_Like_Love/2005/04/22/pf-1007688.html | title=Flick reminiscent of ''When Harry Met Sally'' | work=[[Calgary Sun]] | date=April 22, 2005 | access-date=June 22, 2008 | last=Hobson | first=Louis B | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120605044423/http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Reviews/A/A_Lot_Like_Love/2005/04/22/pf-1007688.html | archive-date=June 5, 2012 | url-status=usurped }}</ref> ''[[No Strings Attached (film)|No Strings Attached]]'', ''[[Hum Tum (film)|Hum Tum]]'',<ref name="humtum">{{cite news | url=http://in.rediff.com/movies/2004/may/27kunal.htm | title=Pehli nazar mein pehla pyaar is crap! | publisher=[[Rediff.com]] | work=The Rediff Interview/Kunal Kohli | date=May 27, 2004 | access-date=June 25, 2008 | last=Shariff | first=Faisal | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730133441/http://in.rediff.com/movies/2004/may/27kunal.htm | archive-date=July 30, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Definitely, Maybe]]''.<ref name="rocchi">{{cite news | url=http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/14/review-definitely-maybe/ | title=Review: ''Definitely, Maybe'' | publisher=Cinematical | date=February 14, 2008 | access-date=June 22, 2008 | last=Rocchi | first=James | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215091211/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/14/review-definitely-maybe/ | archive-date=February 15, 2008 | url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, the film helped popularize many ideas about love that have become household concepts now, such as the "[[wikt:high-maintenance|high-maintenance]]" girlfriend and the "transitional person".<ref name="karpel">{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2008/01/11/when-harry-met-sallycollectors-edition/ | title=''When Harry Met Sally'': Collector's Edition | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=January 11, 2008 | access-date=June 15, 2008 | last=Karpel | first=Ari | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524015504/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20170537,00.html | archive-date=May 24, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> "You can find traces of 'When Harry Met Sally' DNA in virtually every romantic comedy that's been made since," [[The A.V. Club]] noted.<ref>{{cite web|title=How Harry and Sally Revived Romance|url= https://www.theattic.space/home-page-blogs/2019/11/21/when-harry-met-sally-revived-romance |website=The Attic|date= November 21, 2019 |access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. ''When Harry Met Sally'' was acknowledged as the sixth best film in the romantic comedy genre.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/romanticcomedy.html | title=AFI's 10 Top 10 | publisher=[[American Film Institute]] | date=June 17, 2008 | access-date=June 18, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619174502/http://www.afi.com/10top10/romanticcomedy.html | archive-date=June 19, 2008 | url-status=live }}</ref> It is also ranked #15 on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]' 25 Best Romantic Comedies.<ref name="rottencom">{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/best_romantic_comedies/when_harry_met_sally/ | title=25 Best Romantic Comedies | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=February 12, 2009 | year=2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227093749/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/best_romantic_comedies/when_harry_met_sally/ | archive-date=December 27, 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref> In early 2004, the film was adapted for the stage in a [[Haymarket Theatre|Theatre Royal Haymarket]] production starring [[Luke Perry]] and [[Alyson Hannigan]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/84473.html | title=Hannigan and Perry's ''Harry and Sally'' Set to Face the London Press | magazine=Playbill | date=February 20, 2004 | access-date=November 26, 2007 | last=Inverne | first=James | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930193828/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/84473.html | archive-date=September 30, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Molly Ringwald]] and [[Michael Landes]] later replaced Hannigan and Perry for the second cast.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/86191.html | title=Landes Joins Ringwald For London ''When Harry Met Sally'' | magazine=Playbill | date=May 17, 2004 | access-date=November 26, 2007 | last=Inverne | first=James | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930192205/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/86191.html | archive-date=September 30, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> 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".<ref name="Ulaby"/>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|When Harry Met Sally...}}
* {{IMDb title|0098635|When Harry Met Sally...}}
* {{TCMDb title|95478|When Harry Met Sally...}}
* {{mojo title|whenharrymetsally|When Harry Met Sally...}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|when_harry_met_sally|When Harry Met Sally...}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=When Harry Met Sally...}}

{{Rob Reiner}}
{{Nora Ephron}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|Comedy|1980s}}

[[Category:1989 films]]
[[Category:1989 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:Castle Rock Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner]]
[[Category:Films scored by Marc Shaiman]]
[[Category:Films set in 1977]]
[[Category:Films set in 1982]]
[[Category:Films set in 1987]]
[[Category:Films set in 1988]]
[[Category:Films set in 1989]]
[[Category:Films set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films set in museums]]
[[Category:Films shot in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Nora Ephron]]
[[Category:Films set around New Year]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]