| You've Got Mail | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Nora Ephron |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Lindley |
| Edited by | Richard Marks |
| Music by | George Fenton |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 119 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $65 million[2] |
| Box office | $250.8 million[2] |
You've Got Mail is a 1998 Americanromantic comedy film directed byNora Ephron, and starringTom Hanks andMeg Ryan alongsideParker Posey,Jean Stapleton,Dave Chappelle,Steve Zahn, andGreg Kinnear. Inspired by the 1937 Hungarian playParfumerie byMiklós László (which had earlier been adapted in 1940 asThe Shop Around the Corner and in 1949 asIn the Good Old Summertime),[3] the screenplay was co-written by Nora andDelia Ephron. It tells the story of two people in anonline romance who are unaware they are also business rivals. It marked the third pairing of Hanks and Ryan, who previously appeared together inJoe Versus the Volcano (1990) andSleepless in Seattle (1993), the latter directed by Ephron. The film takes its name from the greetingAOL users receive when they get a new email.
Principal photography took place primarily on New York City'sUpper West Side, from on February to June 1998.You've Got Mail was released in the United States byWarner Bros. on December 18, 1998. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $250.8 million worldwide against a $65 million budget, making it Nora Ephron's highest-grossing film.
On Manhattan'sUpper West Side, Kathleen Kelly runsThe Shop Around the Corner, an independent children's bookstore she inherited from her mother. Her romantic partner is Frank Navasky, a left-leaning columnist forThe New York Observer.[a]
While Frank is devoted to his typewriter, Kathleen prefers her laptop and using herAOL email account, under thescreen name "Shopgirl", to exchange messages with "NY152", whom she first met in a chatroom. They agreed not to share specifics about their personal lives, though their exchanges are extensive and intimate with Kathleen confiding how much she misses her mother.
"NY152" is Joe Fox's screen name.[b] Joe's family runsFox Books, a major bookstore chain, and he is dating Patricia Eden, an abrasive publisher.
Joe is overseeing the opening of a new storefront, just a few blocks from The Shop Around the Corner. Kathleen's three shop assistants—George, Birdie, and Christina—worry the new Fox Books will hurt business, but Kathleen dismisses their concerns.
While on an outing with his 11-year-old aunt Annabel and 4-year-old half-brother Matthew, Joe takes them to Kathleen's store for a storytime event. He and Kathleen meet, but when she expresses disdain for the new Fox Books store, he withholds his last name.
Later that week, Kathleen learns Joe's true identity when they meet again at a book publishing party. She accuses Joe of deception and spying, while he belittles her store, earning each other's hostility.
"Shopgirl" emails "NY152" asking for business advice; he urges she fight back. Frank pens a column supporting The Shop Around the Corner that draws widespread attention, leading to talk show appearances, news coverage, and picketing outside Fox Books. Joe is aggravated by the negative publicity, but his father insists it will blow over once they open.
"Shopgirl" and "NY152" arrange to meet at a café. Joe arrives with Kevin, his Fox Books store manager. Kevin peeks through the window and informs Joe that his pen pal is actually his professional nemesis. Joe initially walks away but then joins Kathleen at the table without revealing his online identity. They clash again and Kathleen insults him, invoking her mother, causing Joe to appear very pained and leave.
Kathleen believes "NY152" never showed up. Later that night, "Shopgirl" emails "NY152" to say she finally stood up to an unpleasant person but now feels terrible about it. "NY152" apologizes for not being there and assures Kathleen that anything she said to the other person was probably provoked and likely deserved.
Despite efforts to save The Shop Around the Corner, business steadily declines, while the new Fox Books thrives. Kathleen closes the store and decides she will write children's books. Later, she and Frank amicably end their relationship, laughing at how perfect they are for one another on paper only. Joe breaks up with Patricia and realizes his feelings for Kathleen. He slowly builds a face-to-face relationship with her whilst continuing their online dialogue, without revealing his dual identity.
Eventually, "NY152" arranges another meeting with "Shopgirl". Right before the meetup, Joe sees Kathleen and confesses his feelings, imploring her to forgive his past animosity. Kathleen becomes emotional, hinting she feels the same but cannot forego her connection with "NY152".
Upon arriving at the meeting place, Kathleen, hearing a voice calling for Brinkley, "NY152's" dog, realizes it is Joe Fox. She admits she hoped it would be him, and they kiss.
You've Got Mail is based on the 1937 Hungarian playParfumerie byMiklós László and its adaptations.[5]Parfumerie was later remade asThe Shop Around the Corner, a 1940 film byErnst Lubitsch, which in 1949 was adapted as a musical film,In the Good Old Summertime byRobert Z. Leonard starringJudy Garland andVan Johnson and, finally, in 1963 as aBroadway musical withShe Loves Me byJerry Bock andSheldon Harnick (composer and lyricist, respectively, ofFiddler on the Roof).You've Got Mail updates that concept with the use of email, and the lead character's workplace is named "The Shop Around the Corner" as a nod to the 1940 film.[6] Influences fromJane Austen'sPride and Prejudice can also be seen in the relationship between Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly—a reference pointed out by these characters actually discussingMr. Darcy andElizabeth Bennet in the film. The joke when Tom Hanks explains that the little girl is really his aunt is taken fromIsrael Zangwill's story "A New Matrimonial Relation" inThe Bachelors' Club (1891).[7]
Julia Roberts declined the role of Kathleen Kelly because she lacked confidence in the quality of the romcom scripts of the time.[8]
Principal photography took place primarily on New York City'sUpper West Side. Principal photography began on February 25, 1998, and completed on June 8, 1998.[9][6][10][11]
Delia Ephron, recalling the film's bookstore setting, said, "Once we decided that she would be an independent bookstore owner, the reason we made it a children's bookstore is, I think, we always tried to make movies as personal as we could. To find the thing in it that was personal. And we grew up loving children's books more than anything."[10]Nora Ephron similarly remarked in the film's audio commentary, "This was something that was very important to us—that there be first editions of old children's books. It's part of what make [sic] this a serious bookstore. We wanted to sell the idea that this was a place that really cared about the history of children's literature."[10] Additionally, Ephron had Ryan and Burns rehearse and work atBooks of Wonder, an independent New York City children's bookstore, for a week prior to filming in order to get them into character.[12] The filming location used as the bookstore was at 106 West 69th Street, at that time Maya Shaper's Cheese and Antique Shop.[13]
Michael Palin was initially cast as a reclusive novelist based onThomas Pynchon, but his scenes were cut from the film.[10][14]
The film's original website remained live until at least May 10, 2018.[15] The website has proven to be fodder for criticism of web design from the 1990s.[16][17][18]
Asoundtrack was released on December 1, 1998, featuring a mixture of classics from the 1950s and 1970s, particularly the work ofHarry Nilsson, as well as new original recordings and covers.[19] The score to the film was written by English composerGeorge Fenton.[20]
You've Got Mail grossed $115.8 million in the United States and Canada and $135 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $250.8 million.[2] It isNora Ephron's highest-grossing film. The film debuted at number one at the North American box office—aboveThe Prince of Egypt—earning $18.4 million in its opening weekend.[21]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes,You've Got Mail holds an approval rating of 70% based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Great chemistry between the leads made this a warm and charming delight."[22]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[23] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film a grade of A− on a scale of A to F.[24]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film three-out-of-four stars and lauded the "immensely lovable" main characters.[25]Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times also praised the film, writing of the leads, "Ms. Ryan plays her role blithely and credibly this time, with an air of freshness, a minimum of cute fidgeting and a lot of fond chemistry with Mr. Hanks. And he continues to amaze. Once again, he fully inhabits a new role without any obvious actorly behavior, to the point where comparisons toJames Stewart ... really cannot be avoided."[26] Lael Loewenstein ofVariety similarly called it a "winning romantic comedy" and praised the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan, writing, "they show why they are two of Hollywood's most bankable and, in many ways, most traditional stars."[27] andGene Shalit on theToday Show called the film "exciting and enchanting".
Nathan Rabin ofThe A.V. Club disliked the film, and wrote: "Takes almost two self-infatuated, smarmy, condescending, cringe-inducingly sentimental hours to reach its pre-ordained conclusion" and called the film "almost unwatchably saccharine, representing pretty much everything wrong with today's big-budget, high-concept Hollywood filmmaking."[28] Michael O'Sullivan ofThe Washington Post criticized the film's use ofproduct placement and its overly "adorable" characters, writing, "For some reason, this film made me feel like a Christmas goose being fattened for slaughter. Its force-fed diet of whimsy cloyed long before the eagerly anticipated romantic payoff arrived to put me out of my misery."[29] Maitland McDonagh also criticized the incongruous product placement "In a film about the ruthless corporate destruction of small businesses, it's hard not to flinch at the prominent placement accorded IBM, Starbucks, and AOL logos."[30]Rolling Stone later includedYou've Got Mail in their list of "Most Egregious Product Placements in Movie & TV History" for the film's frequent use ofAOL trademarks (AOL would later merge with film distributor Warner Bros' parent companyTime Warner to formAOL Time Warner in 2000).[31]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Comedy Awards | February 7, 1999 | Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Meg Ryan | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Tom Hanks | Nominated | |||
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | June 16, 1999 | Favorite Actor - Comedy/Romance | Nominated | [32] | |
| Favorite Actress - Comedy/Romance | Meg Ryan | Won | |||
| Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy/Romance | Greg Kinnear | Won | |||
| BMI Film & TV Awards | January 1, 1999 | BMI Film Music Award | George Fenton | Won | [33] |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 24, 1999 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Meg Ryan | Nominated | [34] |
| Kids' Choice Awards | May 1, 1999 | Favorite Movie Actress | Nominated | [35] | |
| Satellite Awards | January 17, 1999 | Best Actress – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | [36] | |
| Best Film – Musical or Comedy | You've Got Mail | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song | "Anyone at All" | Nominated |
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