When Harry Met Sally...

by Tamar Jeffers Mcdonald

Groundbreaking in its departure from its predecessors, When Harry Met Sally… (1989) established classic romantic comedy themes and tropes still being employed today. Following the relationship between its title characters, Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan), and their best friends Jess (Bruno Kirby) and Marie (Carrie Fisher), the film unfolds as a series of episodes, from Harry and Sally's prickly car journey from Chicago to New York City to a momentous encounter on New Year's Eve twelve years later.
Tamar Jeffers McDonald's insightful study explores how writer Nora Ephron and director Rob Reiner used structure, filmic devices, music and classic romcom concepts in innovative new ways. In her afterword to this new edition, she reflects on the movie's continuing influence on the romcom genre, and its relevance in a more turbulent era, where the question at the movie's heart - "Can men and women ever just be friends?" takes on fresh nuance in the age of #MeToo.

104 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2026

Reviews

[Haniyya Choudry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, especially because When Harry Met Sally is one of my favourite movies. I didn’t realise just how much detail from the book made it into the movie, so it was really interesting getting all the extra little details and behind-the-scenes information.

It definitely made me appreciate the movie even more and was basically like getting a little more of Harry and Sally, which I’m absolutely here for. ❤️

That being said… she does go on. 😂 There were definitely moments where I thought, okay, we get it! It wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, but it was an enjoyable read and a fun look behind one of my favourite movies.