Sleepless in Seattle (1993) TriStar/Comedy-Drama RT: 105 minutes Rated PG (language, brief sexual conversation) Director: Nora Ephron Screenplay: Nora Ephron, David S. Ward and Jeff Arch Music: Marc Shaiman Cinematography: Sven Nykvist Release date: June 25, 1993 (US) Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger, Rob Reiner, Rosie O’ Donnell, Gaby Hoffman, Barbara Garrick, Victor Garber, Rita Wilson, Carey Lowell, David Hyde Pierce, Dana Ivey, Caroline Aaron (voice), Le Clanche du Rand, Kevin O’Morrison, Valerie Wright, Frances Conroy, Tom Tammi, Calvin Trillin. Box Office: $126.6M (US)/$227.7M (World)
Rating: *** ½
I like to believe there’s a romantic in all of us, that even the most hard-hearted believes a little bit in the power of romance. Sometimes it takes an act of God or force of nature to bring it out. Other times, it doesn’t take much at all. Me, I’m a sucker for a good love story and not just the ones involving somebody dying at the end. Somebody dies at the beginning of Sleepless in Seattle, a classic rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, America’s sweethearts in the 90s. Far from being a reverse Love Story, it’s one of the most charming and endearing movies of its ilk.
Like I said, it begins with a death. Chicago architect Sam Baldwin (Hanks) loses his wife to cancer leaving him the sole caretaker of their young son Jonah (Malinger, Sudden Death). Believing a fresh start is what they need, he moves to Seattle to begin a new life with his boy. It doesn’t really help; he still grieves for her. Jonah takes the initiative and phones in to radio show hosted by on-air therapist Dr. Marcia (Aaron, This Is My Life) to talk about his dad. He then gets Sam on the phone where the good doctor gets him to open up about how much he misses his wife. Dubbed “Sleepless in Seattle”, Sam becomes an instant sensation on the show heard by thousands of women all over the country including Annie Reed (Ryan).
Annie, a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, has recently become engaged to Walter (Pullman, The Accidental Tourist), a nice guy with a lot of allergies. She loves him, but there’s no real magic at work in their relationship. He’s a safe choice. After hearing Sam pour his heart out on the radio, something clicks. Could this be the sign she’s always looking for? She decides to write him a letter. Inspired by her favorite movie An Affair to Remember, she suggests they meet on the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
Will they or won’t they meet? That’s the central question of Sleepless in Seattle. Annie wants to meet Sam. She has to meet him. He might be her destiny. Sam, in the meantime, starts dating a woman (Garrick, Postcards from the Edge) his son doesn’t like. She laughs like a hyena. Jonah tries to convince his dad to go to New York and meet Annie to no avail. What’s an 8YO boy supposed to do in this case? What if said 8YO has a best friend (Hoffman, Uncle Buck) whose mother is a travel agent with a computer? Hmmm, I wonder.
Directed by the late Nora Ephron, who directed Hanks and Ryan again five years later in You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle is like one of those contrived 40s/50s romantic movies where life conspired to keep lovers destined to be together apart until the end. It references An Affair to Remember a lot. It. figures prominently in a scene where Sam and his brother-in-law (Garber, Godspell) tease his sister (real life wife Wilson) by pretending to get all emotional about The Dirty Dozen, as much a total guy’s movie as Affair is a total chick flick. As funny as this scene is, it’s more truthful than mocking. Women tend to have an affinity for the 1957 Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr tearjerker. As such, it’s used as a romantic compass rather than ironically. In fact, there’s nothing ironic about Sleepless in Seattle. It’s 100% pure in its romantic intentions. It’s what young boys used to call “mushy” in the days of Leave It to Beaver. Hey, it’s okay with me. I like mushy.
Hanks and Ryan, despite having precious few scenes together, are a winning pair. Previously known for zany comedies like Bachelor Party and The Burbs, Hanks reinvents himself as a romantic hero in Sleepless in Seattle. His natural nice guy quality shines through as he imbues Sam with sweetness and caring. He shows off his sensitive side to great effect. His scenes with his son ring of authenticity. He tries to make him feel better while dealing with his own grief. It’s clear that this kid is the center of his universe especially in light of their loss. At the same time, he’s open to falling in love again with the right woman. Ryan is a real sweetheart. She convincingly plays a woman second-guessing her decision to marry a safe guy. She spends a great deal of time talking things over with her best friend and editor played by Rosie O’Donnell (A League of Their Own) in her inimitable (and hilarious) deadpan style. She wants the big romantic gesture. It’s what all great love stories have in common. The two actors work together wonderfully. Their chemistry is the very definition of magic.
Sleepless in Seattle also benefits from a great soundtrack comprised mainly of covers of old jazz standards by contemporary artists like Harry Connick Jr. (“A Wink and a Smile”), Carly Simon (“In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”) and Celine Dion (“When I Fall in Love” w/Clive Griffin) as well as classics like “As Time Goes By” (Jimmy Durante), “Stardust” (Nat King Cole) and “Stand by Your Man” (Tammy Wynette). I love the songs in this movie. In fact, I love a great many things about Sleepless in Seattle. Ephron makes nice use of the locations from rainy Seattle to New York in winter. A fine cast, O’Donnell and Hoffman in particular, provides more than ample support. Of course, the best thing about Sleepless in Seattle is how unabashedly romantic it is. It borders on shameless even. It is the perfect date movie. Cuddle up with somebody you love and give yourself over to the mushiness of it all.
