When Harry Met Sally: contexts, genre and narrative

When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner, 1989): Harry and Sally share a drive from Chicago to New York in 1977 and argue about whether men and women can be friends; over twelve years they meet again, become friends and finally fall in love.
Written by Nora Ephron and released in 1989, after the 'sexual revolution' and the rise of women in professional work.
Filmed on location in New York, with a nostalgic, romantic view of the city's parks, diners and bookshops.
Its open talk about sex, set against what romantic comedies of the 1950s could say.
Romantic comedy conventions, including opposites who attract, the best friends Jess and Marie, New Year's Eve and the run to declare love, and the moments where the film turns them upside down.
Narrative: a story told across twelve years with time jumps, framed by interviews with older couples, and themes of friendship, love and gender.
A short worked paragraph linking a context to a specific moment in the film, as the comparison question rewards.
Worked answers with their marks, and practice questions to try, each headed 'Practice question' with its marks.
Quote only short lines of dialogue you're sure of, a few words at a time, and base every point on what happens in the finished film.

What you need to know