''Sleepless in Seattle'' is a 1993 American romanticcomedy-drama film directed by
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award for ...
, from a screenplay she wrote with
David S. Ward
David Schad Ward (born October 25, 1945) is an American screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his screenplays for the films ''The Sting'' (1973) and ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), winning for the former. He ...
and Jeff Arch. Starring
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
and
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan (born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra; November 19, 1961) is an American actress. She began her acting career in 1981 when she made her acting debut in the drama film ''Rich and Famous''. She later joined the cast of the CBS soap oper ...
, the film follows a journalist (Ryan) who, despite being newly engaged, becomes enamored with a recently widowed architect (Hanks), when the latter's son calls in to a
talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...
program requesting a new partner for his grieving father. In addition to
Bill Pullman
William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. He made his film debut in ''R ...
,
Ross Malinger
Ross Aaron Malinger (born July 7, 1984) is an American former actor and automobile salesperson. He is best known for his roles as Jonah Baldwin in the 1993 movie ''Sleepless in Seattle'', starring Tom Hanks, and as Bobby Jameson in the 1997 Disne ...
, and
Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performan ...
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series '' Star Search'' ...
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
,
Rita Wilson
Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff; October 26, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include ''Volunteers'' (1985), '' Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), '' Now and Then'' (1995), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996) ...
,
Barbara Garrick
Barbara Garrick is an American actress. Garrick has appeared on stage, television and in film.
Life and career
Garrick was born in Los Angeles, California. A graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama, she has several stage credits, including ' ...
, and Carey Lowell.
Inspired by the romance film ''
An Affair to Remember
''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...
'' (1957), ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was conceived as a
romantic drama
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
by Arch in 1989. Several studios rejected his script, deterred by the idea that its main couple does not meet for nearly the entire film. Arch submitted his script to producer Gary Foster in 1990. Foster strongly believed in the film's potential but struggled to get it made by
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
for several years, finding its emotional script promising but unsophisticated. Ward and Ephron were among several writers hired to re-write the script into a funnier film, with Ephron eventually being promoted to director once
Nick Castle
Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''Halloween'' (2018), and its sequels ''Halloween Kills'' ...
departed over disagreeing with her comedic approach. Although both Hanks and Ryan had been favored for the lead roles from the beginning, several other actors expressed interest in both parts, while Hanks often disagreed with Ephron over his character's material. The film was shot mostly in Seattle during the summer of 1992. Several of its most pivotal scenes were filmed on a former naval base due to the city's lack of sound stages, including a recreation of the Empire State Building's observation deck when the New York skyscraper was not available.
''Sleepless in Seattle'' was released on June 25, 1993, to positive reviews, receiving praise for Ephron's writing and direction, as well as Hanks and Ryan's performances. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards at the 1994 ceremony: Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. Despite competition from several blockbusters released around that same summer, the film was a surprise commercial success, earning $17 million during its opening weekend (the highest opening for a romantic comedy at the time), and ultimately grossing over $227 million worldwide. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 1993, and remains one of the most successful romantic comedies in box office history. The soundtrack was also successful, peaking at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200.
Several critics and media publications agree that ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is one of the greatest romantic comedy films of all-time. The film is also credited with establishing Ephron as a celebrated romantic comedy filmmaker.
Plot
Chicago architect Sam Baldwin loses his wife Maggie to cancer, and he and their eight-year-old son Jonah start a new life in Seattle, but they continue to mourn. A year later on Christmas Eve, Jonah calls in to a radio talk show and persuades a reluctant Sam to go on the air to talk about how much he misses Maggie. Thousands of women from around the country hear the program and are touched by the story and write to Sam.
One of the listeners is Annie Reed, a '' Baltimore Sun'' reporter who is engaged to Walter, but feels there is something missing from their relationship. After watching the film ''
An Affair to Remember
''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...
'', Annie writes a letter suggesting that Sam meet her on top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. She decides not to mail it, but her friend and editor Becky does it for her and later agrees to send Annie to Seattle.
Sam begins dating a co-worker, Victoria, whom Jonah dislikes. When Jonah reads Annie's letter addressed to both of them, he instinctively feels that she could 'be the one,' (it mentions the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
), but he fails to convince his father to go to New York on Valentine's Day to meet Annie. At the urging of his friend Jessica, Jonah replies to her, agreeing to the New York meeting.
While dropping Victoria off at the airport for a flight, Sam sees Annie exiting from her plane and is mesmerized by her, although he has no idea who she is. She later secretly watches Sam and Jonah playing on the beach together. The next day she goes again to Sam's houseboat but when she sees Sam's sister Suzy with him, she mistakenly assumes Suzy is his girlfriend. Sam recognizes Annie from the airport and says "hello" but Annie only responds with "hello" before leaving. After returning to Baltimore, Annie goes to New York to meet Walter for Valentine's Day.
With Jessica's help, Jonah flies to New York and goes to the Empire State Building to find Annie. When Sam discovers this, he grabs a later flight to follow him, and he finds Jonah on the observation deck. Meanwhile, Annie sees the skyscraper from the
Rainbow Room
The Rainbow Room is a private event space on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Tishman Speyer, it is among the highest venues in New York City. The Rainbow Room serves cla ...
where she is dining with Walter and confesses her doubts to him, amicably ending their engagement. She rushes to the Empire State Building and arrives on the observation deck just moments after the doors to the other elevator close with Sam and Jonah inside.
The observation deck is empty, but Annie discovers Jonah's backpack. As she pulls out his teddy bear from the bag, Sam and Jonah emerge from the elevator to retrieve it, and the three meet. After Sam and Annie stare at each other in recognition, Sam prepares to leave and offers his hand to Annie. A happy Jonah then enters the elevator together with the two as the doors close.
Cast
Production
Origins and development
In 1989, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was conceived by Jeff Arch, a struggling writer and former cinematographer who was working as an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
teacher at the time. Recalling that the film was largely conceived out of frustration with his career, Arch had experienced little to no success as a writer prior to ''Sleepless in Seattle'', conceding he simultaneously had little reason to continue writing and little left to lose. Following the birth of his son, Arch convinced himself to write at least three films in one year, the second of which was ''Sleepless in Seattle''. The story began as a play about two people falling in love over the telephone without meeting in person. Struggling to develop an original love story, Arch initially found most of the reasons he conceived to keep the couple apart unconvincing. He ultimately decided that, unlike typical romance plots in which the main characters bicker for most of the film after they "
meet cute
In film and television, a meet cute is a scene in which the two people who will form a future romantic couple meet for the first time, typically under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances.
This type of scene is a staple of romantic comedies, ...
", his couple would not meet until the end of the film, feeling unprecedented confidence that ''Sleepless in Seattle'' would be successful as long as he "got these people to the top of the Empire State Building on
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
". The writer drew inspiration from several sources, namely the
French film
French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...
''
And Now My Love
''And Now My Love'' (french: Toute une vie), (Released as 'A Whole Lifetime' in Australia) is a French-Italian film released in 1974 by Claude Lelouch, starring Marthe Keller, André Dussollier, Charles Denner, and Charles Gérard. The Americ ...
'' (1974), and a ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' article he had read about women hiring
private investigator
A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
s to uncover information about their romantic partners. Arch recounted that the film's remaining ideas formed organically after looking up into a star-lit sky one evening and assuring himself that "for every star in the sky there's a good idea". Arch was also inspired by motivational speaker
Tony Robbins
Anthony Jay Robbins (né Mahavoric, born February 29, 1960) is an American author, coach, speaker, and philanthropist. He is known for his infomercials, seminars, and self-help books including the books '' Unlimited Power'' and ''Awaken the G ...
, completing the script in early 1990 shortly after attending one of his seminars.
Despite Arch believing in ''Sleepless in Seattle'''s success wholeheartedly, several parties warned him about the unlikelihood of the film being made due to the lack of scenes shared by its lead couple. He pitched the film to at least six studios and executives, all of whom rejected it claiming audiences would not be interested in watching a film whose main couple does not meet. Desperate, Arch's agent Dave Warden submitted the
spec script
A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned and unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or ...
to producer Gary Foster in 1990. Although Foster typically discards new scripts that fail to captivate him within its first 25 pages, he claims to have read past the 25th page of Arch's script unnoticed, only to find he was crying by the last page. Immediately noticing the script's potential, Foster hoped ''Sleepless in Seattle'' would serve as his breakthrough film as a producer (despite having already produced four films by that point), and submitted the script to
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
executive Richard Fischoff, whose studio had produced all of his previous films. At first Fischoff ignored Foster's request to read the script himself instead of his staff, who ultimately passed on it. The producer predicted that staff readers would fail to realize that the film worked despite being unconventional. After pleading from Foster, Fischoff eventually relented and read the script, optioning it to TriStar a few days later. After struggling as a writer for several years, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was Arch's first script to be optioned as a film.
Eventually TriStar chairman
Mike Medavoy
Morris Mike Medavoy (born January 21, 1941) is an American film producer and business executive. He is the co-founder of Orion Pictures (1978), former chairman of TriStar Pictures, former head of production for United Artists (1974–1978), and t ...
was heavily promoting the film, and Foster began interviewing potential directors shortly after.
Nick Castle
Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''Halloween'' (2018), and its sequels ''Halloween Kills'' ...
had been slated to write and direct ''
Hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
'' (1991), a big-budget adaptation of ''Peter Pan'' also for TriStar, but he was eventually removed from the film in favor of Steven Spielberg. The studio re-assigned Castle to ''Sleepless in Seattle'' as a consolation.
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall (November 13, 1934 – July 19, 2016) was an American filmmaker and actor. He started his career in the 1960s writing for ''The Lucy Show'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' before he developed Neil Simon's 1965 play '' The Odd C ...
had also been considered to direct. While Foster retained sole producer credit, the film was co-executive produced by
Lynda Obst
Lynda Rosen Obst (born April 14, 1950)Lynda Obst Patrick Crowley. Foster struggled to get the film made over the following two years, claiming that the process of the film getting made contained " its own dramatic twists and turns". After finally agreeing to maintain the idea of keeping the couple separated, TriStar insisted that the "wistful" script be re-written to make the film and each character edgier and quirkier, particularly Sam and Annie. Foster found the script lacked the sophistication and complexity required to elevate an emotional, sentimental story beyond merely treacle. Foster reluctantly informed Arch they were interested in changing writers in order to "sharpen" his script. Although Arch submitted a re-write himself, he soon found he was essentially "kicked off my own movie", and replaced by a writer with whose work he was not pleased, such as relocating the entire film to New York without including the Empire State Building. Arch begged Foster and director
Nick Castle
Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''Halloween'' (2018), and its sequels ''Halloween Kills'' ...
to hire a better writer "who's going to take this way up to the next level".
Writing
Several writers and directors were involved with ''Sleepless in Seattle'' at various stages of development, with Arch's script being re-written approximately five times. Arch's original concept was more akin to a
romantic drama
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
than a romantic comedy. Despite already featuring several of the film's major elements, such as a central father-son relationship and references to the romance film ''
An Affair to Remember
''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...
'' (1957), Arch admitted his script was not funny enough. Dramatist Larry Atlas attempted some revisions, most of which were discarded. Foster interviewed at least 10 potential writers before hiring
David S. Ward
David Schad Ward (born October 25, 1945) is an American screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his screenplays for the films ''The Sting'' (1973) and ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), winning for the former. He ...
to re-write Arch's script. Among the most significant changes, Ward decided to have Jonah call the radio station on Sam's behalf. Insisting that no self-respecting man would deliberately call a radio show to share his emotional grievances, Ward suggested that Sam be coerced by Jonah into revealing how he feels about his late wife to several single women throughout the country, including Annie. Arch credits Ward with convincing the studio to not give up on the film, believing the latter's Academy Award for writing ''
The Sting
''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw).'' Variety'' film review; December 12, 1973, pag ...
'' (1973) helped them take him seriously as a filmmaker. However, the studio constantly pushed for an edgier and quirkier film. Despite acknowledging Ward's work as "a big step forward for the script", Foster was not entirely satisfied with the revisions and forwarded them to writer
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award for ...
, having been a fan of her work on '' When Harry Met Sally...'' (1989). Ephron had been Foster's first choice, hoping she could offer the script "a cynical layer to justify the organic sweetness", but she was unavailable when first approached to re-write.
At least four writers attempted to rework ''Sleepless in Seattle'' before Ephron was recruited to "polish" the fifth and final draft. Ephron had been searching for script doctoring jobs shortly after her directorial debut '' This Is My Life'' (1992) proved unprofitable at the box office. Admitting that she never would have conceived the film herself, Ephron initially accepted ''Sleepless in Seattle'' as a fun, easy writing project from which she could quickly earn money. Although she found Arch's version simple and unfunny, Ephron particularly liked his romantic ending involving the Empire State Building, and was interested in several ideas discussed in Ward's second draft, particularly how movies affect people's perception about romance. Ephron assured Foster that she could re-write the script within three weeks, adapting it into a funnier version of itself without entirely making it a comedy. She specifically improved Annie and Jonah's roles. In an early draft, the character of Annie was in the midst of ending an unhappy relationship; Ephron wrote this out of the film because she found Annie's original backstory inconsequential in comparison to Sam's loss of his wife. Annie was also relocated from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Baltimore, Maryland, as the character had originally been conceived as a Lancaster-based reporter. Foster credits Ephron with contributing most of the film's dialogue, while de-emphasizing much of Arch's sentimentality. While crediting Ephron with providing her trademark wit and snark the studio felt the original script lacked, Arch does not think all of Ephron's ideas particularly elevated the film. Describing themselves as quite different as writers, Arch likened their working relationship to "a parent and a step-parent of the same kid". However, they shared a strong love for classic films, with Ephron admitting she herself once considered ''An Affair to Remember'' to be "the greatest movie I'd ever seen". Ephron said the final film turned out funnier than she had imagined.
Castle left the project over disagreements with Ephron's edgier, less sentimental script, accusing her of stripping the film of emotion. Ephron claims virtually everyone liked the final script she submitted, apart from Castle. Impressed by Ephron's swiftness and dedication, Foster invited her to direct. Although Ephron protested the film was not quite ready to be directed, feeling it warranted at least one more rewrite, she eventually accepted and recruited her sister Delia to help improve several scenes. One such moment was the final scene in which Annie meets Sam and Jonah atop the Empire State building; Delia suggested that the father and son should be returning to the observation deck just as Annie is readying to leave, instead of having already exited the building. Despite serving as an associate producer alongside Arch,Delia remains uncredited for her script contributions, although a script dated March 10, 1992 is credited to Arch with re-writes by Nora and Delia Ephron. Ephron considers ''Sleepless in Seattle'' a "secret present" to their late parents, who were also screenwriters, as well as classic Hollywood movies. As "a movie about love that was also about movies about love", Ephron aimed to direct a "timeless" film audiences could watch for several years, without it feeling like it was made in 1993.
Ephron was also determined to give each character a "moment", such as when the minor mailman character has an inconsequential conversation about hiccups with Sam's son Jonah. At one point, the script mentioned that Sam and Annie had once both lived in Chicago at the same time, but this was edited out of the final film. ''Sleepless in Seattle'' became Ephron's second directorial effort. '' Premiere'' reported that, once Ephron became involved, the film "changed ... from a script that almost everyone had turned down into one that almost everyone wanted to be involved with". Although Arch did not necessarily agree that Ephron saved the film, he understood that "sometimes, you're not the star but that if you keep doing your job right, you will be the star", and maintains that several scenes ultimately remained almost exactly how he had envisioned them in his first draft, despite several re-writes.
Casting
Ephron promised Foster that her revised screenplay would be deserving of actors
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
and
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan (born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra; November 19, 1961) is an American actress. She began her acting career in 1981 when she made her acting debut in the drama film ''Rich and Famous''. She later joined the cast of the CBS soap oper ...
, the latter with whom Ephron had written the character Annie in mind. While Arch had also written the female role for Ryan due to her performance in ''When Harry Met Sally'', he had envisioned
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
in the role of Sam. A different pair of actors had originally been envisioned in the lead roles, but departed because they were deemed not funny enough for Ephron's material. Several actresses pursued the role of Annie once they learned of Ephron's involvement, including
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and th ...
,
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film and television, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Glo ...
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
,
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...
,
Demi Moore
Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera '' General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Br ...
and Madonna, but Ephron was determined to cast Ryan, having enjoyed working with her on ''When Harry Met Sally''... Ryan initially expected to star in the film with her then-husband
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...
, who had been looking for a film to star in together. The couple had also been close friends with Medavoy at the time. However, Ephron felt Quaid was not funny enough to play Sam, a role she and the studio decided was more suitable for Hanks. Having grown weary of playing goofy, immature characters by this point in his career, Hanks initially turned down the role because he was unhappy with its original script, but was drawn towards Ephron's revisions because he felt her version of Sam was more serious than previous roles he had played. Despite her interest in Hanks, Ephron was not entirely convinced the actor could play a romantic leading man in the vein of
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...
until she met him for first time. Hanks and Ryan had previously starred as a couple in the film '' Joe Versus the Volcano'' (1990). Despite being the film's romantic leads, the co-stars share only two scenes together, approximately two minutes of screen time.
Bill Pullman
William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. He made his film debut in ''R ...
originally assumed he would have a larger role in the film as Annie's fiancé Walter, since ''Sleepless in Seattle'' had been pitched to him as a love triangle similar to '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940), envisioning himself as the James Stewart character to Hanks' Cary Grant and Ryan's Katharine Hepburn. Nathan Watt was originally cast as Sam's son Jonah, but after working together for a few days, Hanks found the child actor to be disruptive on set while trying to film scenes he was not involved in. Watt was ultimately replaced with Ross Malinger, an actor Ephron remembered from earlier auditions, although Ephron did not like some aspects of his appearance.
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor and musician.
Schwartzman made his film debut in Wes Anderson's 1998 film '' Rushmore'', and has gone on to appear in six other Anderson films: '' The Darjeeling Limited'' (2 ...
had also auditioned for the role. Comedian
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series '' Star Search'' ...
was cast as Becky, Annie's best friend and coworker. O'Donnell had made her film debut in ''
A League of Their Own
''A League of Their Own'' is a 1992 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The film stars Tom Hanks, Geena ...
'' (1992) the previous year, appearing alongside both Hanks and Pullman. O'Donnell credits Ephron's son Jacob Bernstein with helping her secure the role, as he was a fan of her friend Madonna, with whom the comedian had also starred in ''A League of Their Own''. Inspired by Whoopie Goldberg's Academy Award-winning performance in '' Ghost'' (1990), Ephron felt hiring a comedian in a funny supporting role would similarly benefit ''Sleepless in Seattle''. O'Donnell based her performance on singer and actress Bette Midler, specifically emulating the way she walks and talks in order to convey "the funny, caustic best friend with a heart of gold" role she had wanted to play since deciding to become an actor. O'Donnell had difficulty reciting a lengthy monologue for the film, much to Ephron's annoyance. Eventually reduced from two-pages, the speech was the longest of O'Donnell's career at that point. She eventually read the monologue from a sheet of paper taped to a crewmember's leg, without Ephron's knowledge. She noted her experience was particularly different from ''A League of Their Own'', which had been largely improvisational compared to Ephron's organized directorial style. O'Donnell and Ephron lived in the same apartment building while filming ''Sleepless in Seattle'', which Ephron had obtained for her. Hanks' wife Rita Wilson originally auditioned for the role of Becky, but Ephron preferred her for the role of Sam's sister Suzy, which the director found particularly convenient because Wilson was already in Seattle with her husband. Ephron cast
Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performan ...
, who directed ''When Harry Met Sally''..., as Sam's friend in the film, with Reiner contributing to many of the film's laughs.
According to some of the main cast, Ephron typically insisted that the actors recite their lines almost exactly as-written, although Ephron herself said she was open to the cast improvising and re-writing dialogue they felt was unfunny. Hanks and
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
improvised the scene in which their characters feign tears while recounting the film ''
The Dirty Dozen
''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy ...
'' (1967), mocking Suzy who has been brought to tears by summarizing the plot of ''An Affair to Remember''. Hanks and Ephron agreed that his character was underwritten. Ephron invited the actor to help rewrite his character, which ultimately resulted in "a grumpier, funnier Sam". Hanks did not truly commit to the role until he, Ephron and Delia reviewed his character scene by scene, ultimately improving his part. Hanks and Ephron sometimes disagreed over his character's actions, with Hanks accusing the director of making Sam too "wimpy" by writing him from a woman's perspective. He also complained that better lines had been written for his character's son, and lobbied for Sam and Jonah's relationship to be more paternal than maternal. In the original screenplay, Sam decides not to spend a weekend away with his new girlfriend Victoria in fear of upsetting Jonah. Hanks found this unconvincing for a grown man, suggesting to Ephron that, despite his son's feelings, his character would most likely be absolutely determined to sleep with Victoria after having been single for several years by that point. Ephron re-wrote the scene so Sam only relents once he learns Jonah has stowed away on a plane to New York. Hanks believes the film's drama ultimately benefited from being rooted in logic and "true, human behaviour". Arch explained that, despite some resistance from the actor, Hanks ultimately "rode that boundary, between being a man and having feelings he's able to express", which was rare for a male character during the 1990s. Ephron described Hanks as "manly in a part that requires him to be tender -and a lot of other things", calling him "one of the few actors around ... who can do tender and irritable and angry all at the same time". She credits Hanks with teaching her that writers should always provide the main actor with something to play off of, so they are never passive or idle during a scene.
Ephron had envisioned the role of Clarisse, Jonah's babysitter, as a
Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall (born July 7, 1949) is an American actress and producer who is known for her portrayals of distinct, often eccentric characters. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peab ...
-type role. They ultimately cast Amanda Maher in the role, a waitress they had discovered at the Gravity Bar in Seattle, citing her as a natural. Ephron herself voices "Disappointed In Denver", a depressed character who calls into the radio show Annie is listening to in the middle of the night. Actress
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress and musician. Posey is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination and two Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Posey made her film debu ...
was cast in a minor role that was ultimately cut from the film. The director wrote Posey an apologetic letter assuring her that the removal from the film was not her own fault. Ephron eventually cast her in a larger role in the romantic comedy ''
You've Got Mail
''You've Got Mail'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron and starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Inspired by the 1937 Hungarian play '' Parfumerie'' by Miklós László (which had earlier been adapted in 1940 as ''The S ...
'' (1998), also starring Hanks and Ryan. Foster appears as an extra in the restaurant scene, during which Sam and Victoria attend their first date. Hanks accused Foster of being too loud during the scene.
Filming
Although Seattle, Washington had always been the film's main setting, the filmmakers only realized how significant the location was upon seeing it for themselves. Arch was inspired to have Sam live in a houseboat upon watching a Seattle-based episode of ''
This Old House
''This Old House'' is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a websiteThisOldHouse.com. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the American television netw ...
'', which featured host Bob Vila visiting a similar home. Ephron initially believed that, during the 1990s, young Americans prioritized their careers over their personal lives. However, upon visiting Seattle, she discovered it as a city where "people have chosen lifestyle over work", and decided to set the film there. Ephron explained that this is one of the reasons why Sam moves to Seattle from the work-focused Chicago. Vancouver, British Columbia, which film studios typically use as an affordable Seattle stand-in, was briefly considered an option, but Foster ultimately found the Canadian city to be less diverse than Seattle, hardly distinguishable from other large cities and too Canadian-looking. Principal photography began in July 1992. Once she submitted the final draft in March 1992, Ephron described the film's filming schedule as almost instant, recalling that they were scouting locations in June and filming by August that same year. The film had a production budget of $25 million, with ''The Seattle Times'' reporting that the studio spent approximately $4 million on Seattle-based labor, hotels, meals and local vendors. Foster explained that they decided to primarily use resources local to save money on necessities such as crew, import labor and airfare. Specific Seattle landmarks featured in the film include the
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a public market in Seattle, Washington, United States. It opened on August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States. Overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront on Pug ...
Alki Beach
Alki Beach Park is a park located in the West Seattle, Seattle, West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (state), Washington that consists of the Elliott Bay beach between Alki Point, Seattle, Alki Point and Duwamish Head. It has a of be ...
, the
Fremont Bridge Fremont Bridge may refer to:
* Fremont Bridge (Portland, Oregon)
* Fremont Bridge (Seattle)
The Fremont Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that spans the Fremont Cut in Seattle, Washington. The bridge, which connects Fremont Avenue North an ...
, SeaTac Airport, the Dahlia Lounge, and several 1st Avenue shops.
The filmmakers could not find a warehouse large enough to host one set, therefore much of the film was shot on the Sand Point Naval Base. Due to the lack of sound stages in Seattle at the time, the filmmakers sought to the base as it was about to be shut down, but received little response from The Federal Bureaucracy until Ephron herself contacted Republican senator John Warner, a former Secretary of the Navy. At times sets and parts of props were shipped between Seattle to Baltimore to ensure sets remained consistent, particularly a door that both Ryan's and Hanks' characters use in separate scenes. Ephron ensured the same door was used to demonstrate the connection between the characters, working with editor Robert M. Reitano to connect their stories via visual parallels, since otherwise the characters hardly share screen time. Because Seattle was experiencing a drought while filming, the filmmakers imported water trucks to simulate the rain scenes. The city was reportedly angry about what they perceived as a waste of water. In addition to Seattle, scenes were shot in Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; and New York City. Ironically, Foster deemed a house located on Queen Anne Hill "Baltimore enough" to serve as the Baltimore-based home of Annie's parents. Ephron intended for the opening shot of the
Chicago skyline
The buildings and architecture of Chicago reflect the city's history and multicultural heritage, featuring prominent buildings in a variety of styles. Most structures downtown were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 (an exception being th ...
at Maggie Baldwin's funeral to evoke artist
Saul Steinberg
Saul Steinberg (June 15, 1914 – May 12, 1999) was a Romanian-American artist, best known for his work for ''The New Yorker'', most notably '' View of the World from 9th Avenue''. He described himself as "a writer who draws".
Biography
S ...
's 1976 ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' cover ''
View of the World from 9th Avenue
''View of the World from 9th Avenue'' (sometimes ''A Parochial New Yorker's View of the World'', ''A New Yorker's View of the World'' or simply ''View of the World'') is a 1976 illustration by Saul Steinberg that served as the cover of the Marc ...
''. A set designer reportedly found working with Ephron so difficult that they begged to be fired from the film.
The studio was initially denied permission to shoot some of the film's final scenes at the Empire State Building, whose management refused to close the observation deck to tourists to allow filming. Ephron strongly believed that "you are two phone-calls away from anyone". Ephron knew the publicist who was representing building owner
Leona Helmsley
Leona Roberts Helmsley (July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was an American businesswoman. Her flamboyant personality and reputation for tyrannical behavior earned her the nickname Queen of Mean.
After allegations of non-payment were made by co ...
, who was in prison for
tax evasion
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax ...
at the time. After discussing the matter with her publicist who visited her in jail, Helmsley granted them permission to use the building for only six hours. This allowed them to film the helicopter shot, Annie's lobby scene, and Jonah searching the observation deck for Annie. The observatory of the Empire State Building on which Sam and Annie finally meet during the film's climax was actually a replica built in Hangar 27 of the Sand Point Naval Base, instead of New York City. The building was digitally lit for the film. Ryan was physically uncomfortable while running towards the Empire State Building in order to meet Sam because her shoes were ill-fitting.
The film's costumes were designed by Judy Ruskin, who designed most of Ryan's wardrobe. Ruskin was careful to dress Ryan in modest, loose-fitting clothes to demonstrate Annie's "pure heart", as per Ephron's direction. Ephron hired
Sven Nykvist
Sven Vilhem Nykvist (; 3 December 1922 – 20 September 2006) was a Swedish cinematographer. He worked on over 120 films, but is known especially for his work with director Ingmar Bergman. He won Academy Awards for his work on two Bergman fil ...
as the film's cinematographer, as she was instructed to recruit "the world's best cinematographer". According to Ephron, he was typically able to light scenes in as little as six minutes. Ephron and production designer Jeffrey Townsend deliberately limited the use of the color red during the first hour of ''Sleepless in Seattle''. The color appears more frequently after Sam and Annie first pass each other at the airport in Seattle, and a soccer team wearing red uniforms spills into the crowd between them. Red gradually becomes more common throughout the rest of the film, representing the "passion shared by the pair as they finally meet and fall in love". The filmmakers also avoided using blue, a color Ephron particularly dislikes. Arch was surprised to find that certain shots matched what he had envisioned when writing the film, including the use of shooting stars in the title sequence.
Music
The film was originally to have been scored by John Barry, but when given a list of twenty songs he had to put in the film, he quit. The film was ultimately scored by
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broa ...
.
Peter Guber
Howard Peter Guber (born March 1, 1942) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, educator, and author. He is chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment. Guber's most recent films from Mandalay Entertainment include '' The Kids Are All ...
, head of Sony Studios, wanted to use Celine Dion and Clive Griffin's duet "
When I Fall in Love
"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in the film ''One Minute to Zero'' as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the firs ...
" in the final scene, but Ephron insisted on using "Make Someone Happy" by Jimmy Durante. Instead of seeking Guber's permission, Ephron decided to see how the test audience would react, to which they responded well. In addition to Dion, the soundtrack also included contributions by Nat King Cole, Carly Simon and Harry Connick Jr.
# " As Time Goes By" by Jimmy Durante – 2:28
# "
A Kiss to Build a Dream On
"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" is a song composed by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein II. In 1935, Kalmar and Ruby wrote a song called "Moonlight on the Meadow" for the Marx Brothers film '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) but the song ...
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...
– 3:15
# "
Makin' Whoopee
"Makin' Whoopee" is a jazz/ blues song, first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical '' Whoopee!''. Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical.
The title refers to ce ...
" by
Dr. John
Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B.
Active as a session musician from ...
featuring
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...
– 4:09
# "
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is a 1955 popular song composed by David Mann, with lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was introduced as the title track of Frank Sinatra's 1955 album '' In the Wee Small Hours''.
Background
Mann and Hilliard wr ...
Back in the Saddle Again
"Back in the Saddle Again" was the signature song of American cowboy entertainer Gene Autry. It was co-written by Autry with Ray Whitley and first released in 1939. The song was associated with Autry throughout his career and was used as the n ...
Bye Bye Blackbird
"Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by Jerome H. Remick and written by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra in March 1926.
Song ...
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 List of best-selling music artists i ...
Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...
– 2:41
# "An Affair to Remember" by
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broa ...
When I Fall in Love
"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in the film ''One Minute to Zero'' as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the firs ...
" by
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
and
Clive Griffin
Clive Griffin is a British pop vocalist, best known for his hit duet, "When I Fall in Love" (US No. 23) with pop singer Celine Dion.
Clive was discovered by producer/composer Richard Niles who got him a deal with Phonogram/Mercury Records. P ...
– 4:21
Charts
Certifications
Themes
Luchina Fisher of
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
summarized ''Sleepless in Seattle'' as "the story of a kid who plays matchmaker between his widower father and a woman having second thoughts about her fiancé". According to ''
CinemaBlend
Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...
'''s Jerrica Tisdale, the film discusses themes about taking chances and destiny. Hanks believes falling in love with someone's voice is a relatable catalyst, explaining that "We've all experienced something like that". Although generally associated with Valentine's Day due to its focus on romance, the film also features Christmas and New Years Eve elements.
''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...
'''s
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter (born March 25, 1946, Kansas City, Missouri) is an American novelist, essayist, and film critic.
Life and career
Hunter was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Evanston, Illinois. His father was Charles Francis Hunter, ...
described the film as a "shameless
romantic fantasy
Romantic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre.
One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, ...
" and its heroine as "a sort of icon of nearly pure '50s innocence", with Ephron herself dressing Ryan's character to resemble a Breck girl. With a
self-aware
In philosophy of self, self-awareness is the experience of one's own personality or individuality. It is not to be confused with consciousness in the sense of qualia. While consciousness is being aware of one's environment and body and lifest ...
tone considered to be unusual for the time of its release, ''Sleepless in Seattle''
parodies
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
the romantic comedy genre, despite being a romantic comedy itself. Calling the film "a throwback to the great romantic comedies of the '30s and '40s",
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
described ''Sleepless in Seattle'' as "a fairy tale that encourages viewers to believe that true love and destiny will conquer all obstacles"''.'' According to Tyler Coates of ''
Flavorwire
''Flavorwire'' is a New York City-based online culture magazine. The site includes original feature articles, interviews, reviews, as well as content recycled from other sources. ''Flavorwire'' describes themselves as "a network of culturally con ...
'', Ephron uses ''An Affair to Remember'' to challenge "the cinematic joys that predated her own films", observing that the 1957 film brings at least four female characters to tears throughout ''Sleepless in Seattle''. Ephron described ''An Affair to Remember'' as "a running character" throughout film, which Annie routinely refers to as guide about her own love life. Several scenes from ''An Affair to Remember'' are shown throughout the film, which Annie and Becky constantly watch despite questioning "what something so seemingly shallow and unrealistic could possibly offer them". When Annie finally meets Sam atop the Empire State Building, the theme from ''An Affair to Remember'' plays. One of the film's major recurring themes is "love in the movies" and cinema's influence over how viewers perceive love, which in turn affects their ideals, goals, and decisions; Annie attempts to recreate the feelings she has seen in films because she has yet to experience them herself. The film also strives to prove that " art imitates life", as opposed to life imitating art. ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'''s Matthew Jacobs said the film "doubles as a comment on the way Hollywood romance has perpetuated fantasies of what love looks like", which the author said is best exemplified by O'Donnell's line "You don't want to be in love; you want to be in love in a movie". Several commentators have referenced this line analyzing the film's themes. Film and media studies professor Michele Schreiber said the quote is "meant to elicit a sense of recognition among ''Sleepless in Seattles audience because the text assumes that by nature of the fact that they are watching the film, its spectators must empathize with, if not share, Annie's desire to fall in love in a way that is completely removed from the mundane realities of everyday life" while "assum ngthat the audience will find equally familiar Becky's pointed critique of Annie's misguided preoccupation". According to However,
Decider
Decider is both a real word and a "Bushism". It may refer to:
* ''Decider'' (website), a pop culture website operated by the ''New York Post''
*'' Bill Maher: The Decider'', a stand-up comedy special
* Decider (Turing machine), a Turing machine th ...
's Meghan O'Keefe said the film lacks "any real ground-breaking commentary on the state of the human heart".
According to a review published by Encyclopedia.com, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' "explores the differences between men and women when it comes to love and romance". However, Coates noted that, despite its meta commentary about classic Hollywood romances and gender, the film "avoids any of the vulgarities and complications of recent submissions to the romantic comedy genre", while also at times deviating from gender stereotypes. The critic noted that while Annie initially dismisses the concepts of fate and soul mates, trying to convince herself that her relationship with Walter is more practical than romantic, Sam openly likens his feelings for his late wife to magic, which ultimately prompts her "to embark on a philosophical journey of sorts to find out whether attraction is something otherworldly after all". ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'''s Caroline Siede wrote that the film "balances romance and realism by giving its central characters two different but equally pragmatic philosophies on love". While Annie believes "meant-to-be love" is only found in fairy tales, Sam argues that true love exists because he experienced it with his late wife, but believes it can not be experienced more than once in one's lifetime. Siede also said that, due to the focus on Sam and Jonah's relationship, at times the film more-so resembles a "father/son dramedy" occasionally intercut with a serviceable romantic comedy plot, elaborating that for most of the film "only Annie is an active rom-com player while Sam is just obliviously living his life", with much of Sam's comedy stemming from a man starting to date again during "the burgeoning era of
third-wave feminism
Third-wave feminism is an iteration of the feminist movement that began in the early 1990s, prominent in the decades prior to the fourth wave. Grounded in the civil-rights advances of the second wave, Gen X and early Gen Y generations third-w ...
". Ephron believes ''Sleepless in Seattle'' more-so fits into the romantic comedy genre as opposed to the "women's movies" she pokes fun at in the film, explaining, "We aren't a classic weeper in any sense of the word – although some people cry when they see our movie".
Rebecca Deczynski of ''Good Housekeeping'' said the film discusses both the positive and negative aspects of long distance relationships. Distinguished from other romantic comedies because its main couple is separated for most of the film, Ephron identified "the global village" as one of the film's main themes, explaining "we all live in one place ... and it's connected by airplanes, 800-number radio shows, the same jokes and statistics. By the time Tom and Meg are out on their respective piers sitting on their respective benches, you feel like it's a love scene even though they are 3000 miles apart". In an article written in 2018, Corey Chichizola of ''CinemaBlend'' observed that although the film's plot seemed plausible at the time of its release, "the majority of the film's events and problems could be solved instantly if there were smart phones around", determining that the introduction of various technology since ''Sleepless in Seattle'' has in term limited storytelling, with writers of future films being required to find logical ways to eliminate smart phones and dating apps in order for certain plots to be plausible. Nicole Sperling of ''Vanity Fair'' observed that Jessica's use of acronyms and Annie's "journalistic tenacity" pre-date
instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...
and
Google search
Google Search (also known simply as Google) is a search engine provided by Google. Handling more than 3.5 billion searches per day, it has a 92% share of the global search engine market. It is also the most-visited website in the world.
The ...
by several years. Agreeing that ''Sleepless in Seattle'' "has become a journey into nostalgia" in the decades since the film's release, ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'''s R. Eric Thomas said "there's something sweet and appealing about the relative simplicity—even simplicity in a film with a plot as complex as this one's. And who amongst us isn't rediscovering the telephone during this time, when even small distances seem yawning? Or the simple pleasure of a mailed letter? (Thank you to all the Post Office employees!) After a grueling three years during which the dark underbelly of nostalgia was used to prop up the worst aspects of this country's history and present, it's particularly heartening to be reminded that sometimes, the hallmarks of the past can continue to help us." O'Donnell theorized that although the film might be received as a story about
catfishing
Catfishing is a deceptive activity in which a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on a social networking service, usually targeting a specific victim. The practice may be used for financial gain, to compromise a victim in so ...
in modern times, its setting and innocence harkens "back to a time where everything seemed a little bit simpler".
Release
Marketing and promotion
Although Foster and Ephron estimate that the studio spent at least $20 million marketing the film, TriStar senior vice president of publicity Ed Russell claims they spent significantly less, despite their admittedly competitive marketing campaign. ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was heavily advertised during daytime programming to target female viewers, who responded well to its posters and trailers. The film's official theatrical release poster, which depicts Hanks and Ryan gazing into the sky from opposite time zones, features the tag line "What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you", which was inspired by a line spoken by Ryan's character in the film. Despite its female target audience, trailers and television spots were geared towards men by prominently featuring Hanks and Reiner. A trailer aired during the televised broadcast of President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's
inaugural ball
United States presidential inaugural balls are large social gatherings, both white tie and black tie, held to celebrate the commencement of a new term of the President of the United States. Planned and sanctioned by the Presidential Inaugura ...
in January 1993, five months before its release date, with Clinton's inaugural committee specifically asking TriStar to advertise during the gala. TriStar paid approximately $250,000 for the 30-second commercial. Foster claims advertising during the inaugural ball implied that the studio was warning the film industry to "Watch out, we believe in this movie and we're not afraid to do anything. We're not afraid to spend money". He also maintains that the decision to advertise during the telecast was business-driven as opposed to political, explaining that the studio saw anticipated the gala's expected high ratings would promote ''Sleepless in Seattle'' to a significantly larger audience.
The studio also discussed corporate tie-ins with companies such as greeting card companies, teleflorists and Tiffany & Co. for corporate tie-ins. On Valentine's Day 1993, chocolate recreations of the Empire State Building were offered to 200 critics. Test screenings hosted in January were well-received and widely covered by several American magazines, including ''Premiere'', ''Redbook'', ''Allure'' and ''Movieline''. ''Variety'' reported that ''Sleepless in Seattle'' scored 94 out of 100 in at least one of its screenings, encouraging the studio to reschedule the film for a summer release. Senior vice president of publicity Ed Russell arranged several word of mouth screenings for the film, including a conference held for romance novel and magazine editors on May 16, 1993 in San Diego. A benefit premiere was hosted for ''Sleepless in Seattle'' at the Cinedome in Seattle in June 1993, with proceeds going towards the Pike Place Market Foundation.
Originally planned to be released in April 1993, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was rescheduled for summer 1993 because studio executives predicted it could be a popular summer hit, despite competing with several large-scale blockbusters and action-adventure films at the time, notably ''Jurassic Park'',''The Firm,
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
and
Last Action Hero
''Last Action Hero'' is a 1993 American fantasy action comedy film directed and produced by John McTiernan and co-written by Shane Black and David Arnott. It is a satire of the action genre and associated clichés, containing several parodies ...
.'' ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was considered to be one of the year's few "date movies", and was also branded "1993's ''When Harry Met Sally ...''". According to Kathy Tyre of ''
Adweek
''Adweek'' is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1979. ''Adweek'' covers creativity, client–agency relationships, global advertising, accounts in review, and new campaigns. During this time, it has cover ...
'', TriStar crafted a marketing campaign that branded ''Sleepless in Seattle'' as the summer's "romantic alternative". Marketing executive Kathy Jones confirmed that the studio would spend significantly more money marketing the film due to its summer relocation but claims they wanted to avoid over-promoting "a lovely, romantic movie". Tri-Star theorized the romantic comedy would attract women who were not particularly interested in watching the year's action films, serving as " counter-programming" to the roster of more traditional summer blockbuster fare. Columbia, TriStar's sister studio, had used the same strategy for ''When Harry Met Sally''... four years prior. Rescheduling the film also removed direct competition such ''
Indecent Proposal
''Indecent Proposal'' is a 1993 American erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Amy Holden Jones. It is based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, in which a couple's marriage is disrupted by a stranger's offer of a million d ...
'' (1993), which was expected to have higher box office returns than ''Sleepless in Seattle''. However, releasing the film in June also proposed the risk of ''Sleepless in Seattle'' being overlooked by an estimated 60 films being released that summer, among them ''What's Love Got to Do With It'' and '' The Firm''.
Foster believes that had the film been released in April as originally planned, they would have already spent most of their marketing budget by the time the year's blockbusters were released, explaining that "This kind of counterprogramming in the summer seems to work", whereas Ephron felt releasing the film earlier would have forced them to remove the film from theatres in order to make way for the summer blockbuster films. Sneak previews were hosted in 750 theatres the Saturday before the film's release, which were filled to 80% capacity. In addition to much publicity, previews were consistently very well-received by audiences. The film was ultimately released to theatres on June 25, 1993.
Box office
Despite initially being perceived as an underdog, the film was surprisingly successful at the box office, becoming "the surprise hit of the season" according to ''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...
'''s Mike Littwin. The film was widely touted the
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...
of the summer. ''Sleepless in Seattle'' opened theatrically on June 25, 1993, coincidentally the same day as former ''Sleepless in Seattle'' director Nick Castle's '' Dennis the Menace.'' It premiered in 1,579 venues, earning $17,253,733 in its opening weekend, ranking second in the North American box office behind the third weekend of '' Jurassic Park''. ''Sleepless in Seattle'' had the most successful opening weekend for a romantic comedy at the time. The ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that the opening weekend audience was 60% female and 40% 30 years and older. At the end of its run, the film grossed $126,680,884 in the United States and Canada, as well as $101,119,000 internationally, for a worldwide total of $227,799,884. According to ''
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', ''Sleepless in Seattle'''s earnings established it as "the most successful traditional romantic comedy of all-time" at the time of its release. Ephron and Foster attribute the film's success to its release being postponed from March 26 to June 25. The film became one of the highest-grossing of 1993, and remains the 13th highest-grossing romantic comedy in the United States. According to The Numbers, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is the 21st highest-grossing romantic comedy of all-time.
In July 1993, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' journalist Lawrence Frascella predicted that Ephron "is poised to become one of Hollywood's leading women directors" with the success of ''Sleepless in Seattle.'' To commemorate the film's 25th anniversary,
Fathom Events
Fathom Events is an entertainment content provider that broadcasts entertainment events in movie theaters throughout the United States including Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, the performing arts, major sporting events, and music concerts.
Th ...
and Sony Pictures Entertainment re-released ''Sleepless in Seattle'' in approximately 400 theatres throughout the United States for two days, on the 2nd and 5 December 2018. Ryan and Foster filmed a new introduction exclusive to the re-issue.
The film continues to be aired regularly on various television stations.
Reception
Critical response
Contemporary
''Sleepless in Seattle'' received positive reviews upon release. Critics particularly praised Hanks and Ryan's performances and chemistry in the lead roles. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' film critic
Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
lauded ''Sleepless in Seattle'' as "the hippest, frankest and funniest date movie around", praising the leads' performances and Ephron's writing for poking fun at classic romance films "without for a second denying their potency. In ''Sleepless'', she breaks your heart without making you feel like a jerk. As date movies go, that's the ultimate in compliments".
Roger Ebert of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...
'' said the film was "as ephemeral as a talk show, as contrived as the late show, and yet so warm and gentle I smiled the whole way through." He added:
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' called it "a feather-light romantic comedy" and wrote, "It's a stunt, but it's a stunt that works far more effectively than anybody in his right mind has reason to expect. Not since ''Love Story'' has there been a movie that so shrewdly and predictably manipulated the emotions for such entertaining effect."
In a mixed review, Owen Gleiberman of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' lauded Hanks performance for anchoring but found ''Sleepless in Seattle'' itself to be too contrived, writing, "it feels programmed to make you fall in love with it". Criticizing Ephron's reliance on clichés, Gleiberman said the director "mixes old ones from Hollywood with new ones from pop-psych therapy", describing the film as "a '50s tearjerker synthesized by microchip" which lacks the "delicately sexy sparkle" of its predecessors. John Simon of the ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...
'' wrote that the "entire picture is a collection of nauseating quotations and references to ''An Affair to Remember'', both visual and verbal". ''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...
'''s Mike Littwin dismissed the film as a "chick flick" geared towards women with little pay off for male audiences, apart from "forc ngus to re-examine our values".
Retrospective
Retrospective reviews have remained mostly positive. Review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reports that 75% out of 60 professional critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 6.70/10. The consensus states, "''Sleepless in Seattle'' is a cute classic with a very light touch and real chemistry between the two leads – even when spending an entire movie apart." According to the same website, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is their 146th highest-rated romantic comedy of all-time (out of 200), warning readers that they might find the film's relatively low placement surprising considering its popularity. Rotten Tomatoes also ranked ''Sleepless in Seattle'' the 53rd best blockbuster of the 1990s decade. On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the film has a 72 out of 100 rating, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".
Caroline Siede of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' praised both the lead and supporting cast's performances; the father-son dynamic between Hanks and Malinger's characters during both comedic and heartfelt moments. Praising the performances of Hanks, Ryan, O'Donnell and Reiner, as well as the film's humor, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' film critic
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire''.
Early life and education
Bradshaw was educated at Haberdasher ...
said Ephron "brought her terrific flair, wit and nous, although she propagates the terrifying fallacy that a widower makes a wonderful romantic catch". Virginia Florey of the ''
Midland Daily News
The ''Midland Daily News'' is a daily newspaper which serves Midland County, Michigan. The offices for the paper are located at 219 East Main Street in downtown Midland; the paper is widely circulated around Midland County.
The newspaper also p ...
'' said the film "still do sa fantastic job of pulling you into their story and their search to find that one person to love". While declaring that ''Sleepless in Seattle'' remains the best romantic comedy ever released, ''
Body+Soul
Body may refer to:
In science
* Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space
* Body (biology), the physical material of an organism
* Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...
'' contributor Hannah-Rose Yee said despite being "the kind of movie that gives romantic comedies a bad name ... no film has come close to distilling what ''Sleepless in Seattle'' does about the ridiculous enterprise that is opening up your heart to someone else". However, she admitted that one's ability to enjoy the film depends "entirely on how on board you can get with a romance in which the two lead characters don't meet until the last five minutes". ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'''s Luke Walpole, who had avoided watching the film until 2020 in fear that it had aged poorly, ultimately found Ephron's screenplay to be a gorgeous "balance of melancholy and fizzing optimism", but criticized ''Sleepless in Seattles "narrowly
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
and privileged" characters.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
wrote that the film is successful in Ephron's hands, despite its "frustrating" structure at times.
Siede noted that in recent years, Annie's actions in pursuit of Sam have been re-evaluated as what some critics perceive as stalker behavior, with Nicole Sperling of '' Vanity Fair'' feeling Annie's determination "verges into stalker territory". Siede defended the character, writing "Annie's 'romantic' stalking falls well within the purview of creepy real-world behavior we're somehow willing to forgive in a heightened rom-com context. And plenty of beloved rom-com leading men have pulled stunts just as creepy". R. Eric Thomas of ''Elle'' noted that "in terms of rom-com hijinks and poor decisions that turn out great, nothing beats nnie's behaviorin Sleepless in Seattle", but relented that the film remains "a jewel". Thomas also found Wilson's ''An Affair to Remember'' monologue to be deserving of an Academy Award, and one of the film's best scenes. Guy Lodge of ''The Guardian'' commended Ryan for helping "her character's wildly irrational whimsy ... make sympathetic sense". Upon re-watching the film in 2016, ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'''s S. Atkinson perceived Annie as "a woman who is pretty damn morally dubious with regards to her relationship to her fiancée", explaining that "I'd gone from completely doting on the two leads when watching it first time round as a kid to finding them the absolute worst watching again an adult".
Awards and accolades
The film received two nominations for awards in the
66th Academy Awards
The 66th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1993 and took place on March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p. ...
(held in 1994). It lost the award to ''
The Piano
''The Piano'' is a 1993 historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role, the film focuses on a Elective mutism, mute Scott ...
'' for Best Original Screenplay while the song "A Wink and a Smile" lost out to "
Streets of Philadelphia
"Streets of Philadelphia" is a song written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the 1993 film ''Philadelphia'', starring Tom Hanks, an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS. Released as a single in 1994, the son ...
" (from ''
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan (born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra; November 19, 1961) is an American actress. She began her acting career in 1981 when she made her acting debut in the drama film ''Rich and Famous''. She later joined the cast of the CBS soap oper ...
) and a third for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The film earned Ephron her third Academy Award nomination.
The film won four awards at different ceremonies. Ryan won the award for Funniest Actress in a Leading Role at the
American Comedy Awards
The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films. They began in 1987, billed as the "f ...
. At the 1994
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
s, Malinger won the award for Best Actor Under Ten in a Motion Picture and the film itself won Outstanding Family Motion Picture for Comedy. The screenplay was also nominated for Writers Guild and BAFTA awards.
Musical adaptation
In 2009, development began on a musical version of ''Sleepless in Seattle''. David Shor was announced as the musical's producer, with a book being written by Jeff Arch, Shor's longtime partner and original story writer for the motion picture.
Leslie Bricusse
Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' Do ...
was initially attached to the project, but withdrew due to "creative differences with the show's producer and director". Michelle Citrin, Michael Garin and Josh Nelson were announced to be working on the music and lyrics, with Shor discovering Citrin via YouTube. The musical was initially set to release in 2010, with the premiere date later being moved to 2011 and June 2012. In February 2012, Shor announced that the musical would not premiere until the 2012–13 season and that the show would "undergo a top-to-bottom overhaul" and would have a new creative team. With a new score by composer Ben Toth and lyricist Sam Forman, the musical version premiered at the
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...
in May 2013.
After being postponed for several years, the musical was due to open in London's
Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairit ...
on March 24, 2020, under the name ''Sleepless: A Musical Romance'' for an initial run of 7 weeks until May 3. It will star
Jay McGuiness
James "Jay" McGuiness (born 24 July 1990) is a British singer, songwriter and actor best known as a vocalist with boy band The Wanted. In 2015, partnered with Aliona Vilani, he won the 13th series of BBC's ''Strictly Come Dancing''.
In recen ...
,
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...
and
Daniel Casey
Daniel Casey (born 1 June 1972) is an English actor. He is best known for playing DS Gavin Troy, the original sidekick of DCI Tom Barnaby, for the first six seasons of the long-running television series ''Midsomer Murders''.
Early life
...
as Sam, Annie and Walter respectively.
A further delay due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
meant the show would not open until August 25, 2020, and run to September 27. The show had a socially distanced audience and used several measures as a result of the epidemic.
Legacy
Revered as a classic love story, reviewers deemed ''Sleepless in Seattle'' a classic almost immediately upon release, crowning it "the ultimate romantic comedy". ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is widely celebrated as one of the greatest romantic comedy films of all-time, with several media publications ranking it among the best romantic comedies.
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particl ...
ranked ''Sleepless in Seattle'' the 10th best romantic comedy of the 1990s, while S. Atkinson of ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'' declared it the decade's "definitive romantic comedy". Some critics consider it to be one of the best romance films. CinemaBlend's Corey Chichizola said few romantic comedies have remained "as iconic and beloved" as ''Sleepless in Seattle'', attributing its popularity to nostalgia and fans longing for a simpler time. Calling ''Sleepless in Seattle'' arguably "the last great American romantic comedy", ''
Flavorwire
''Flavorwire'' is a New York City-based online culture magazine. The site includes original feature articles, interviews, reviews, as well as content recycled from other sources. ''Flavorwire'' describes themselves as "a network of culturally con ...
'''s Tyler Coates said the film also effectively remains "a subtle, serious employment of a genre usually dismissed as frivolous, lighthearted entertainment marketed solely to women" and "a serious contribution of artistic merit" to an otherwise saturated genre. Considered to be one of the all-time great romantic films by the American Film Institute, the organization included ''Sleepless in Seattle'' on both its best
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
and
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
film lists, ranking it 45th and 10th respectively. Television presenter
Francine Stock
Francine Stock is a British radio and television presenter and novelist, of part-French origin.
Early life
Born in Devon, and with early years in Edinburgh and Australia, Stock later attended St Catherine's School, Guildford, where she was head ...
credits ''Sleepless in Seattle'' with changing the trajectory of romantic comedies. In 2021, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' associate editor Lexy Perez declared that the film remains "a household name in the world of romantic comedies". ''Marie Claire'' named ''Sleepless in Seattle'' one of the 61 definitive films of the 1990s.
Ryan, who has not watched the film since 1993, believes it is unlikely that a film like ''Sleepless in Seattle'' would be successful again due to the main characters' lack of scenes together. Foster theorized that the film continues to resonate with audiences due to its sense of magic, specifically the belief that "there's this timeless wish fulfillment that you're going to meet that person somewhere". According to Susan King of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', the Empire State Building scenes have "become an indelible scene in pop culture". Philip Sledge of ''Cinema Blend'' hailed the ending as one of the greatest in the romantic comedy genre, while Jessica Brajer of
MovieWeb
MovieWeb is an entertainment news website and video brand.
Overview
MovieWeb reports on entertainment news through their long-running website and related social media and video platforms. The site also maintains a searchable database of films.
H ...
called it "one of the most emotional scenes in all of movie history". Crowning ''Sleepless in Seattle'' "The Best Rom-Com Ending of All Time",
Decider
Decider is both a real word and a "Bushism". It may refer to:
* ''Decider'' (website), a pop culture website operated by the ''New York Post''
*'' Bill Maher: The Decider'', a stand-up comedy special
* Decider (Turing machine), a Turing machine th ...
contributor Meghan O'Keefe said the ending ultimately saves the film from being dismissed as simply "another inoffensive romantic comedy", writing that its lack of a kiss or wedding scene ultimately distinguished from similar films. O'Keefe concluded, "It's a gorgeous triumph of a moment that's defined by the simple offering of a hand". The ending has also been parodied and recreated several subsequent media, including an episode of ''
The Mindy Project
''The Mindy Project'' is an American romantic comedy television series created by and starring Mindy Kaling that began airing on Fox in September 2012 and finished its run of six seasons on Hulu in November 2017. The series was co-produced by Un ...
'' in 2014''.'' The film is also credited with introducing younger generations to ''An Affair to Remember,'' by which ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was inspired.
The film's success positively impacted its cast and crew, who went on to have successful entertainment careers. ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' credits Hanks' performance with making him America's favorite person, while Garth Pearce of the '' Daily Express'' said the film established Ryan as America's sweetheart. For ''Vanity Fair'', journalist Michael Shnayerson said ''Sleepless in Seattle'' "crowned
yan
Yan may refer to:
Chinese states
* Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty
* Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC
* Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...
as America's
screwball
A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...
darling", shortly after which she began earning at least $15 million per film. While ranking ''Sleepless in Seattle'' one of the best performances of Hanks' career, ''Rolling Stone'''s David Fear credits the film with establishing the actor as a romantic comedy sex symbol. Hanks, Ryan, and Ephron would reunite for one more film, the romantic comedy ''
You've Got Mail
''You've Got Mail'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron and starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Inspired by the 1937 Hungarian play '' Parfumerie'' by Miklós László (which had earlier been adapted in 1940 as ''The S ...
'', in 1998. ''Sleepless in Seattle'' was the second of four on-screen collaborations between Hanks and Ryan, with Kelly O'Sullivan of '' The Pioneer Woman'' crowning them both "the unofficial king and queen of rom-coms" and "the most iconic rom-com couple of all time". According to '' Good Morning America'' contributor Luchina Fisher, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is one of three Ephron films that "breathed new life into the" romantic comedy genre, alongside its predecessor ''When Harry Met Sally...'' and successor ''You've Got Mail''. Despite being her second directorial effort, ''Sleepless in Seattle'''s success eclipsed that of her directorial debut, and ultimately established Ephron "as a major directorial force in the rom-com genre". In 2018, ''The A.V. Club'''s Caroline Siede said the film remains her finest work as a director. On its 20-year anniversary, ''HuffPost'' wrote that the film continues to resonate due to "Ephron's sharp dialogue and the inherent goodness and charm projected by both Hanks and Ryan". According to Ariel Levy of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', ''Sleepless in Seattle'' established Ephron as a famous director. In 2013, co-executive producer Lynda Obst released a book named after the film, ''Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business'', which explores the decline of romantic comedies during the 2010s. Obst remarked that ''Sleepless in Seattle'''s nearly $300 million gross is hardly considered a "smash" as of 2014, explaining, "Studios aren't happy unless it makes close to a billion dollars".
''Sleepless in Seattle'' is credited with introducing most Americans to
tiramisu
Tiramisu ( it, tiramisù , from , "pick me up" or "cheer me up") is a coffee-flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured w ...
, which had been a relatively obscure dessert before 1993. Rob Reiner's character Jay mentions "tiramisu" during a conversation with Sam about dating, which Sam mistakes a euphemism for a sexual act. Jay does not clarify that tiramisu is actually an Italian dessert. The conversation caused much interest in the dessert throughout America. According to Josie Delap of ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
,'' few Americans had been familiar with the dessert before ''Sleepless in Seattle'', despite America's high Italian population at the time. After the film's release, several viewers resorted to calling the studio directly to find out what tiramisu is, with TriStar executive Susan Levin reporting they were receiving 20–30 phone calls per day about the subject by the first Monday after the film's release. Levin claims several callers were either disappointed or refused to believe them when they explained that tiramisu is simply a dessert, although some were relieved by the revelation. Some restaurants and bakeries also reported an increase in tiramisu purchases and orders after the film. Tom Stockley of ''The Seattle Times'' observed that, by October 1993, "Virtually every Italian restaurant in the Seattle area features iramisu as do several non-Italian eateries. It may be Seattle's hottest dessert, just as it is elsewhere in the country". According to cookbook author
Dorie Greenspan
Dorie Greenspan (born October 24, 1947) is an American author of cookbooks. ''The New York Times'' called her a "culinary guru" in 2004.
Culinary career
Greenspan has won the James Beard Foundation Award five times, as well as the Internatio ...
, ''Sleepless in Seattle'' turned tiramisu from simply an Italian dessert into a phenomenon almost overnight, reporting that "Minutes after the movie opened, every morning TV show had some cook making tiramisu", while ''
The Free Press Journal
''The Free Press Journal'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper that was established in 1928 by Swaminathan Sadanand, who also acted as its first editor. First produced to complement a news agency, the Free Press of India, it was a s ...
'' said the film resulted in global fame for the desert. Olga Massov of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' said some tiramisu began to suffer in quality due to their popularity, reporting that several restaurants began taking shortcuts in order to keep up with the demand. In a 2014 interview with RogerEbert.com, Reiner dismissed tiramisu as overrated, insisting that he would never order it for himself.
''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'''s R. Eric Thomas found the film particularly topical in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, agreeing that ''Sleepless in Seattle'' "has become a journey into nostalgia" in the decades since the film's release. Thomas said, "who amongst us isn't rediscovering the telephone during this time, when even small distances seem yawning? Or the simple pleasure of a mailed letter? (Thank you to all the Post Office employees!) After a grueling three years during which the dark underbelly of nostalgia was used to prop up the worst aspects of this country's history and present, it's particularly heartening to be reminded that sometimes, the hallmarks of the past can continue to help us."