Who – August 10, 2019

CANMENANDWOMENBEJUSTFRIENDS

“It’sstillaninterestingquestion,”saysMegRyan(right,with

BillyCrystalattheTCMFilmFestivalinApril)ofthemovie’s

theme.Above:CrystalasHarryBurnsandRyanasSally

Albrightina publicityphotoforthefilm.

S?

h

s

lthoughitnowtops

manylistsof

Hollywood’sbest

romanticcomedies,

WhenHarryMetSally...

nearlydidn’tqualifyas

romanticatall.As

directorRobReiner

tellsit,inearlydrafts,“Wedidn’thavethem

[endup]together.TheymeetagaininNew

York,havea littleconversationandwalkin

oppositedirections.”Thirtyyearslater,Meg

Ryan,whoplayedSally,isstunnedbythis.

“Thatwouldbeterrible!”shesays.Reuniting

inSantaMonica,California,fortheirfirst

jointinterviewsincethefilm’s 1989 release,

Ryan,57,BillyCrystal(Harry),71,and

Reiner,72,wereimmediatelylaughing,

quotingfavouritelines(“toomuchpepperon

mypaprikash!”),andrecallinglostfriends:

co-starsCarrieFisherandBrunoKirbyand

writerNoraEphron,whodiedin2012.Her

script– withitsindeliblefinaleofHarry

runningtoSallyonNewYear’sEve– earned

anOscarnod.SowhatchangedReiner’smind

aboutgettingHarryandSallytogetherinthe

end?Duringtheshoothemethisnow-wife,

Michelle,andfellmadlyinlove– and

filmhistorywaswritten.

Crystal recently

told ET he knew

the movie would

be a hit after the

first test screening

he attended with

director, Reiner.

When we first

meet them in the

movie, Harry and

Sally share a

ride to New York

City, where they

plan to start

their careers.

FROM LEFT: ALAMY

(2); GETTY IMAGES

Who l 39