Sleepless In Seattle

The Rom Com Rewrite

Lisa and Charles Adrian round off their holiday season with one of the most beloved rom coms ever made. Which, they decide, might not actually be a rom com. This episode was not supposed to be a take down of Sleepless In Seattle but that is what it has turned into. Sorry not sorry.

Sleepless In Seattle

Year: 1993

Screenplay by: Nora Ephron, David S. Ward, Jeff Arch

Based on a story by: Jeff Arch

Director: Nora Ephron

Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger, Rosie O’Donnell

Show notes:

Straightforwardly plumping for magic over security and for fantasy over reality, Sleepless In Seattle is for sure a film about yearning and it is certainly very funny and beautifully written and well-made, but is it romantic? We prepare to upset literally millions of fans by arguing that this film is not the rom com that it purports to be and that it is, in fact, about a woman who abuses her position as a journalist to stalk a man who is still mourning his dead wife.

We mention the films An Affair To Remember (1957) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050105/), Joe Versus The Volcano (1990) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099892/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), While You Were Sleeping (1995) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114924/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), When Harry Met Sally (1989) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098635/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0), You’ve Got Mail (1998) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128853/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) and Fatal Attraction (1987) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093010/).

We record these episodes over the internet. Sometimes the audio is not perfect. We apologise for that.

Music in this episode is by Martin Zaltz Austwick (martinzaltzaustwick.com). Artwork is by Lisa Findley.

Thank you for listening!