Comedy drama

When Harry Met Sally... (1989): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

Name: When Harry Met Sally...
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: 1989-07-12
Duration: 1 h 36 min
Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan

When Harry Met Sally... (1989) movie poster

When Harry Met Sally... is a 1989 comedy drama starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. It runs 1 hour 36 minutes and earned $93.3 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 8 nominations, including Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA 1990. Critics gave it 76 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.7/10.

IMDb rating: 7.7/10
worldwide gross: $93.3M
award won: 1
Metascore: 76

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Released: July 12, 1989
Runtime: 1h 36m (96 min)
Genres: Drama , Comedy , Romance
Original language: English
Studio: Columbia Pictures
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is When Harry Met Sally... About?

The premise of When Harry Met Sally... without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Harry and Sally, two independent individuals, first meet and debate whether men and women can ever truly be just friends. Their journey from Chicago to New York marks the beginning of an eleven-year friendship filled with witty banter and underlying romantic tension. As they navigate life and relationships separately, they repeatedly cross paths, each time further complicating their feelings for one another and the question of whether their connection can evolve into something more.

When Harry Met Sally... Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags

opposites attract
fake orgasm
friendship
national film registry
1970s
road trip
manhattan new york city
love
new york
university of chicago
new year's eve party
split screen

+38 more

restaurant
airplane
new york city
coffee table
moaning
f rated
character names in title
forenames in title
pantyhose
giant
waitress
talking about sex
complicated food order
world trade center manhattan new york city
switching seats
moving walkway
rolodex
recounting a dream
japanese car
feel good romance
friends to lovers
20th century
grape
taxi
journalist
profanity
old flame
divorced
answering machine
bottled water
pessimism
voice over
romantic comedy
famous line
airport
foreplay
regretting sex
yankees baseball cap

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Cast & crew

When Harry Met Sally... Cast

Billy Crystal leads the cast, with Meg Ryan.

Ratings

When Harry Met Sally... Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave When Harry Met Sally... 76 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.7/10.

IMDb

7.7 /10
See on IMDb
Metacritic

76 Metascore

User score 7.7
See on Metacritic

Plot

When Harry Met Sally... Plot Summary

What happens in When Harry Met Sally... from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1977, Harry Burns, portrayed by Billy Crystal, and Sally Albright, played by Meg Ryan, embark on a lengthy car journey from the University of Chicago to start their new lives in New York City after graduation. During the ride, they engage in a thought-provoking discussion on whether men and women can maintain a platonic friendship without sexual tensions complicating things. They reluctantly conclude that it’s not feasible and, upon reaching their destination, part ways.

Full summary

The whole story of When Harry Met Sally..., scene by scene

Read the full summary

Timeline of events

Box office

When Harry Met Sally... Box Office

When Harry Met Sally... grossed $93.3 million worldwide. $93.1 million came from the US and Canada and $156,140 (0%) from the rest of the world.

1989 box office

Worldwide gross

$93.3M

US & Canada: $93.1M
International: $156.1K

US & Canada 100% Rest of the world 0%

Awards

When Harry Met Sally... Awards & Nominations

When Harry Met Sally... won 1 award from 8 nominations, including Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA 1990. Its biggest night was the BAFTA 1990, with 1 win from 2 nominations.

1 win8 nominations3 ceremonies

BAFTA 1990 1 win · 2 nominations
- Won Best Original Screenplay – Nora Ephron
- Nominated Best Film – Rob Reiner
Golden Globes 1990 5 nominations
- Nominated Best Director – Rob Reiner
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Actor) – Billy Crystal
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Actress) – Meg Ryan
- Nominated Best Screenplay – Nora Ephron
DGA Awards 1990 1 nomination
- Nominated Feature Film – Rob Reiner