Year of Release: 1993Country of Origin: USA
Director: Nora Ephron
Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman
Plot outline: A motherless boy uses a radio talk show to find a new wife for his father (IMDb).
Sleepless in Seattle is very much a modern take on classic Hollywood openly taking several elements from the great An Affair to Remember (1957) and adapting them to fit into a modern setting. Yes at times the storyline is unbelievably cliché and often quite repetitive but it doesn't try to be anything more than a heart warming romantic story. It is very much old fashioned in its innocence, with a dream like feel to it which takes you out of the real world but not to the extent that it feels too fantastical. This is where the charm of the movie lies, it delivers that romantic tale which many wish would happen to them and taking them away from all the stress of real life into a warm and happy one. Adding to the magical mix is Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, a pairing which works remarkably well. Tom Hanks who has a bit of Jimmy Stewart about him does a brilliant job of delivering a toned down performance which although at times wallows in the realms of being cliché is just right for this movie, providing a balance between being corny and being interesting. The same can be said of Meg Ryan whose bubbly, somewhat frenetic persona oozes out of Annie in every scene, giving the movie bursts of energy where needed. Whilst all this is good, it does have some issues, mainly in the supporting characters which feel slightly cartoon like (e.g. Bill Pullman as Walter is so pushed to the side lines that his character feels too dispensable and dispatched with far too easily when it comes to the crunch for Annie). Although Sleepless in Seattle undoubtedly has some fine moments of humour the emphasis is set firmly on being a classic romance, causing laughs through humorous moments rather than obvious gags. In many ways Sleepless in Seattle is more whimsical than hilarious but the balance works well to stop it feeling monotone. All in all Sleepless in Seattle is a very enjoyable movie which despite its age it's still as pleasant and enjoyable today as it was on its original release. It delivers an inoffensive fairytale feel good movie with enough about it to make it stick in your mind. (AW)
My judgement: *** out of 4 stars
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