Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Nora Ephron, TriStar Pictures, PG 105 Minutes.
Rarely does a motion picture come along which encapsulates all the essential elements that makes it such a memorable and moving experience incorporating all the right doses of romance, drama and comedy.
Directed by Nora Ephron (‘Mixed Nuts’) in 1993 it tells the heart-warming story of Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks – ‘Forrest Gump’) a widower (following the recent passing of his wife Maggie) and his eight year old son Jonah (Ross Malinger – ‘Sudden Death’).
To escape his grief Sam relocates to Seattle but eighteen months later is still grieving and unable to sleep until Jonah calls into a national radio talk show on Christmas Eve telling the host of his father’s current heartache.
Jonah also manages to get Sam to come onto the show and among the many women listening is Baltimore-based journalist Annie Reed (Meg Ryan – ‘French Kiss’) who becomes infatuated with his story despite having Walter (Bill Pullman – ‘Sommersby’) as her fiancée.
As Jonah becomes desperate for his father to find another wife (and mother for himself) he convinces his dad to start dating again with most turning into some amusing encounters.
After coming across a letter from Annie from the flood of mail they have received Jonah sends one back to Annie by pretending to be Sam and then suggesting they meet at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
To check the legitimacy of the letter Annie decides to go to the observation deck of New York’s Empire State Building only to miss Sam and Jonah going down the elevator before noticing that Jonah has left his backpack.
Realising that he has forgotten his backpack Sam and Jonah rush back to the observation deck where they come face to face with Annie for the first time and as any romantic will tell you the rest is history.
In many respects Ephron has fashioned what can be best described as an enduring romantic comedy somewhat inspired by the timeless 1957 classic ‘An Affair to Remember’ with a similar conclusion apart from Jimmy Durante singing “Make Someone Happy.”
Besides the striking settings shot in New York and Seattle both Hanks and Ryan deliver top rating performances that are seamlessly complimented by Malinger in his portrayal as Hank’s son Jonah.
Sleepless in Seattle is being televised on Channel 7flix at 9.25PM on Friday 18 July.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 Stars
