Insonnia d'amore

A story about a man who wife passed away and he is lonely so his child takes over his Dad's life and tries to hook up dear old dad through the personals,, meanwhile on the other side of the country , a young woman listens to a radio show , and their is a caller, called Sleepless in Seattle,, she is drawn to him , so she figures out where he lives,, hops on a plane and tracks him down,, somehow she misses him at the Airport and the meeting is put off for now,, Rosie O' Donnell isn't bad in this,, Bill Pullman is in this,, and Meg Ryan plays opposite Tom Hanks,, not a bad movie,, there are a few shortcomings,, but they can be easily overlooked if you're looking for a feel good story with a decent ending,,,

Sleepless In Seattle is truly a film for the Nineties. It's a film that is in part based on the high tech culture that the Nineties spawned with computers and nationwide talk radio. How could have you done a film like this in another time?

Well romance is certainly eternal and if the way humans connect is different now, the point is they still connect. And this film takes up the proposition that some folks are fated to be mated.

If I had ever done this thing for either of my parents back in the day or something similar I shudder to think of the consequences. But when young Ross Malinger calls a radio psychologist played in voice only by Caroline Aaron about his father it sets off an entire chain of events that make you believe in fate.

Tom Hanks is the recently widowed father of Malinger they've just finished burying his wife Carey Lowell and he thinks a change of scenery is in order to assuage his grief. Hanks and Malinger move to Seattle and its from their new home in Seattle that young Master Malinger makes his fateful call. Hanks gets on the phone as well and his story touches female hearts across America and he's known by the moniker of Sleepless In Seattle.

One of those touched hearts is Meg Ryan's who is ready to marry Bill Pullman who is playing what used to be called the Ralph Bellamy role. Good old reliable steady Bill, but Meg is hearing a different calling and taking her cues from that Leo McCarey classic, An Affair To Remember she goes in a nationwide hunt for Hanks.

More cynical folks than myself would say that Ryan was stalking Hanks and there are laws against it. But if one is fated to be mated than those laws just don't apply.

Hanks and Ryan strike just the right note as the fated couple and Hanks has some great scenes with young Malenger. Rosie O'Donnell has a nice bit in this as well as Ryan's equally romantic minded friend who kind of quarterbacks Ryan's moves.

Sleepless In Seattle got two Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Song. Nora Ephron directed her own screenplay and the result is a magic romantic film like they used to do even in the high tech Nineties.

The cast is excellent, which elevates the whole film, in particular Hanks and Ryan are massively charming. The plot is solid but like most romantic comedies, there is not a lot happening in the lives of other characters except in ways that directly relate to the leads and there is a revolving door of cast stepping in to provide counsel. The chemistry between Hanks and his son is a standout success of the film and their relationship is at its core providing touching moments, humour and driving the plot forward.

I will not lie to you, I will admit right from the off that I am biased. I love this movie.

Plot In A Paragraph: Eighteen months after losing his wife, Sam (Tom Hanks) is still grieving and can't sleep. His eight year old son Jonah (Ross Malinger) misses his mother, but he wants his father to get a new wife despite Sam having not even contemplated dating again. On Christmas Eve, Jonah calls a national radio talk show and ask for a "new wife" for his Dad. Sam ends up pouring his heart out about his magical and perfect marriage to his late wife, and how much he still misses her. Among the many women who hear Sam's story and fall in love with him solely because of it is Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) a Baltimore-based newspaper writer. Who is drawn to Jim based on his story, despite already being engaged to Walter (Bill Pullman)

1993 was a massive year for Tom Hanks with both this movie and "Philadelphia" being huge hits. Both are very different, but are equally brilliant. As is Hanks. He is heartbreakingly excellent as the widower. Amazingly the role of Annie was originally offered to Julia Roberts, who turned it down. Kim Basinger also turned it down because she thought the premise was ridiculous (Good move Kim!!) After Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jodie Foster all declined as well, Meg Ryan landed the role. I surprised this role was not wrote with Ryan in mind as this type of role was her bread and butter back then. She was perfect for this type of role.

Rosie O Donnell is solid support to Ryan as is Bill Pullman, and Ross Malinger manages to avoid all the cliché's of most chicks actors!

Well directed, with a sharp and witty script. I will add I also liked the fact that they didn't feel the need to make the Bill Pullman character a jerk (as is usual the case with his type of role in romantic comedies)

One of my favourite Tom Hanks movies, one of my favourite Meg Ryan movies and one of my favourite romantic comedies. I don't own many romantic comedies. But this one is in my collection.

Sleepless in Seattle is manipulative and unashamedly so. The fact that it is somewhat old-fashioned is not a bad thing at all, in fact it is done wonderfully. In general, Sleepless in Seattle is just a charming romantic comedy, co-scripted and directed by When Harry Met Sally writer Nora Ephron.

The idea to keep Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan apart for most of the movie is a dangerous one, but guess what, I found that it worked! Strictly speaking, Sleeping in Seattle is made up of two story lines, one is about a recently widowed man who moves to Seattle and does nothing but grieve. The other is features a woman journalist from Baltimore, who overhears the broadcast with Hanks's son pouring his heart out about his concerns for dad and decides to track him down.

The scenery is striking, the soundtrack is very welcoming, the direction is solid and the script has heart and wit. In terms of acting, both Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan give marvellous lead performances, while Ross Malinger is a nice surprise as Hanks's son. The climax at the top of the Empire State Building takes its inspiration from the 1950s weepie An Affair to Remember(with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr), and is very effective.

Overall, a charming and enjoyable film. Hanks, Ryan and Ephron teamed up again for You've Got Mail, which is inferior but still worthwhile. 8/10 Bethany Cox