Composed By:
Book: Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo, Screenplay: Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, Director: Nora Ephron, Producer: Nora Ephron, Released: 1998, Running Time: 119mins, Distributed: Warner Bros.
Story:
Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), a superstore book chain tycoon, befriends a woman through anonymous emails, sparking a connection and intimacy neither expect nor share in their actual lives. Kathleen Kelly (Mega Ryan), an independent bookstore owner confides openly online to Hanks, unbeknownst that he is her mystery lover. Ryan and Hanks face a harsh reality that sees a closure to the much-loved store that Ryan owns for the new book chain, causing a discernable rift between the two, but amidst it all they still find love. Shock and awe ensue as they learn of each other’s identity, but the film stands to prove that love can triumph all woes in the end.
Review:
I can always appreciate a love story when it is told well, and in You’ve Got Mail, the formula has won me over. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are wondrous to watch on screen, their dynamic is beyond explanation, which is probably why Sleepless in Seattle hit home so well.
You’ve Got Mail is told in a way that is not at all sappy, it’s charming and even funny at times. Joe Fox, Hanks, strides around seeming all too pleased with himself, not at all this way when he speaks online, he is eloquent and endearing. Kathleen Kelly is likewise a more extroverted individual in her online persona but exists almost voiceless in her life, pushed down by her overpowering boyfriend who claims the spotlight. It is this precise element that brings the film its defining flavour and vigour, seeing these perfectly matched couple, that bring about the best in each other, split by dirty business that becomes particularly personal to Ryan’s character.
Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle) packages a love story in a neatly formed envelope that becomes unraveled throughout the film, showing the true influence and growth both force out of each other. Joe Fox learns how to bestow kindness and a proper sense of manners on people and Kathleen Kelly finds a voice to fight for what she believes in, what her wants and aspirations are. They turn each others greatest power on the other, he finds a place for her gentle and humble voice in his while she finds a way to use his confident and untamed voice, liberating her from constraint. Ephron pits them against each other but it doesn’t stop them from finding love in the end, instead it gives it much more value.
You’ve Got Mail is a film that contains something missing in latter interpretations, a relatable feel, and a truthful resonance. It stands the test of time and is still heartwarming. It has a timeless factor, we don’t see that enough.
Verdict:
You’ve Got Mail is a love story told simply and told well. If you don’t cry, at least you’ll laugh, with a box of tissues there beside you.
SERPENTS LAIR 