The book is a study of the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally… written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. It’s one in a series of books published in association with the British Film Institute about movies considered classics within their genres. These books all analyse their chosen film in great detail, but also might consider the wider historical context from which it derived, its impact on society or culture, its role in the developing fame of key actors or directors, and many other angles. In my book I open up the focus to compare the film’s original mixed reviews – originally it was considered derivative by many critics – to its current status as beloved masterwork. I investigate the film’s music, cast, recurrent symbols and themes, and its most celebrated – or infamous – moment, the scene in a New York deli where Sally demonstrates to Harry that women sometimes fake their sexual responses. In the revised version of the book that comes out in February 2026, I also examine the film’s legacy and impact a decade after I first explored it, adding a new Afterword that traces its continued dominance as a romcom text.
