You've Got Mail (1998)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Nora Ephron

Country

USA

Cast

Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Greg Kinnear, Steve Zahn, Heather Burns, Dave Chappelle, Dabney Coleman, John Randolph, Deborah Rush, Hallee Hirsh, Jeffrey Scaperrotta, Cara Seymour, Peter Mian, Sara Ramirez, Jane Adams, Michael Badalucco, Veanne Cox, Reiko Aylesworth

Storyline

The owner  of a large bookstore chain (Tom Hanks) starts putting the owner of a small local bookstore (Meg Ryan) out of business. The two of them can't stand each other, but what they don't know is that they have been corresponding over the internet for a while without knowing who either of them are, and they are falling in love. 

Opinion

If you know me, you know that romantic comedies are not my cup of tea. I mean, who would like to watch an unrealistic story about ordinary people finding love in a hopeless place? Not me, I know who. But sometimes I make exceptions, especially when the movie is a classic and basically everyone has seen it. Last night being one of those, I finally watched "You've Got Mail". And it wasn't as bad as I thought.

Sure, the film is sugary, and the stereotypical chick flick but it's quite enjoyable, and it is ultimately worth the time because of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan beautiful chemistry. 

The story is predictable and sappy, but nobody would ever expect to find deep psychology in a romantic dramedy. It sure does feel like a type of story you have seen before, but for once it isn't as unrealistic as they usually are. Hating someone in person, but having a different relationship with them through the internet is more than possible if you don't know who the other is. Sometimes we tend to perceive someone as if they were their jobs, and seeing things from a different perspective can be very helpful.

Anyway, the romance doesn't develop properly until the last half an hour, and Tom Hanks's character is just so cruel. I mean, you find out that the woman you have fallen in love online is your rival in business, yet you still decide to destroy the only things she cares about, her mother's bookstore. And only after doing that, you try to befriend her? It's an awful thing to do.

Tom Hanks gives another solid performance as Joe Fox, but I wouldn't say he is at his best. And his character is too unsympathetic for most of the film. Meg Ryan is delightful as Kathleen Kelly, and like I mentioned before her chemistry with Hanks is wonderful. Is it better than "Sleepless in Seattle"? I don't know, I haven't seen it.