Anyone who is even a basic fan of Nora Ephron knows of The Big Three, the three romantic comedies that she created that changed the game for everyone. When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail completely transformed romcoms from their saccharine formulas to complex stories with complicated characters. And author Erin Carlson has dug deep to bring us the whole story, from Nora's childhood through to her success with these movies.
Meticulously researched, I'll Have What She's Having (based on the iconic line from When Harry Met Sally) is the story of how Nora Ephron conquered movies and won us all over with the intelligence, wit, and heart of her big three films. Her stories captivated her audiences as well as her peers, and her work helped make the careers of Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Rob Reiner, and so many others.
This book has all the inside stories. You think you know how all this happened? You haven't even scratched the surface. With clips from interviews and more behind-the-scenes information than I knew you could fit into just one book, Carlson provides us with a fly-on-the-wall perspective of everything that went into the production, writing, and filming of these three iconic romantic comedies and in the lives of these game-changers as well.
From the story of Princess Diana's request for a private screening of When Harry Met Sally to how Meg Ryan needed a bodyguard the entire time they were filming in Seattle for Sleepless in Seattle because she had a stalker who managed to get his hands on her schedules and call sheets to how Barnes and Noble turned Nora down when she asked them to close their doors for 2 days so she could film there. Instead, they built their own bookstore with thousands of books from dozens of publishers, creating the warm, inviting atmosphere of Fox Books for You've Got Mail. This book has these stories and scores more, as dense as it with all the facts behind these movies.
When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail changed the face of romantic comedies. Nora Ephron changed the way women's stories are told on screen. And Erin Carlson has changed the way that we look at Nora Ephron, her writings, her films, and her life. I'll Have What She's Having is required reading for all fans of Ms. Ephron, of her films, of romantic comedies, those interested in the history of film, those in women's studies, and human beings in general. It's a fantastic, dense, informative, amazing look at how Nora Ephron made us believe in love again, and I adore it.
Galleys for I'll Have What She's Having were provided by Hachette Books through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.