Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan
Director: Nora Ephron


Essential Actor / Actresses Here

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The director and stars of 1998's You've Got Mail scored a breakthrough hit with this hugely popular romantic comedy from 1993, about a recently engaged woman (Meg Ryan) who hears the sad story of a grieving widower (Tom Hanks) on the radio and believes that they're destined to be together. She's single in New York, he lives in Seattle with a young son, but the cross-country attraction proves irresistible, and pretty soon Meg's on a westbound flight. What happens from there is... well, you must have been living in a cave to have let this sweet-hearted comedy slip below your pop-cultural radar. There's little complexity or depth to writer-director Nora Ephron's cheesy tale of a romantic fait accompli, and more than a little contrivance to the subplots that threaten to keep Hanks and Ryan from actually meeting. But the purity of star chemistry here is hard to deny, and this may be the first film to indicate the more serious and sympathetic side of Hanks that is revealed in later roles. With its clever jokes about "chick movies" and repeated homage to the classic weeper An Affair to Remember, this may not be everybody's brand of amorous entertainment, but it's got an old-Hollywood charm that appeals to many a movie fan.
Synopsis
Sam Baldwin is a good father and a successful architect. But he's also a lonely widower. One night his precocious 8-year-old son Jonah calls a late-night radio talk show seeking a cure for his father's despondency. When Sam hesitantly takes the phone and discloses the story of his magic-filled marriage, he proves to be a deeply feeling and gentle man. His plight profoundly moves the program's sympathetic female listeners, and thousands of women write in offering to help him `recover' from his mournful insomnia. The recently betrothed Annie Reed is one of the many listeners touched by Sam's story. To complicate matters, she's afraid her upcoming marriage promises stability and security but no excitement. Although Annie's supposed to be driving to her future in-laws' house for the holidays, she knows that she's already fallen in love with Sam and is on the road to destiny.

Video Description
After hearing a man confess his love for his dearly departed wife on a call-in radio show, a woman falls deeply, inexplicably in love with him. Deciding he is her destiny, she treks across country on a wildly romantic impulse to meet him - but will reality be nice, for once? Academy Award Nominations: Best (Original) Screenplay, Best Song ("A Wink and a Smile"). --This text refers to another version of this video.

Video Annotation
Academy Award-nominated writer Nora Ephron ("When Harry Met Sally," "Silkwood") has scripted several screenplays. She first became involved with "Sleepless In Seattle" as one of the writers. But as soon as producer Gary Foster saw her directorial debut film "This Is My Life," he asked Ephron to consider directing "Sleepless" as well. The film was shot in 12 weeks. About nine of those weeks were spent filming in Seattle. Additional filming locations include Chicago, Baltimore, and New York. One of the production designer's tasks was to reconstruct the Empire State Building's observation deck in a hanger at the Sands Point Naval Base. A huge photograph of the Big Apple's skyline was placed around the stage. The crew accomodated the filming equipment by building the deck-stage larger than the actual observation deck. Actress Meg Ryan, made her feature film debut as Candice Bergen's daughter in "Rich and Famous." In 1986 she played in the film "Top Gun." Her additional film roles included: "Promise Land," "DOA," "Innerspace," "The Presidio" and "The Doors." Consummate comedian Tom Hanks, who got his start in the television sitcom "Bousom Buddies," went on to star in "Splash," Volunteers," "The Money Pit" and "Nothing In Common." In 1988, he received acclaim for his work in "Punchline" and "Big." Hanks was recently featured in the motion picture "A League of Their Own," about an all-women's baseball team. "Sleepless In Seattle" is the first picture Ryan and Hanks have made together since they appeared in "Joe Versus the Volcano," (1990). Producer-director-actor Rob Reiner appears as Jay, a contractor who works with Hanks' Sam Baldwin. Reiner left his role as Michael Stivic of "All in the Family" and became one of Hollywood's most successful directors. "Misery" and "A Few Good Men," are just a couple of the films he's directed. Child actor Ross Malinger's, screen credits include "Good Advice," "Eve of Destruction," "Kindergarden Cop," and "Late For Dinner." Nicholas Meyers was the music editor and music supervisor, Jeffrey Popllack was the music consultant, and Walter Bernard and Milton Glaser did the titles design. A clip from the film "An Affair to Remember" (1957) directed by Leo McCarey, is used in the film. Other songs used in the film: "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" "The Wee Small Hours of the Morning" "Make Someone Happy" "When I Fall in Love." Rated BBFC PG by the British Board of Film Classification. Copyright 1993 TriStar Pictures, Inc.

 

 

 

 

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