Sleepless in Seattle
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (PG)
D: Nora Ephron
Tristar (Gary Foster)
US 1993
105 mins
Romance/Comedy
W: Nora Ephron, David S. Ward & Jeff
Arch
DP: Sven Nykvist
Ed: Robert Reitano
Mus: Marc Shaiman
Tom Hanks (Sam Baldwin), Meg Ryan (Annie Reed), Ross
Malinger (Jonah Baldwin), Rita Wilson (Suzy), Bill Pullman (Walter), Rosie O'Donnell (Becky), Rob Reiner (Jay)
Sleepless In Seattle is one of those idyllic romantic
stories which only works within the confines of a Hollywood movie.
The screenplay unashamedly rides on the coat-tails of the
romance classics of the 1940's and 50's, notably "An Affair To Remember", which is referenced a few times in the dialogue.
The story sees an unlikely relationship develop between
two people living at completely different ends of the United States. When Tom Hanks' young son calls in to a radio talk show to play matchmaker, a journalist from New York hears the call and
begins to question her own engagement.
Nora Ephron fails to capture the realism or humour which
served her so well in her script to When Harry Met Sally (qv). There's a handful of good one-liners between Tom Hanks & Ross Salinger, and their father-son relationship is very well
presented. What weakens the film is the cloying character Meg Ryan portrays, who just seems to act on impulse throughout the entire film.
The film proved incredibly popular during its cinema
release in 1993, but it's fair to say that you wouldn't lose any sleep if you were to let this romantic comedy pass you by.
6/10
