"You've Got Mail" is actually the FIFTH version of this story: (1) It originated as the 1937 Hungarian play, "Parfumerie." (2) The play was adapted into the 1940 movie, "The Shop Around the Corner," starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. [Meg Ryan's bookstore here is named "The Shop Around the Corner" as a nod to the original movie.] (3) It was remade as a movie musical, "In the Good Old Summertime," starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson, in 1949. (4) It became a Broadway musical, "She Loves Me," in 1963. (5) Nora Ephron updated the original movie for the Internet age as "You've Got Mail" in 1998. Someday, no doubt, someone will remake it yet again, updated for their decade!
what do you think of the changes that occurred with each version? Like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are so charming here, but his big store puts her little family-owned business out of business. It feels like in the modern economic landscape, it's hard to have a happy ending. Like, how does she forgive him? what if the next version is some small business owner falling for Jeff Bezos and then they have a miserable relationship?
@@kw7378a1 How does she forgive him? That's one of the nice subtleties of Nora Ephron's script. It's there, but you have to figure it out yourself. She forgives him because she knows that he is truly sorry for what he did to her, and because she realizes that knowing her has made him want to be a better man (certainly better than his dad and granddad). And why isn't she mad at him for deceiving her for the last half of the movie? Well, she probably is mad, when she first sees him with his dog at the end. But then she remembers how mean she was to him the night he came into the coffee shop, and how she hurt his feelings and scared him away. You see it play across Meg Ryan's face in a matter of seconds. It's done without words, beautifully. Anyway, Kathleen will have the last laugh, because in about 10 years, Amazon will put Fox Books out of business! 🙂
@@OceanKingNY I think you misunderstood me. I do understand that in the script, she forgives him. I was trying to point out that most people in a similar situation would NOT forgive someone who ruins their family business. And this plot point didn't happen in earlier versions of this story, but probably became a necessity to adapt the story to the modern day. I'm arguing that it becomes less and less possible to tell this story without straining credulity once you put the lovers in competing businesses where one business is going to crush the other.
@@kw7378a1 Maybe she is a better Christian than you. Or maybe getting together with him and living off his wealth covers a multitude of sins. Or maybe the fact that she is running a boutique children's bookshop in that part of NYC indicates that she is independently wealthy and doesn't need the store for her livelihood. She will probably just move the store to Brooklyn and get in on the ground floor of gentrification.
@@kw7378a1 Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, it does seem difficult to get the lovers together, because society is moving in the direction of people becoming more and more isolated. I think that in this version, both Kathleen and Joe are actually very lonely people. They both find their soulmate online, someone who they can express their inner feelings to, so they are both willing to overlook the bad stuff to try to make it work. And that's kind of a throwback to "The Shop Around the Corner," which explored its characters' aching loneliness and the need for human contact.
I really hope this leads to a Sleepless in Seattle watch soon. If Simone hasn’t seen it I’m sure she’s gonna love it as much as You’ve Got Mail. Nora Ephron’s films were designed to make Simone’s cheeks hurt from smiling.
Dave Chapelle was up for the role of Bubba in Forest Gump and passed. He regretted missing an opportunity to act with Tom Hanks and when this came up he jumped at the chance.
He was also the super depressing raging alcoholic uncle in an episode of Family Ties in the early 80s. It was a funny sitcom and they put him in the one ridiculously sad episode
Something I enjoy about this movie is how it presents NYC as more of a small neighborhood, which is how it often feels to locals. No Times Square scenes in the movie.
One of the things I love is at @19:00, those scenes outside the cafe and when he goes in and they fight after he sits behind her is an almost word-for-word/shot-for-shot recreation of the same scenes in The Shop Around The Corner. As a movie lover, I find it really fun to see how they updated the story with "modern" technology, but also did a little bit of tribute to the original.
I think what allows me to suspend my disbelief for this particular movie is the fact that EVERY character fully lives within its gentle rose-colored world. Even the characters who act as obstacles or antagonists aren't evil or malicious people - just pompous, or tactless, or cynical, or unwise. And so the movie fully exists within a "rom-com" alternate universe, and I can accept that such a universe has slightly different rules than our own (even when it comes to the internet). After all, I doubt anyone who's lived in New York has ever seen the whole city look this vibrant, luminous, cozy, and clean. :)
This is one of those movies that when you're channel surfing and you find that it is on, no matter what part it's on, you stop and watch the rest. I have it on DVD and still watch it on TV (even though it has commercials).
OMG I am Simone hahaha. I absolutely love this movie and I will watch it over and over. I think it just hit me on many levels. This movie came out the winter before I graduated HS and that fall I had just started dating someone I had met on AOL ironically, and my mother managed an independent children's bookstore most of my life, where I helped out frequently and absolutely loved. Where she talks about the reading you do as a child informing who you will become and reaching you in a way no other reading does in your life is so true. I also grew up in NYC and love my city, so this really checked all the boxes for me. There is something so charming about this movie, and ironic since it was partially a commentary on big chain stores putting independent stores out of business (which is what happened to the bookstore my mother managed), but it is now internet shopping that put a lot of the large chain stores out of business.
This was cute! I love it when someone who has seen something as many times sees something they missed when sharing with someone else. I so loved the scene when the little girl is revealed to be his aunt.
Simone has the best taste. You've Got Mail is my favorite of the Tom/Meg romcoms and is the epitome of New York in the 90s. When NYC was cleaning up from the crime-ridden 80s and the internet was in it's innocent beginnings.
This is to George - the early internet really was a magical place. Creative, lawless, wild, full of curious people who formed communities around every topic you could think of. I remember siting in IRC chat rooms chatting between playing rounds of Quake, discussing RPGs in usenet news groups and instant messaging friends with programs like ICQ. These communities were run by the people who enjoyed them, without commerical interests. There was no "social media", no surveillance ads and data harvesting, no information bubbles, no algorithms controlling your "feed". The internet had so much promise, and it didn't have to turn into the sad state of affairs we have today. The cesspool we have now wasn't an unavoidable necessity, it was the culmination of a series of deliberate choices, of raw unregulated greed.
I mean it wasn’t that magical. I remember trying to connect with other Battletech fans over fan fiction and stuff back in the Prodigy days using BBS and eventually ICQ Rooms and people were complete troll dipshits way back in the early 90s too. The internet has always been full of assholes and depending on where you look it’s still just as positive too. What ruined the net wasn’t greed so much as normies who bumbled their way into finding a tribe and then feeling comfortable letting everyone see how terrible they were.
The third best Ryan-Hanks pairing, but it’s still a winner. Now all you have to do is watch Joe Versus the Volcano to see them both of them at their best in showcasing their chemistry. They also get to play around the most, with Meg Ryan playing three separate characters.
@@reverendB I will go to my grave saying Joe is the best Hanks Ryan rom com. It’s so much more than that. It’s one of the most existential/philosophical films that still has popular appeal about it. It’s not preachy about its themes, but they are there. I also really like the dialogue between them because it’s not at all the typical romantic dialogue; there are stretches of real angst, sadness, and just general dissatisfaction with life in them that hits home for a lot of us.
@@mojoshiversI could go on and on about Joe Vs The Volcano ⚡, but what I love the most is that Meg's characters represent a classic feminine trinity of mother, maiden, crone.
@@LordVolkov That one I caught onto only recently, like a few years back. But the symbology, especially the crooked road motif, I latched onto almost from the beginning. I’ve never seen a movie revisit visual elements so often to form a connective tissue between points along the journey as much as this one. The colors too-from Joe’s lamp, city at night, &c…-reoccur so brilliantly that I’m amazed at how well they worked it in. Such a great film stylistically and intellectually.
Finally -- someone who loves this movie as much as I do! Thank you Simone for this wonderful reaction (it was so much fun to see your favorite moments, and how sweet George was about them). Everyone loves "Sleepless" but I think this one is so much better and more magical (not to mention less toxic and creepy). I've loved it ever since I saw it in the theatre. Great reaction!
My favorite bookstore is closed most of the winter months, as it’s nestled high in the mountains in a very small town with a population of 43. My grandparents used to live there, so I’m well acquainted with the community and area, and I go every year. In the town center, there’s a post office, a general store, a cafe and a bookshop/coffee shop/bakery and below the bookshop a man makes handmade canoes. It’s such a magical place and the bookshop is wonderful, I’ve found many old books that have really changed me and my outlook. Give me a small business bookshop any day over the franchised corporations.
Simone, if you love Parker Posey, the mockumenry 'Best in Show' is a must. It was directed by Christopher Guest, from Spinal Tap/ He is also in the film along with Posey, Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy. The fact that it takes place at a dog show would be a selling point for you.
The Shop Around the Corner is also very charming. Obviously, it is much older and so it's all about actual letters and mail, but Jimmy Stewart is, well, Jimmy Stewart and great. It is worth watching.
This is a delightful little romp until you realize that the Meg Ryan character is in fact the aunt of the Tom Hanks character. All the clues are there.
The wacky age difference of Joe Fox and his relatives is clue one. When the subject of the children's bookstore's previous owner (Cecilia Kelly, Kathleen's mom) comes up, grandpa Fox states with great animation that he might have "dated" her once. That's clue number two. For clue number three we see in flashbacks that Kathleen Kelly has very fond and loving memories of her mother but there is no hint of a father being in the picture. The implication is that she never knew her father. A possible fourth clue, though admittedly a stretch, is the revelation that the Little Shop Around the Corner's long time accountant Birdie Conrad (Jean Stapelton) once had an affair with Generalissimo Franco of Spain. This at least establishes the fact that the older characters once were young people who in their time had passionate love affairs.
I just went to watch your Harry Met Sally reaction only to realise you haven't done it yet...... which is odd because I have just a vivid memory of you guys watching and loving it haha
15:05 - My experience with big cities is that they are actually very small - because you build your life around your neighborhood. When I lived in São Paulo, I kept bumping into former university colleagues, my former roommate and her husband, a cousin... because we all lived within the same 8 block radius. Saturday in the arts and crafts market - impossible not to bump into someone. Famous pizza place, éclair store, all these places were sure bets to run into the same people - in a city of 12 million.
It was the 90s. A time of major optimism. A wonderful time to be a young adult, and I miss it so much. I’m so sorry the world is so crappy now that the optimism is gone for young people.
George: To paraphrase Ghandi, Be the non-disappointed person you want to see in the world. Simone: You were really in your element watching this - absolutely glowing! So cool to see. :))
What's funny is that George mentions that he's used to seeing Hanks as serious. Growing up in the 80's, Hanks was ALWAYS the fun loving goofy guy from comedies like Big and such. He did like one serious movie that idk if it did well but nobody mentions or saw b/c it was so depressing from what i understand. Then, one day from out of nowhere, the clumsy skinny guy is giving an unbelievable performance in Saving Private Ryan. And our generation was stunned. We're STILL stunned. Actors sometimes do that tho, i've noticed. They do certain kinds of movies, then disappear, and then suddenly they show up in some movie w/ incredible acting chops and in great roles you can't believe. Like when Travolta showed up in Pulp Fiction.
15:33 my dad's side of the family used to get together every year for Christmas and sing. Most of the men in our family play guitars and the women sing. Of course life happens. We still get together but the singing kind of fizzled out. They finally got back to it this past Christmas but my hubby and kids got sick so we missed out😢 I am thankful for the internet because they were able to record some of the songs and share with us. 😊❤
Remember those old Chicken Soup for the Soul books that were huge in the 90s? Nora Ephron romcoms are a lot like that for me. They're just so lovely and comforting and never fail to pick me up if I'm in a funk. Would love to see you guys react to When Harry Met Sally as well!
You guys need to see Tom Hanks in Big (1988) and Turner and Hooch (1989). Too earlier ones very fun. Also Splash (1983) Splash is Awesome - Loaded with stars - young Tom Hanks, John Candy, Darryl Hannah, and Eugene Levy. I typed that from memory. I was an 80's teenager - great memories. Plus the 80's had So many great movies too.
Fun fact, I first went online in 2000, with AOL, which back then they sent you a cd rom with the software, and it actually had a browser within it, as well as a chat function, to chat to other AOL members. AOL was my first ISP. Twenty four years later, and I still have the same email address.
Movies I refused to watch “just cuz”, and years later finally broke down and decided to force myself to watch, I ended up loving. *(Dirty Dancing* for one, which curiously is NOT on this channel)
Big box stores are like discount airlines. People complain that there is less service at a discount airline, but they choose to fly them anyway because it saves them money.
Movies like these can be a reminder that there's always choice. I do hope you get to do "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Joe Vs the Volcano" sometime down the line, for that Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan working relationship they had for a while. "The Burbs" is also marvellous. He's been in some blindingly good comedies over the years.
This film was a huge inspiration for my own original Rom-Com series. As much as it's a love story, it's a romance towards brick and mortar stores and advancements in technology. I've seen this film too many times.
This movie was my favorite growing up. I'm like Simone, it was made for me or maybe it shaped what I like. Looking at it now though, however innocent the movie's intentions were, I can't help but realize how creepy the situation is. He has all the power in the relationship when he is both messaging her and then talking about her "penpal" in real life, using the knowledge he has as her penpal. It would be super creepy in real life. He also runs her out of her business too... So, it really doesn't translate well to real life. That said, I still adore it to bits and I love that the intention was pure and earnest, and I appreciate the movie for what it is.
Oh! This is a massive treat for me . I had No idea you were going to do a reaction to one of my favorite films . I am so the small book store type and the early internet is what I was first introduced to . I remember those three little boxes to show me I was going online from AOL . Watching this makes it feel almost like yesterday and again like a life time ago . Thank you both so much for this no matter the pessimist or the optimist side your on this movie just might shine a light on anyone . I truly do hope that it does because we all deserve Love no matter what shape or size we are "You've Got Mail" has a little something for everybody . I wish you both such a wonderful day.... you have made mine. Thank You again.
The dog at the end was sceduled to be "put to sleep" (destroyed/killed). The paperwork on the cage said so. It was a center for stray dogs they try to get new homes for dogs but after a period of time run out of space and " put them down".
4:23 RE: the newly sharpened bouquet of pencils. I’m reminded of the excellent Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal led romantic black comedy “Stranger Than Fiction” where Ferrell’s IRS agent character gives Gyllenhaal’s hippy bakery owner character a very creative and poignant bouquet (think of what a bouquet is typically comprised of, and then any homonyms for that word).
I love this movie so much. My mom is a huge Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks fan so this and Sleepless in Seattle were staple watches in our house. This is my comfort movie, whenever I'm having a bad day I can throw this on and it never fails to put me in a better mood.
You've Got Mail is the second remake of 1940 Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan movie The Shop Around the Corner. It was also remade as a musical in 1946 with Judy Garland and Van Johnson. That was called The Good Old Summertime. Nora Ephron wrote You've Got Mail, When Harry met Sally, and a few other rom-coms.
Childhood favourite. George needs to watch more of the early Tom Hanks movies to see just how good he was at comedy. The Money Pit is a great pick, however The Burbs is my all time favourite Tom Hanks movie.
This movie is so ridiculous in the most wonderful way. It's one of my favorite comfort movies 😁. It's also such a time capsule of late 90s technology. This script only works during that era
People are like this... sometimes. Just not most of the time. But it's our capacity to at least occasionally be like this -- our desire for the world to work this way -- our aspiration for the happy ending -- that makes me hopeful. Sometimes.
25:04 George's concern for Simone at this moment because he knew that she'd find this moment emotional. "Are you doin' OK?" "Yeah"...a little too quickly...
Younger Tom Hanks movies worth watching: Big, Splash, Dragnet, The 'Burbs, The Money Pit. I would have included Sleepless in Seattle, but that came out the same year as Philadelphia, which I think marked his shift from young Tom to mature Tom.
I also was in Vancouver when I watched this movie for the first time in the theatre... and the crowd laughed so much when he said "I'm in Vancouver" Lol
One Fine Day (1996) is an underrated 90s rom-com now that was a hit upon initial release. Set in NYC and featuring a great cast led by Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. Also starring Mae Witman (Parenthood), Alex Linz (Liar Liar), Anna Maria Horsford (Friday), Ellen Greene (Pushing Daisies), Holland Taylor (Legally Blonde), and Amanda Peet (The Chair).
If you want scenes of Hanks and Ryan interacting with each other than Sleepless in Seattle is the worst of the bunch. SPOILER . . . . . They literally don't appear together until the final scene of the movie. That film feels more like someone made Nora Ephron a bet: "I bet you can't make a romantic comedy where the two main characters don't actually interact until the end of the film." and she said "I'll take that bet."
@@jhornacek I agree. I love "Joe vs. the Volcano" and "You've Got Mail," but was never a big fan of 'Sleepless." It's just too weird and creepy for me and I hate the lack of actual interaction.
@@paramitch Yeah, I am thinking of people that went to see it in the theater when it was released who were big Hanks/Ryan fans and spent the entire movie waiting for them to have *any* scenes together, and would have been so annoyed when they finally meet and the film ends.
This movie is the epitome of charming and I conquer with watching sleepless in Seattle and any 80’s Tom hanks comedy such as the money pit, turner and hootch, splash, the burbs.
interesting George mentions Tom Hanks as a solder, He made this movie and Private Ryan in the same year. You could not get two move that where at polar opposites if you tried.
I am sure others have said this before . . . but if you really want great rom-coms . . . you need movies from the 30's and 40's . . . It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, The Lady Eve, The Philadelphia Story, Adam's Rib, Bringing Up Baby, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth etc. etc.
I tried looking for your reaction to Joe vs. The Volcano, but couldn't find it. You haven't done that one yet? You absolutely should. As much as I like Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, the first pairing of these two brilliant performers leaves them both in the dust, and you two would love it. Please, I beg you, do Joe vs. The Volcano.
Oh, I wish y'all would've watched the original to this film for this past Christmas season, "The Shop Around the Corner." Just an absolutely charming film with a terrific storyline & perfect casting. Hope you put it on your list for next Christmas! ---this version is so good, as Hanks & Ryan are just too good! What really made this was Simone's infectious giggling, which makes her even more adorable. George has a genuine laugh that makes the world a better place.
What a classic. I hope this leads to a When Harry Met Sally watch, such a foundational movie for what modern romcoms are, but still so many fail to capture the magic in WHMS.
I loved this movie when it came out when I was in High School. Still do. I have spent so many hours in book stores with hot tea or coffee reading. I always wanted to work in one growing up.
George, you need to remember when this movie was made. The early 90's. The internet was a new frontier and people were not jaded by the reality that it is today. It was more innocent back then. People didn't know about chat room dangers, ID theft, catfishing, etc. Does that make this movie incredibly dated? Yes. But also incredibly charming for people my age (Gen X/Xennial) who grew up at the cusp of that technology and remember those days fondly.
My mom and I have been in love with this movie ever since it came out. Two major readers of course. 🥰 In a small way it’s Our movie. Obviously we love all the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movies. Along with French Kiss.
Shop around the corner and the good all summertime are both this same storyline. The first stars Jimmy Stewart and is amazing. The second has Judy Garland and is a musical.
![First time watching YOU'VE GOT MAIL (1998) // a masterclass in genre // [Commentary & reaction]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qhra7aTxQyI/mqdefault.jpg)
"You've Got Mail" is actually the FIFTH version of this story:
(1) It originated as the 1937 Hungarian play, "Parfumerie."
(2) The play was adapted into the 1940 movie, "The Shop Around the Corner," starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. [Meg Ryan's bookstore here is named "The Shop Around the Corner" as a nod to the original movie.]
(3) It was remade as a movie musical, "In the Good Old Summertime," starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson, in 1949.
(4) It became a Broadway musical, "She Loves Me," in 1963.
(5) Nora Ephron updated the original movie for the Internet age as "You've Got Mail" in 1998.
Someday, no doubt, someone will remake it yet again, updated for their decade!
what do you think of the changes that occurred with each version? Like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are so charming here, but his big store puts her little family-owned business out of business. It feels like in the modern economic landscape, it's hard to have a happy ending. Like, how does she forgive him? what if the next version is some small business owner falling for Jeff Bezos and then they have a miserable relationship?
@@kw7378a1 How does she forgive him? That's one of the nice subtleties of Nora Ephron's script. It's there, but you have to figure it out yourself. She forgives him because she knows that he is truly sorry for what he did to her, and because she realizes that knowing her has made him want to be a better man (certainly better than his dad and granddad). And why isn't she mad at him for deceiving her for the last half of the movie? Well, she probably is mad, when she first sees him with his dog at the end. But then she remembers how mean she was to him the night he came into the coffee shop, and how she hurt his feelings and scared him away. You see it play across Meg Ryan's face in a matter of seconds. It's done without words, beautifully.
Anyway, Kathleen will have the last laugh, because in about 10 years, Amazon will put Fox Books out of business! 🙂
@@OceanKingNY I think you misunderstood me. I do understand that in the script, she forgives him. I was trying to point out that most people in a similar situation would NOT forgive someone who ruins their family business. And this plot point didn't happen in earlier versions of this story, but probably became a necessity to adapt the story to the modern day. I'm arguing that it becomes less and less possible to tell this story without straining credulity once you put the lovers in competing businesses where one business is going to crush the other.
@@kw7378a1
Maybe she is a better Christian than you.
Or maybe getting together with him and living off his wealth covers a multitude of sins.
Or maybe the fact that she is running a boutique children's bookshop in that part of NYC indicates that she is independently wealthy and doesn't need the store for her livelihood. She will probably just move the store to Brooklyn and get in on the ground floor of gentrification.
@@kw7378a1 Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, it does seem difficult to get the lovers together, because society is moving in the direction of people becoming more and more isolated. I think that in this version, both Kathleen and Joe are actually very lonely people. They both find their soulmate online, someone who they can express their inner feelings to, so they are both willing to overlook the bad stuff to try to make it work. And that's kind of a throwback to "The Shop Around the Corner," which explored its characters' aching loneliness and the need for human contact.
I really hope this leads to a Sleepless in Seattle watch soon. If Simone hasn’t seen it I’m sure she’s gonna love it as much as You’ve Got Mail. Nora Ephron’s films were designed to make Simone’s cheeks hurt from smiling.
It seems exceedingly unlikely she hasn't seen that one, if she loves this one this much. But if so then definitely!
Yes Sleepless and then Joe vs the Volcano
Joe Vs the Volcano is far darker than I remembered, it's easily one of Tom Hanks best early films
@@shaderax_storm6165 I want that luggage
I Hope they will watch "When Harry meet Sally..." with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Greatest romcom ever.
Dave Chapelle was up for the role of Bubba in Forest Gump and passed. He regretted missing an opportunity to act with Tom Hanks and when this came up he jumped at the chance.
Probably for the best. Mykelti Williamson nailed that role.
I can't picture Chappelle doing a serious death scene.
Tom Hanks did start in comedy. He was a main character in the sitcom Bosom Buddies.
Turner and Hooch (1989) is a really fun one - He's a cop and there's a dog in it
Yeah, they need some of his older films, Splash, Money Pit, Big, The Man with One Red Shoe, Bachelor Party, etc.
And don’t forget The ‘Burbs @@Wizross
He was also the super depressing raging alcoholic uncle in an episode of Family Ties in the early 80s. It was a funny sitcom and they put him in the one ridiculously sad episode
Something I enjoy about this movie is how it presents NYC as more of a small neighborhood, which is how it often feels to locals. No Times Square scenes in the movie.
Seeing how much Simone loves this movie, down to mouthing every memorable line as it happens, is truly adorable.
George always has been, and will continue to be, my manic pixie dream girl.
One of the things I love is at @19:00, those scenes outside the cafe and when he goes in and they fight after he sits behind her is an almost word-for-word/shot-for-shot recreation of the same scenes in The Shop Around The Corner. As a movie lover, I find it really fun to see how they updated the story with "modern" technology, but also did a little bit of tribute to the original.
I think what allows me to suspend my disbelief for this particular movie is the fact that EVERY character fully lives within its gentle rose-colored world. Even the characters who act as obstacles or antagonists aren't evil or malicious people - just pompous, or tactless, or cynical, or unwise. And so the movie fully exists within a "rom-com" alternate universe, and I can accept that such a universe has slightly different rules than our own (even when it comes to the internet).
After all, I doubt anyone who's lived in New York has ever seen the whole city look this vibrant, luminous, cozy, and clean. :)
This is one of those movies that when you're channel surfing and you find that it is on, no matter what part it's on, you stop and watch the rest. I have it on DVD and still watch it on TV (even though it has commercials).
OMG I am Simone hahaha. I absolutely love this movie and I will watch it over and over. I think it just hit me on many levels. This movie came out the winter before I graduated HS and that fall I had just started dating someone I had met on AOL ironically, and my mother managed an independent children's bookstore most of my life, where I helped out frequently and absolutely loved. Where she talks about the reading you do as a child informing who you will become and reaching you in a way no other reading does in your life is so true. I also grew up in NYC and love my city, so this really checked all the boxes for me. There is something so charming about this movie, and ironic since it was partially a commentary on big chain stores putting independent stores out of business (which is what happened to the bookstore my mother managed), but it is now internet shopping that put a lot of the large chain stores out of business.
In my head, the caviar garnish is a nod to the party scene in 'Big', in which Tom Hanks chokes on the beluga caviar before asking for a milkshake. 😊
This was cute! I love it when someone who has seen something as many times sees something they missed when sharing with someone else. I so loved the scene when the little girl is revealed to be his aunt.
Simone has the best taste. You've Got Mail is my favorite of the Tom/Meg romcoms and is the epitome of New York in the 90s. When NYC was cleaning up from the crime-ridden 80s and the internet was in it's innocent beginnings.
Only 2 minutes in, and I'm loving Simone's giddiness! I love this movie too. I love The Shop Around the Corner (1940) even more.
This is to George - the early internet really was a magical place. Creative, lawless, wild, full of curious people who formed communities around every topic you could think of. I remember siting in IRC chat rooms chatting between playing rounds of Quake, discussing RPGs in usenet news groups and instant messaging friends with programs like ICQ. These communities were run by the people who enjoyed them, without commerical interests. There was no "social media", no surveillance ads and data harvesting, no information bubbles, no algorithms controlling your "feed".
The internet had so much promise, and it didn't have to turn into the sad state of affairs we have today. The cesspool we have now wasn't an unavoidable necessity, it was the culmination of a series of deliberate choices, of raw unregulated greed.
omg, ICQ. The best messenger. I can hear the noise still.
I still use ICQ with my daughter, my brother, and my bff, among others. :D
@@mandlerparr1 It's still around! I use it every day.
I mean it wasn’t that magical. I remember trying to connect with other Battletech fans over fan fiction and stuff back in the Prodigy days using BBS and eventually ICQ Rooms and people were complete troll dipshits way back in the early 90s too.
The internet has always been full of assholes and depending on where you look it’s still just as positive too. What ruined the net wasn’t greed so much as normies who bumbled their way into finding a tribe and then feeling comfortable letting everyone see how terrible they were.
This crazily is my favorite Tom Hanks movie.His quotes and dialog are the best.
The third best Ryan-Hanks pairing, but it’s still a winner. Now all you have to do is watch Joe Versus the Volcano to see them both of them at their best in showcasing their chemistry. They also get to play around the most, with Meg Ryan playing three separate characters.
YES!!!
@@reverendB I will go to my grave saying Joe is the best Hanks Ryan rom com. It’s so much more than that. It’s one of the most existential/philosophical films that still has popular appeal about it. It’s not preachy about its themes, but they are there. I also really like the dialogue between them because it’s not at all the typical romantic dialogue; there are stretches of real angst, sadness, and just general dissatisfaction with life in them that hits home for a lot of us.
@@mojoshivers Couldn't agree more!!
@@mojoshiversI could go on and on about Joe Vs The Volcano ⚡, but what I love the most is that Meg's characters represent a classic feminine trinity of mother, maiden, crone.
@@LordVolkov That one I caught onto only recently, like a few years back. But the symbology, especially the crooked road motif, I latched onto almost from the beginning. I’ve never seen a movie revisit visual elements so often to form a connective tissue between points along the journey as much as this one. The colors too-from Joe’s lamp, city at night, &c…-reoccur so brilliantly that I’m amazed at how well they worked it in.
Such a great film stylistically and intellectually.
Finally -- someone who loves this movie as much as I do! Thank you Simone for this wonderful reaction (it was so much fun to see your favorite moments, and how sweet George was about them). Everyone loves "Sleepless" but I think this one is so much better and more magical (not to mention less toxic and creepy). I've loved it ever since I saw it in the theatre. Great reaction!
My favorite bookstore is closed most of the winter months, as it’s nestled high in the mountains in a very small town with a population of 43. My grandparents used to live there, so I’m well acquainted with the community and area, and I go every year. In the town center, there’s a post office, a general store, a cafe and a bookshop/coffee shop/bakery and below the bookshop a man makes handmade canoes. It’s such a magical place and the bookshop is wonderful, I’ve found many old books that have really changed me and my outlook. Give me a small business bookshop any day over the franchised corporations.
Simones happiness made me smile.
"French Kiss" is a good RomCom with Meg Ryan. I mean, she is the same character in most of movies like this, but is a good fit in every one of them.
Simone, if you love Parker Posey, the mockumenry 'Best in Show' is a must. It was directed by Christopher Guest, from Spinal Tap/ He is also in the film along with Posey, Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy. The fact that it takes place at a dog show would be a selling point for you.
Parker Posey is so funny and wildly underrated.
def check her out in the hal hartley films!
I LOVE Parker Posey.
House of Yes, Scream 3, Will & Grace.
The film that this is based on, The Shop Around The Corner, is wonderful. Jimmy Stewart at his best.
Yes! I'd love them to watch this
Margaret Sullavan great too.
The part where Parker Posey read Greg Kinnear's book reminds me of the matchmaking dinner in _When Harry Met Sally._
We love it when you sing all the songs and say all the lines to the movies
If I could go back in time and start an Internet cafe that would be awesome
The Shop Around the Corner is also very charming. Obviously, it is much older and so it's all about actual letters and mail, but Jimmy Stewart is, well, Jimmy Stewart and great. It is worth watching.
"Also very charming" is an understatement. It is by far better.
Simone exposing her deepest hopes and dreams and George just constantly calling it out
It was adorable Btw!
This is a delightful little romp until you realize that the Meg Ryan character is in fact the aunt of the Tom Hanks character. All the clues are there.
hahahah oh my god!
OMG, they are Targaryens!
@@CineBingeReact Another oh my god.
I've watched this movie a dozen times and missed that! They had to re-write Kate and Leopold when it was realized that... let's leave it there.
The wacky age difference of Joe Fox and his relatives is clue one. When the subject of the children's bookstore's previous owner (Cecilia Kelly, Kathleen's mom) comes up, grandpa Fox states with great animation that he might have "dated" her once. That's clue number two. For clue number three we see in flashbacks that Kathleen Kelly has very fond and loving memories of her mother but there is no hint of a father being in the picture. The implication is that she never knew her father. A possible fourth clue, though admittedly a stretch, is the revelation that the Little Shop Around the Corner's long time accountant Birdie Conrad (Jean Stapelton) once had an affair with Generalissimo Franco of Spain. This at least establishes the fact that the older characters once were young people who in their time had passionate love affairs.
I just went to watch your Harry Met Sally reaction only to realise you haven't done it yet...... which is odd because I have just a vivid memory of you guys watching and loving it haha
25:06 George asking if Simone is doing okay 😭
He knows her very well.
Yeah, they’re a good duo 😊
Yes! I just posted a similar thing to you. You beat me to it. I loved George's concern at that moment.
15:05 - My experience with big cities is that they are actually very small - because you build your life around your neighborhood. When I lived in São Paulo, I kept bumping into former university colleagues, my former roommate and her husband, a cousin... because we all lived within the same 8 block radius. Saturday in the arts and crafts market - impossible not to bump into someone. Famous pizza place, éclair store, all these places were sure bets to run into the same people - in a city of 12 million.
its true. nyc is the same. and density-wise it really is a small village like george said
It was the 90s. A time of major optimism. A wonderful time to be a young adult, and I miss it so much. I’m so sorry the world is so crappy now that the optimism is gone for young people.
This movie really makes me miss the original internet. It was a magical place - almost an alternate universe.
George: To paraphrase Ghandi, Be the non-disappointed person you want to see in the world.
Simone: You were really in your element watching this - absolutely glowing! So cool to see. :))
I live just blocks from that garden at the end. Beautiful in the spring.
JOE VS THE VOLCANO is also a great movie with both of them that came out a little earlier.
What's funny is that George mentions that he's used to seeing Hanks as serious. Growing up in the 80's, Hanks was ALWAYS the fun loving goofy guy from comedies like Big and such. He did like one serious movie that idk if it did well but nobody mentions or saw b/c it was so depressing from what i understand. Then, one day from out of nowhere, the clumsy skinny guy is giving an unbelievable performance in Saving Private Ryan. And our generation was stunned. We're STILL stunned. Actors sometimes do that tho, i've noticed. They do certain kinds of movies, then disappear, and then suddenly they show up in some movie w/ incredible acting chops and in great roles you can't believe. Like when Travolta showed up in Pulp Fiction.
Agreed... Sleepless in Seattle, Cast Away and Captain Philips.. he got better and better.
'joe versus the volcano' is a great movie with these two.
15:33 my dad's side of the family used to get together every year for Christmas and sing. Most of the men in our family play guitars and the women sing. Of course life happens. We still get together but the singing kind of fizzled out. They finally got back to it this past Christmas but my hubby and kids got sick so we missed out😢 I am thankful for the internet because they were able to record some of the songs and share with us. 😊❤
"That caviar is a garnish!"
When Harry Met Sally is a must!
Remember those old Chicken Soup for the Soul books that were huge in the 90s? Nora Ephron romcoms are a lot like that for me. They're just so lovely and comforting and never fail to pick me up if I'm in a funk. Would love to see you guys react to When Harry Met Sally as well!
You guys need to see Tom Hanks in Big (1988) and Turner and Hooch (1989). Too earlier ones very fun. Also Splash (1983) Splash is Awesome - Loaded with stars - young Tom Hanks, John Candy, Darryl Hannah, and Eugene Levy. I typed that from memory. I was an 80's teenager - great memories. Plus the 80's had So many great movies too.
Well played George with the editing and blurred scenes. Great editing. I love this movie.
My mom had this on VHS. I remember seeing bits and pieces of it when I was very little.
My wife of 20 years and I met online when we were 15, 27 years ago. I love this move. I always have to watch it if it is on.
The premium Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan vehicle is Sleepless in Seattle. Or Joe Versus the Volcano if you’re weird.
Simone I have this movie on VHS and I watch it at least 5 times a year, and always at least once every Christmas time. Such a classic!
Fun fact, I first went online in 2000, with AOL, which back then they sent you a cd rom with the software, and it actually had a browser within it, as well as a chat function, to chat to other AOL members. AOL was my first ISP.
Twenty four years later, and I still have the same email address.
I love this movie so much, thanks George for not being a cliche and refusing to watch it “just cuz”. This was great, thanks Simone
Movies I refused to watch “just cuz”, and years later finally broke down and decided to force myself to watch, I ended up loving.
*(Dirty Dancing* for one, which curiously is NOT on this channel)
Big box stores are like discount airlines. People complain that there is less service at a discount airline, but they choose to fly them anyway because it saves them money.
Movies like these can be a reminder that there's always choice. I do hope you get to do "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Joe Vs the Volcano" sometime down the line, for that Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan working relationship they had for a while. "The Burbs" is also marvellous. He's been in some blindingly good comedies over the years.
Second The Burbs.
Great film and I think both Simone and George would enjoy it.
Yes! I vote for “The ‘Burbs” also!
This film was a huge inspiration for my own original Rom-Com series. As much as it's a love story, it's a romance towards brick and mortar stores and advancements in technology. I've seen this film too many times.
This is absolutely my favorite movie as well. It is my go to film when I need to be cheered up. I've watched it dozens of times.
Have you guys seen Big? It shows peak Tom Hanks silliness! Definitely need to do Sleepless in Seattle too
"And it was a goooood move." Hahahahahhaha
This movie was my favorite growing up. I'm like Simone, it was made for me or maybe it shaped what I like. Looking at it now though, however innocent the movie's intentions were, I can't help but realize how creepy the situation is. He has all the power in the relationship when he is both messaging her and then talking about her "penpal" in real life, using the knowledge he has as her penpal. It would be super creepy in real life. He also runs her out of her business too... So, it really doesn't translate well to real life. That said, I still adore it to bits and I love that the intention was pure and earnest, and I appreciate the movie for what it is.
Oh! This is a massive treat for me . I had No idea you were going to do a reaction to one of my favorite films . I am so the small book store type and the early internet is what I was first introduced to . I remember those three little boxes to show me I was going online from AOL . Watching this makes it feel almost like yesterday and again like a life time ago . Thank you both so much for this no matter the pessimist or the optimist side your on this movie just might shine a light on anyone . I truly do hope that it does because we all deserve Love no matter what shape or size we are "You've Got Mail" has a little something for everybody . I wish you both such a wonderful day.... you have made mine. Thank You again.
The dog at the end was sceduled to be "put to sleep" (destroyed/killed).
The paperwork on the cage said so.
It was a center for stray dogs they try to get new homes for dogs but after a period of time run out of space and " put them down".
4:23 RE: the newly sharpened bouquet of pencils.
I’m reminded of the excellent Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal led romantic black comedy “Stranger Than Fiction” where Ferrell’s IRS agent character gives Gyllenhaal’s hippy bakery owner character a very creative and poignant bouquet (think of what a bouquet is typically comprised of, and then any homonyms for that word).
I love this movie so much. My mom is a huge Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks fan so this and Sleepless in Seattle were staple watches in our house. This is my comfort movie, whenever I'm having a bad day I can throw this on and it never fails to put me in a better mood.
You've Got Mail is the second remake of 1940 Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan movie The Shop Around the Corner. It was also remade as a musical in 1946 with Judy Garland and Van Johnson. That was called The Good Old Summertime. Nora Ephron wrote You've Got Mail, When Harry met Sally, and a few other rom-coms.
I'm as thrilled as Simone to see this. In a related vein, I suggest the movie IQ.
I remember the dial up days. I could only use the internet when my parents weren't home because we only had one phone line 😂
I love Simone's face every time George opens his mouth because she's thinking "don't you dare ruin this movie for me George" 😅😂
Childhood favourite. George needs to watch more of the early Tom Hanks movies to see just how good he was at comedy. The Money Pit is a great pick, however The Burbs is my all time favourite Tom Hanks movie.
The light in Simone's eyes watching this is enchanting.
thank you for reacting to this, one of my all time favorites
This movie is so ridiculous in the most wonderful way. It's one of my favorite comfort movies 😁. It's also such a time capsule of late 90s technology. This script only works during that era
People are like this... sometimes. Just not most of the time. But it's our capacity to at least occasionally be like this -- our desire for the world to work this way -- our aspiration for the happy ending -- that makes me hopeful. Sometimes.
25:04 George's concern for Simone at this moment because he knew that she'd find this moment emotional.
"Are you doin' OK?"
"Yeah"...a little too quickly...
Younger Tom Hanks movies worth watching: Big, Splash, Dragnet, The 'Burbs, The Money Pit.
I would have included Sleepless in Seattle, but that came out the same year as Philadelphia, which I think marked his shift from young Tom to mature Tom.
This is how much I love this movie, I had a friend and we bonded over this movie... and she gave me a boquet of sharpened pencils, too! Best gift. ❤
I also was in Vancouver when I watched this movie for the first time in the theatre... and the crowd laughed so much when he said "I'm in Vancouver" Lol
I would highly recommend the first Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan pairing - Joe Vs The Volcano
Brain cloud?
One Fine Day (1996) is an underrated 90s rom-com now that was a hit upon initial release. Set in NYC and featuring a great cast led by Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. Also starring Mae Witman (Parenthood), Alex Linz (Liar Liar), Anna Maria Horsford (Friday), Ellen Greene (Pushing Daisies), Holland Taylor (Legally Blonde), and Amanda Peet (The Chair).
Meg Ryan & Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally.
In that time i worked in an AOL callcenter. They reserved the whole cinema for us all to watch ;-)
Of the three Hanks-Ryan pairings, "Sleepless in Seattle" is the best of the bunch and absolutely a must-see.
If you want scenes of Hanks and Ryan interacting with each other than Sleepless in Seattle is the worst of the bunch.
SPOILER
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They literally don't appear together until the final scene of the movie. That film feels more like someone made Nora Ephron a bet: "I bet you can't make a romantic comedy where the two main characters don't actually interact until the end of the film." and she said "I'll take that bet."
Both "You've Got Mail" AND "Joe vs. the Volcano" are better than Sleepless in Seattle, IMO. But they're all quite good!
@@TheLouisvilleJedi Personally, I prefer my romantic comedies where the couple have actual scenes together.
@@jhornacek I agree. I love "Joe vs. the Volcano" and "You've Got Mail," but was never a big fan of 'Sleepless." It's just too weird and creepy for me and I hate the lack of actual interaction.
@@paramitch Yeah, I am thinking of people that went to see it in the theater when it was released who were big Hanks/Ryan fans and spent the entire movie waiting for them to have *any* scenes together, and would have been so annoyed when they finally meet and the film ends.
Joe Versus the Volcano is still my favorite Hanks and Ryan movie.
I love that Seth Rogen's characters in both Undeclared and The Mindy Project loved this movie.
My mom and I often quote "That caviar is a garnish!"
This movie is the epitome of charming and I conquer with watching sleepless in Seattle and any 80’s Tom hanks comedy such as the money pit, turner and hootch, splash, the burbs.
interesting George mentions Tom Hanks as a solder, He made this movie and Private Ryan in the same year. You could not get two move that where at polar opposites if you tried.
I am sure others have said this before . . . but if you really want great rom-coms . . . you need movies from the 30's and 40's . . . It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, The Lady Eve, The Philadelphia Story, Adam's Rib, Bringing Up Baby, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth etc. etc.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan where the perfect movie couple back then.
This is my fav romcom. Those two have such chemistry on screen. And I thought the acting was great.
I tried looking for your reaction to Joe vs. The Volcano, but couldn't find it. You haven't done that one yet? You absolutely should. As much as I like Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, the first pairing of these two brilliant performers leaves them both in the dust, and you two would love it. Please, I beg you, do Joe vs. The Volcano.
I’ve been advocating a Joe watch for awhile, sadly, to no avail. Lol
You are both geniuses with impeccable taste!
Shop Around the Corner and In the Good old Summertime are both precursors of this film.
Oh, I wish y'all would've watched the original to this film for this past Christmas season, "The Shop Around the Corner." Just an absolutely charming film with a terrific storyline & perfect casting. Hope you put it on your list for next Christmas! ---this version is so good, as Hanks & Ryan are just too good! What really made this was Simone's infectious giggling, which makes her even more adorable. George has a genuine laugh that makes the world a better place.
What a classic. I hope this leads to a When Harry Met Sally watch, such a foundational movie for what modern romcoms are, but still so many fail to capture the magic in WHMS.
It is the best rom com of the last 40 years.
you two are the internet's best friends
I loved this movie when it came out when I was in High School. Still do. I have spent so many hours in book stores with hot tea or coffee reading. I always wanted to work in one growing up.
My all time favorite movie! when i visited my brother in NY he took me to some of these spots!!!
George, you need to remember when this movie was made. The early 90's. The internet was a new frontier and people were not jaded by the reality that it is today. It was more innocent back then. People didn't know about chat room dangers, ID theft, catfishing, etc. Does that make this movie incredibly dated? Yes. But also incredibly charming for people my age (Gen X/Xennial) who grew up at the cusp of that technology and remember those days fondly.
Not sure of you noticed the Young Chris Messina as the Fox Bookstore Worker that Kathleen helps with the “Shoe Books”.
My mom and I have been in love with this movie ever since it came out.
Two major readers of course. 🥰
In a small way it’s Our movie.
Obviously we love all the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movies.
Along with French Kiss.
Shop around the corner and the good all summertime are both this same storyline. The first stars Jimmy Stewart and is amazing. The second has Judy Garland and is a musical.
They need to be recommended more Tom Hanks comedies!
I just checked to see if they reacted to A League of Their Own, they have not. 🤔
It's funny that you watched this movie now for the first time when I watch this movie every new years with my mom to this day since it was made!