When Harry Met Sally...

When Harry Met Sally... is a 1989 romantic comedy produced and directed by Rob Reiner, written by Nora Ephron and starred Billy Cristal (Harry) and Meg Ryan (Sally).  Ephron was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (won by Tom Schulman for Dead Poets Society).  

Harry and Sally are recent graduates of the University of Chicago who are both going to New York to start the next phase of their lives.  They don't know each other, but Harry's girlfriend is a friend of Sally's and she helps to arrange for the two to drive there together.

On the way, Harry and Sally, while not getting along, discuss among other things their different views of male and female relationships.  Harry believes men and women can never be friends because "the sex part gets in the way."  As with every thing else he says, Sally disagrees.

When I was a young man, I agreed with Harry.  However, I think the culture of America has changed and it's now possible for men and women to be friends, sans sex.  I enjoy my female friendships.

After parting from their drive to New York (at Washington Square Park) on unfriendly terms, Harry and Sally accidentally run into each other a couple of times in the next ten years.  Eventually, they become good friends. 

One day, while Harry and Sally are having lunch at Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan (205 East Houston Street) they discuss Harry's bad behavior with women.

Sally:  You are a human affront to all women and I am a woman.
  
Harry:  I don't hear anyone complaining.  

Sally:  Of course not.  You're out the door so fast.  

Harry:  I think they have an okay time. 

Sally:  How do you know?  

Harry:  What do you mean how do I know?  I know.  

Sally:  Because they...

Harry:  Yeah.  Because they...

Sally:  How do you know they really...

Harry:  What are you saying...that they fake orgasm?  

Sally:  It's possible.

Harry:  Get out of here.  

Sally:  All men are sure that it never happens to them and most women at one time or another have done it.  So you do the math.  

Harry:  You don't think that I can tell the difference?  

Sally:  No.

Harry:  Get out of here.

Sally fakes an orgasm at their table while fully clothed.

female customer (Estelle Reiner, director's mother) nearby:  I'll have what she's having.

Eventually, Harry and Sally start a romantic/sexual relationship, but one that has its ups and downs.  One New Year's Eve, they're on the outs.  But, they meet at a party.

Harry:  I've been doing a lot of thinking.  The thing is I love you.

Sally:  What?  

Harry:  I love you.

Sally:  How do you expect me to respond to this?

Harry:  How about you love me, too?

Sally:  How about I'm leaving?

Harry:  Doesn't what I said mean anything to you?  

Sally:  I'm sorry, Harry.  I know it's New Year's Eve.  I know you're feeling lonely, but you just can't show up here, tell me you love me and expect that to make everything all right.  It doesn't work that way.

Harry:  Well, how does it work?  

Sally:  I don't know, but not this way.  

Harry:  How about this way.  I love when you get cold when it's 71 degrees out (22 Celsius).  I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich (like Ephron).  I love when get this wrinkle above your nose when you think I'm nuts.  I love that when I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes and I love that you are the last person I want to speak to when I go to bed at night.  And it's not because I'm lonely and it's not because it's New Year's Eve.  I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

They kiss and marry soon after.  Great writing by the late Nora Ephron (1941-2012).  Thanks.