If you know me, you probably know that my favorite movie of all time is "When Harry Met Sally." I first watched it in my junior year of high school (after reading that Mindy Kaling loved it) and got hooked. It's the romantic comedy for young women who hate romantic comedies.
First off, it's a movie where both Harry and Sally share screen time. It's not all about her, it's not all about him, and it's not only a montage of Harry and Sally having a great time and falling in love. In most romantic comedies, the comedy portion comes from the male lead, but "WHMS" is different. Sally gets her time to be the funny character she is, instead of just being a woman on a mission for love. Instead, she's on a mission for life.
Sally is the ultimate female lead. She's picky and high maintenance, but none of these traits make her unlovable. She's worried about the future and ending up alone — as we all are. Sally shows us that it is okay to be picky, it's okay to not settle, and it is okay to be yourself unapologetically.
Harry also diverts from most romantic comedy tropes. He isn't an overzealous masculine man, but is capable of being heartbroken and sad for long periods of time, a stereotype usually reserved for women. Harry struggles through life just as much as the regular person, and this movie is not afraid to show a man experiencing a range of emotions, and not just love for a woman.
What I love most about "When Harry Met Sally" is that it's a realistic movie. It doesn't go over and beyond to show that true love will conquer all, and it's not a movie that tries to prove that young, teenage love is real love. I mean, spoiler alert: the couple doesn't even get together until after they've known each other for twelve years.
"When Harry Met Sally" is an imperfectly perfect romantic comedy — not holding back from showing all the bad parts of a relationship with someone, whether that be a friendship or romantic relationship. The characters are flawed in more ways than one, and gives the audience imperfect people to watch. "WHMS" shows audiences that there is no one way to fall in love, like so many Nicolas Sparks novels and movies attempt to do.
