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* FunnyAnsweringMachine: In reverse. Harry fills up Sally's machine with profuse apologies.
--> *beep* "Hi, it's me! It is the holiday season and I thought I'd just remind you that this is the season for charity and forgiveness. And although it's not widely known, it is also [[AintTooProudToBeg the season of groveling]]. So if you felt like calling me back, I'd be more than happy to do the traditional Christmas grovel."
** And in the next scene:
-->"The fact that you're not answering leads me to believe you're either [[ForInconveniencePressOne (a) not at home, (b) home but don't want to talk to me]], or [[BreadEggsMilkSquick (c) home, desperately want to talk to me, but trapped under something heavy]]. If it's either (a) or (c), please call me back."
--> *beep* "Hi, it's me! It is the holiday season and I thought I'd just remind you that this is the season for charity and forgiveness. And although it's not widely known, it is also [[AintTooProudToBeg the season of groveling]]. So if you felt like calling me back, I'd be more than happy to do the traditional Christmas grovel."
** And in the next scene:
-->"The fact that you're not answering leads me to believe you're either [[ForInconveniencePressOne (a) not at home, (b) home but don't want to talk to me]], or [[BreadEggsMilkSquick (c) home, desperately want to talk to me, but trapped under something heavy]]. If it's either (a) or (c), please call me back."
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* RuleOfSymbolism: After the falling-out with Harry, we see Sally stumbling around town with a Christmas tree she can't manage. It's tough to go it alone.
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** Jess and Marie being woken up by a pair of desperate phone calls.
--->'''Jess:''' ''(to Marie)'' No one '''I''' know would call at this hour.\\
''(Harry calls, Jess picks up)''\\
'''Jess:''' NO ONE I KNOW WOULD CALL AT THIS HOUR!
--->'''Jess:''' ''(to Marie)'' No one '''I''' know would call at this hour.\\
''(Harry calls, Jess picks up)''\\
'''Jess:''' NO ONE I KNOW WOULD CALL AT THIS HOUR!
Changed line(s) 77 (click to see context) from:
* {{Joisey}}: In the doomed date with Maries, Harry reveals his birthplace: [[{{Film/Haddonfield}} Haddonfield]].
to:
* {{Joisey}}: In the doomed date with Maries, Harry reveals his birthplace: [[{{Film/Haddonfield}} [[{{Film/Halloween}} Haddonfield]].
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Changed line(s) 117 (click to see context) from:
* ThousandYardStare: Post-coital Harry in Sally's bed. Harry looks like he's just seem 'Nam.
to:
* ThousandYardStare: Post-coital Harry in Sally's bed. Harry looks like he's just seem seen 'Nam.
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Changed line(s) 117 (click to see context) from:
* ThousandYardStare: Post-coitus Harry in Sally's bed.
to:
* ThousandYardStare: Post-coitus Post-coital Harry in Sally's bed.bed. Harry looks like he's just seem 'Nam.
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Changed line(s) 110 (click to see context) from:
* SoundtrackDissonace: Harry mistakingly sing a song from ''{{Olklahoma}}'' in a department store, summoning his ex-wife and her boyfriend over. "Surry With a Fringe on Top" continues to blare over the awkward silence.
to:
* SoundtrackDissonace: SoundtrackDissonance: Harry mistakingly sing a song from ''{{Olklahoma}}'' ''{{Theatre/Oklahoma}}'' in a department store, summoning his ex-wife and her boyfriend over. "Surry With a Fringe on Top" continues to blare over the awkward silence.
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* ChekhovsGun: Harry roping Sally into singing a show tune duet. He apparently bought the karaoke machine, because he uses it to serenade Sally in apology later.
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** Jess and Marie promising not to ditch their dates... and then diving headfirst into the nearest cab.
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* {{Joisey}}: In the doomed date with Maries, Harry reveals his birthplace: [[{{Film/Haddonfield}} Haddonfield]].
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* SkunkStripe: The Asian gentleman's wife has this hairstyle.
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* SoundtrackDissonace: Harry mistakingly sing a song from ''{{Olklahoma}}'' in a department store, summoning his ex-wife and her boyfriend over. "Surry With a Fringe on Top" continues to blare over the awkward silence.
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* TheQuietOne: "I'm Ben Small, [[IAmXSonOfY of the Coney Island Smalls]]."
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* AdventurerOutfit: Battery-operated pith helmet. [[AndADietCoke With fan!]]
-->'''Sally:''' [wearing hat] [[IncrediblyLameFun Why is this necessary in life]]?\\
'''Harry:''' [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Also makes great fries.]]
-->'''Sally:''' [wearing hat] [[IncrediblyLameFun Why is this necessary in life]]?\\
'''Harry:''' [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Also makes great fries.]]
Deleted line(s) 83,85 (click to see context) :
* NiceHat: Battery-operated [[AdventurerOutfit pith helmet]]. With fan!
-->'''Sally:''' [wearing hat] [[IncrediblyLameFun Why is this necessary in life]]?\\
'''Harry:''' [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Also makes great fries.]]
-->'''Sally:''' [wearing hat] [[IncrediblyLameFun Why is this necessary in life]]?\\
'''Harry:''' [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Also makes great fries.]]
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Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* EyeTake: During a montage, there is a quick scene of a Chinese restaurant. Sally gesticulates wildly as she's describing her order, and the waiter shares one of these with Harry.
to:
* EyeTake: During a montage, there is a quick scene of a Chinese restaurant. Sally gesticulates wildly as she's describing her order, and the waiter shares one of these with Harry.
Changed line(s) 58 (click to see context) from:
** Later, e makes the mistake of cracking wise about Ethiopian food in front of his date. "We order two empty plates, and then we can leave."
to:
** Later, e he [[DudeNotFunny makes the mistake mistake]] of cracking wise about Ethiopian food in front of his date. "We order two empty plates, and then we can leave."
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* EyeTake: During a montage, there is a quick scene of a Chinese restaurant. Sally gesticulates wildly as she's describing her order, and the waiter shares one of these with Harry.
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* GallowsHumor: Harry peruses the obituary section when hunting for apartments.
-->"Mr. Kline died yesterday, leaving behind a wife, two children, and [[TheTriple a spacious three bedroom apartment with a wood burning fireplace]]."
** Later, e makes the mistake of cracking wise about Ethiopian food in front of his date. "We order two empty plates, and then we can leave."
-->"Mr. Kline died yesterday, leaving behind a wife, two children, and [[TheTriple a spacious three bedroom apartment with a wood burning fireplace]]."
** Later, e makes the mistake of cracking wise about Ethiopian food in front of his date. "We order two empty plates, and then we can leave."
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* TongueTwister: But I would be proud to partake in your pecan pie.
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Changed line(s) 91 (click to see context) from:
* RealMenHateAffection: Harry confides to Jess about his divoce in the least-intimate setting possible: a football game. The [[EmpathicEnvironment crowd roars each time]] Harry shares a new revelation.
to:
* RealMenHateAffection: Harry confides to Jess confiding about his divoce divorce in the least-intimate setting possible: a football game. game. The [[EmpathicEnvironment crowd roars each time]] Harry shares a new revelation.
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Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* FateDrivesUsTogether: Not just the title couple, but one of the old couples. Couple #4 is an inversion; they were born in the same building, worked in the same office, and never met once (until a fateful elevator ride).
to:
* FateDrivesUsTogether: "Someone is staring at you in Personal Growth."
** Not just the title couple, but one of the oldcouples. couples.
** Couple #4 is an inversion; they were born in the same building, worked in the same office, and never met once (until a fateful elevator ride).
** Not just the title couple, but one of the old
** Couple #4 is an inversion; they were born in the same building, worked in the same office, and never met once (until a fateful elevator ride).
Changed line(s) 48,49 (click to see context) from:
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Helen opting to keep her surname.
** Plenty of happily-married women keep their surname!
** Plenty of happily-married women keep their surname!
to:
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Helen opting to keep her surname.
** Plentysurname. (It should be noted that plenty of happily-married women keep their surname!surname, but it's definitely meant to be ominous here.)
** Plenty
* MostWritersAreWriters: When Harry reveals that his wife's been cheating, Jess all but breaks the fourth wall. "I'm a writer, I ''know'' dialogue, and that was ''particularly'' harsh!"
Changed line(s) 89 (click to see context) from:
* RealMenHateAffection: Harry confides to Jess about his divorce in the least-intimate setting possible: a football game.
to:
* RealMenHateAffection: Harry confides to Jess about his divorce divoce in the least-intimate setting possible: a football game. game. The [[EmpathicEnvironment crowd roars each time]] Harry shares a new revelation.
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Changed line(s) 58 (click to see context) from:
* HypocrticialHumor: Sally can't recall the name of her roommate in college. A scene later, she shames harry for forgetting her name, too.
to:
* HypocrticialHumor: HypocriticalHumor: Sally can't recall the name of her roommate in college. A scene later, she shames harry for forgetting her name, too.
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* HypocrticialHumor: Sally can't recall the name of her roommate in college. A scene later, she shames harry for forgetting her name, too.
-->'''Harry:''' Riiiight, I remember her, Amanda Rice--\\
'''Sally:''' Reese.\\
'''Harry:''' --Amanda Reese, that's what I said. ''(changes subject)''
-->'''Harry:''' Riiiight, I remember her, Amanda Rice--\\
'''Sally:''' Reese.\\
'''Harry:''' --Amanda Reese, that's what I said. ''(changes subject)''
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* MeaningfulName: Sally [[ThePollyanna Albright]], Harry ''Burns.''
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Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* FateDrivesUsTogether
to:
* FateDrivesUsTogetherFateDrivesUsTogether: Not just the title couple, but one of the old couples. Couple #4 is an inversion; they were born in the same building, worked in the same office, and never met once (until a fateful elevator ride).
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** Husband #3 cannot keep track of his past conquests when relating his story. [[DeadpanSnarker His wife does, though]].
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Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
* BadNewsInAGoodWay: Helen suggesting a 'trial separation'. They can still date! ("Like ''this'' is supposed to cushion the blow.")
to:
* BadNewsInAGoodWay: Helen suggesting Helen, true to her profession, suggests a 'trial separation'. separation' from Harry. They can still date! date each other. ("Like ''this'' is supposed to cushion the blow.")
Changed line(s) 93 (click to see context) from:
* SplitScreenPhoneCall
to:
* SplitScreenPhoneCallSplitScreenPhoneCall: Over the closing credits of ''Casablanca''. "[[ItsTheBestWhateverEver Best last line of a movie ever]]!"
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Hair Of Gold has been renamed to Hair Of Gold Heart Of Gold as per this thread
due to being miused for any character with blonde hair regardless if they fit the personality traits required (innocent, pure of heart, good, beautiful, young) . Zero Context Examples, shoehorns, and examples with insufficient context will be removed
due to being miused for any character with blonde hair regardless if they fit the personality traits required (innocent, pure of heart, good, beautiful, young) . Zero Context Examples, shoehorns, and examples with insufficient context will be removedDeleted line(s) 57 (click to see context) :
* HairOfGold: Sally
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Chainsawing IGW wicks.
Deleted line(s) 64 (click to see context) :
* ItGotWorse: Harry recounting the events leading up to Helen dumping him.
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** And Sally's habit of ordering belongs to Nora Ephron.
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* BeardOfSorrow: Harry has had a few week's growth by the time of his divorce.
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* BeardOfSorrow: Harry has had a few week's weeks' growth by the time of his divorce.
Changed line(s) 43 (click to see context) from:
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Most notably mentioned in the post-sex phone call scene
to:
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Most notably mentioned in the post-sex phone call scenescene.
** Plenty of happily-married women keep their surname!
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* GirlOfTheWeek: The other people Harry and Sally briefly date (Julian, "Aunt" Emily in particular)
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* GirlOfTheWeek: The other people Harry and Sally briefly date (Julian, (Julian; "Aunt" Emily in particular)
Changed line(s) 62 (click to see context) from:
* InsistentTerminology: The official title of the film is ''When Harry Met Sally...'', including the ellipsis.
to:
* InsistentTerminology: The official title of the film is ''When Harry Met Sally...'', including the ellipsis.ellipses.
Changed line(s) 66 (click to see context) from:
* LoveEpiphany / RaceForYourLove: Harry's sprinting through the streets on New Year's Eve.
to:
* LoveEpiphany / RaceForYourLove: Harry's sprinting running through the streets on New Year's Eve.
Changed line(s) 82 (click to see context) from:
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The movie was based on Director Rob Reiner's own dating experiences and frustrations (he was recovering from a divorce just as Harry was), and as he was single at the time, originally Harry would not get with Sally at the end. The decision of the happier ending where they get together apparently was a result of Reiner meeting and eventually marrying a woman during the film's production.
to:
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The movie was based on Director Rob Reiner's own dating experiences and frustrations (he was recovering from a divorce just as Harry was), and and, as he was single at the time, originally Harry would not get with Sally at the end. The decision of the happier ending where they get together apparently was a result of Reiner meeting and eventually marrying a woman during the film's production.
Changed line(s) 84 (click to see context) from:
* RecurringRiff: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Had_to_Be_You_%28song%29 "It Had To Be You"]] pops up all over the place-- it's practically [[{{Leitmotif}} the theme song]] for Harry and Sally's relationship.
to:
* RecurringRiff: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Had_to_Be_You_%28song%29 "It Had To Be You"]] pops up all over the place-- place -- it's practically [[{{Leitmotif}} the theme song]] for Harry and Sally's relationship.
Changed line(s) 88 (click to see context) from:
--->"Does that mean we that should ''forget'' old acquaintances or does it mean that if we ''should happen'' to forget them, we should remember them? --which is impossible because we ''already forgot them''!"
to:
--->"Does that mean we that should ''forget'' old acquaintances or does it mean that if we ''should happen'' to forget them, we should remember them? --which -- which is impossible because we ''already forgot them''!"
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Changed line(s) 4,5 (click to see context) from:
->''I'll have what she'd having.''
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->''I'll have what she'd she's having.''
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--->"Does that mean we that should ''forget'' old acquaintances or does it mean that if we ''should happen'' to forget them, we should remember them? --which is impossible because we ''already forgot them''!"
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Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* ChekhovsLecutre: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
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* ChekhovsLecutre: ChekhovsLecture: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
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Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* ChekhovsGun: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
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* ChekhovsGun: ChekhovsLecutre: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
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Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* BrickJoke: In the 70s, Harry scoffs at the notion that Sally could ever have "great sex" with a guy name Sheldon. Guess [[GoMadFromTheRevelation who his wife leaves him for]]? [[spoiler:Ira.]]
to:
* BrickJoke: In the 70s, Harry scoffs at the notion that Sally could ever have "great sex" with a guy name named Sheldon. Guess [[GoMadFromTheRevelation who his wife leaves him for]]? [[spoiler:Ira.]]
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Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* ChekhovsLecture: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
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* ChekhovsLecture: ChekhovsGun: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
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[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/when_harry_met_sally_5662.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:298:The poster so nice, [[SleeplessInSeattle they used it twice]].]]
[[DeadpanSnarker Harry Burns]] and [[WideEyedIdealist Sally Albright]] first meet when they ride from college to NewYorkCity. He's seeing her friend Amanda and comes on to her; she turns him down and says they can be friends. He points out that if you're a guy, you will always be attracted to the female friend and want to sleep with her, thus they decide not to be friends. They revisit the question five years later when they are both taken and run into each other in an airport, once again resolving that no, they cannot.
Five years later, both of them re-meet after having been dumped by their SO's, and become friends. While resolving to [[JustFriends just be friends]]...well for most of the movie they ''succeed'' in this. Their relationship has little sexual tension, and is punctuated by extended conversations where they discuss love, friendship, scatalogical humor, and {{Casablanca}}. The {{Aesop}} seems to be that people really [[ThePowerOfFriendship need friendships]]- the nonsexual comfort zone Harry and Sally establish with each other is what allows them to move on from their failed relationships. To each other, in case you haven't [[ForegoneConclusion figured that out yet]].
In terms of the RomanticComedy genre, this movie's main contribution was its popularization of ContemplateOurNavels as a form of CharacterDevelopment and emotional connection- Harry and Sally are defined almost entirely by their interactions with each other. What external factors do exist they usually discuss with each other directly and personally.
Viewers familiar with the modern RomCom may be caught off-guard, as this movie lacks the HighConcept and HotterAndSexier tropes the genre is famous for. There's almost no sex or even provocative clothing. There's vastly more scenes of people in bed, alone, wearing pajamas and talking on the phone than getting their sex on. The "R" rating was likely due to the famed restaurant scene.
Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner recently appeared in a [[RealTrailerFakeMovie spoof trailer]] on [=FunnyOrDie=].com for ''[[http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0247468f28/when-harry-met-sally-2-with-billy-crystal-helen-mirren When Harry Met Sally 2]]'', where ExecutiveMeddling has turned a continuation of the original film into a shameless cashing in on the vampire craze.
----
!!I'd like some Trope on the side:
* SeventiesHair: Sally is sporting Farrah Hair in college.
* AlliterativeName: Harry's ex, Helen Hillson.
* AnalogyBackfire: Harry articulating why enough time has passed that he can ignore having sex with Sally that one time. Also a hint that he's sliding back into his old, insufferable self.
-->'''Harry''': You know how a year to a person is like seven years to a dog?
-->'''Sally''' [{{beat}}] Is one of us supposed to be a '''dog''' in this scenario?
* ArmorPiercingSlap: Sally cracks her hand on Harry's face at Jess and Marie's wedding. Ooph.
* ArcWords: "Men and women can never be friends."
* BackhandedApology: A famous one delivered by Harry at the end.
* BackhandedCompliment: Lampshaded by Sally when Harry compliments her on being less "uptight" than she used to be.
-->'''Harry:''' Alright, you're ''still'' as tough as nails.
* BadDate: Harry and Sally spend a good deal of time talking about these. Mostly played for comedy, but can get dramatic, too.
* BadNewsInAGoodWay: Helen suggesting a 'trial separation'. They can still date! ("Like ''this'' is supposed to cushion the blow.")
* BeardOfSorrow: Harry has had a few week's growth by the time of his divorce.
* BigApplesauce
* BlindDate
* BriarPatching: Harry is the undisputed master.
* BrickJoke: In the 70s, Harry scoffs at the notion that Sally could ever have "great sex" with a guy name Sheldon. Guess [[GoMadFromTheRevelation who his wife leaves him for]]? [[spoiler:Ira.]]
* CaliforniaDoubling: They drive off the University of Chicago campus on the south side to New York.... via a picturesque segment of Lake Shore Drive headed toward the south side [Did they have to visit a friend at Northwestern, Depaul or Loyola first?]
* {{Catchphrase}}: You're right. You're right. I know you're right."
* ChekhovsLecture: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
* ChildHater: Harry getting into a spat with a kid at the ballfield.
-->'''Kid:''' (Big jerk.)\\
'''Harry:''' (Little creep.)
* DangerTakesABackSeat: PlayedForLaughs on the plane, when Sally fails to escape Harry's facial recognition.
* DuckSeasonRabbitSeason: Arguments with Harry usually devolve into this.
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Most notably mentioned in the post-sex phone call scene
* FateDrivesUsTogether
* FauxDocumentary: The interviews with elderly married couples that are sprinkled throughout the movie. The stories were based on real-life couples, but portrayed by actors.
* FinishingEachOthersSentences: Couple #3 engage in this.
* FollowTheLeader: ''When Harry Met Sally'' shares more than a few similarities with ''Film/AnnieHall'' and ''Manhattan''.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Helen opting to keep her surname.
** Also, Harry's confession that his dates always end with him desperate to yank on his clothes and flee out the door.
* ForInconveniencePressOne: Harry parodies this in one of his apologetic voicemails.
* FreakOut: Harry has a meltdown after bumping into his ex and her new boyfriend at The Sharper Image. Sally seems to be showing more maturity than he -- that is, until she hears about Joe's engagement.
* TheFreelanceShameSquad: "It just so happens that I have had '''plenty of good sex!'''" [cricket chirp]
* TheGhost: Mr. Zero.
* GilliganCut: "If she wants to call me, she'll call me. I'm ''through'' making a schmuck out of myself!" [cut to Harry singing karaoke to Sally over the phone]
* GirlOfTheWeek: The other people Harry and Sally briefly date (Julian, "Aunt" Emily in particular)
* HairOfGold: Sally
* HelloAttorney: Helen.
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: Ironically, it proves Harry's point that sex ruins friendships. Not that Harry feels very victorious about it.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: Sally fakes one in the middle of a crowded deli to prove a point to Harry.
** Some consider this [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame all there is to know about When Harry Met Sally]].
* InelegantBlubbering: Sally hearing the news of her ex's wedding engagement.
* InsistentTerminology: The official title of the film is ''When Harry Met Sally...'', including the ellipsis.
* ItGotWorse: Harry recounting the events leading up to Helen dumping him.
* KavorkaMan: Harry must be a walking petri dish of venereal disease by this point. (Sally lampshades)
* LostLoveMontage: Harry flashes back to his times with Sally on New Year's Eve. The montage is ''so'' powerful, it drives him to sprint across the city to reunite with her.
* LoveEpiphany / RaceForYourLove: Harry's sprinting through the streets on New Year's Eve.
* MarsAndVenusGenderContrast: Played with, but mostly played straight.
* TheMatchmaker: Jess and Marie.
** MatchmakerCrush: Harry and Sally set each other up with their best same-gender friends. [[BetaCouple Marie and Jess]] hit it off with ''each other'' instead.
* MayDecemberRomance: Harry's rebound girlfriend. Lampshaded, characteristically, by Harry himself.
* ModestyBedsheet: Sally and Harry sport the classic "L"-shaped bedsheet.
* NiceHat: Battery-operated [[AdventurerOutfit pith helmet]]. With fan!
-->'''Sally:''' [wearing hat] [[IncrediblyLameFun Why is this necessary in life]]?\\
'''Harry:''' [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Also makes great fries.]]
* NietzscheWannabe: Harry, especially as a young man.
* NotStayingForBreakfast: Harry's MO.
-->'''Sally:''' You know, I'm so glad I never got involved with you. I just would have ended up being some woman you had to get up out of bed and leave at 3:00 in the morning and go [[IHaveToGoIronMyDog clean your andirons]]...
* OppositesAttract: Sally is perpetually perky, Harry is death-obsessed.
** UptightLovesWild: A rare [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of this trope. Sally starts the film as a chaste Christian, while Harry is a greasy bohemian.
* OralFixationFixation: Harry and his grape seeds. [*ptooey*]
* PrecisionFStrike: It's truly startling when Sally drops an F-bomb.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The movie was based on Director Rob Reiner's own dating experiences and frustrations (he was recovering from a divorce just as Harry was), and as he was single at the time, originally Harry would not get with Sally at the end. The decision of the happier ending where they get together apparently was a result of Reiner meeting and eventually marrying a woman during the film's production.
* RealMenHateAffection: Harry confides to Jess about his divorce in the least-intimate setting possible: a football game.
* RecurringRiff: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Had_to_Be_You_%28song%29 "It Had To Be You"]] pops up all over the place-- it's practically [[{{Leitmotif}} the theme song]] for Harry and Sally's relationship.
* SecondLove
* SeinfeldianConversation: Arguing over whether Ingrid Bergman should have stayed with Bogart in ''{{Casablanca}}''.
** At the very end, Harry questions the message of "Auld Lang Syne".
* SeriousBusiness: Jess gets very competitive when playing Charades.
* SexChangesEverything
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan
* SlapSlapKiss: ..And back to Slap, again.
* SplitScreenPhoneCall
* StepfordSmiler: Throughout the film, Sally claims to be totally over her commitment-phobic boyfriend. That is, until he promptly proposes to somebody else. Cue [[InelegantBlubbering explosion]].
* StunnedSilence: After their first meal together, Harry stares at Sally like she's from Mars.
* ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld: High-maintenance women, and low maintenance women.
-->'''Sally:''' ...And Ingrid Bergman is ''low'' maintenance?\\
'''Harry:''' An [[FunWithAcronyms L.M]]. Definitely
* ThousandYardStare: Post-coitus Harry in Sally's bed.
* ThrowItIn: Harry's weird accent in the museum. Meg Ryan's reaction is real; you can see her glance offscreen at Rob Reiner.
* ToiletSeatDivorce: The wagon wheel coffee table. From '''Hell'''.
** Inverted, with Harry transferring his own pent-up rage toward his ex on Jess and Marie.
** Not one to take chances, though, Jess [[AvertedTrope bins the table]].
** Sally's boyfriend in college broke up with her because she wore panties embroidered with the days of the week. And "Sunday" was missing. [[CrazyJealousGuy J'accuse!]]
* UnsatisfiableCustomer: Sally is the Berlin Wall of gourmets. Everything needs to be separate.
-->'''Harry:''' "On the side" is a very big thing with you.
* WeddingDay: Marie and Jess's, where Harry and Sally have a post-sex fight.
* WhyCantIHateYou: Sally's response to Harry's LoveConfession at the end.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Harry's a bit too quick in agreeing with Sally that it was a mistake to have sex with her.
* YourCheatingHeart: Marie has a long-term affair with the married Arthur. Sally continually reminds her that Arthur is never going to leave his wife; Marie always admits to it, but a few scenes later, she's discussing him yet again...
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[[caption-width-right:298:The poster so nice, [[SleeplessInSeattle they used it twice]].]]
[[DeadpanSnarker Harry Burns]] and [[WideEyedIdealist Sally Albright]] first meet when they ride from college to NewYorkCity. He's seeing her friend Amanda and comes on to her; she turns him down and says they can be friends. He points out that if you're a guy, you will always be attracted to the female friend and want to sleep with her, thus they decide not to be friends. They revisit the question five years later when they are both taken and run into each other in an airport, once again resolving that no, they cannot.
Five years later, both of them re-meet after having been dumped by their SO's, and become friends. While resolving to [[JustFriends just be friends]]...well for most of the movie they ''succeed'' in this. Their relationship has little sexual tension, and is punctuated by extended conversations where they discuss love, friendship, scatalogical humor, and {{Casablanca}}. The {{Aesop}} seems to be that people really [[ThePowerOfFriendship need friendships]]- the nonsexual comfort zone Harry and Sally establish with each other is what allows them to move on from their failed relationships. To each other, in case you haven't [[ForegoneConclusion figured that out yet]].
In terms of the RomanticComedy genre, this movie's main contribution was its popularization of ContemplateOurNavels as a form of CharacterDevelopment and emotional connection- Harry and Sally are defined almost entirely by their interactions with each other. What external factors do exist they usually discuss with each other directly and personally.
Viewers familiar with the modern RomCom may be caught off-guard, as this movie lacks the HighConcept and HotterAndSexier tropes the genre is famous for. There's almost no sex or even provocative clothing. There's vastly more scenes of people in bed, alone, wearing pajamas and talking on the phone than getting their sex on. The "R" rating was likely due to the famed restaurant scene.
Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner recently appeared in a [[RealTrailerFakeMovie spoof trailer]] on [=FunnyOrDie=].com for ''[[http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0247468f28/when-harry-met-sally-2-with-billy-crystal-helen-mirren When Harry Met Sally 2]]'', where ExecutiveMeddling has turned a continuation of the original film into a shameless cashing in on the vampire craze.
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!!I'd like some Trope on the side:
* SeventiesHair: Sally is sporting Farrah Hair in college.
* AlliterativeName: Harry's ex, Helen Hillson.
* AnalogyBackfire: Harry articulating why enough time has passed that he can ignore having sex with Sally that one time. Also a hint that he's sliding back into his old, insufferable self.
-->'''Harry''': You know how a year to a person is like seven years to a dog?
-->'''Sally''' [{{beat}}] Is one of us supposed to be a '''dog''' in this scenario?
* ArmorPiercingSlap: Sally cracks her hand on Harry's face at Jess and Marie's wedding. Ooph.
* ArcWords: "Men and women can never be friends."
* BackhandedApology: A famous one delivered by Harry at the end.
* BackhandedCompliment: Lampshaded by Sally when Harry compliments her on being less "uptight" than she used to be.
-->'''Harry:''' Alright, you're ''still'' as tough as nails.
* BadDate: Harry and Sally spend a good deal of time talking about these. Mostly played for comedy, but can get dramatic, too.
* BadNewsInAGoodWay: Helen suggesting a 'trial separation'. They can still date! ("Like ''this'' is supposed to cushion the blow.")
* BeardOfSorrow: Harry has had a few week's growth by the time of his divorce.
* BigApplesauce
* BlindDate
* BriarPatching: Harry is the undisputed master.
* BrickJoke: In the 70s, Harry scoffs at the notion that Sally could ever have "great sex" with a guy name Sheldon. Guess [[GoMadFromTheRevelation who his wife leaves him for]]? [[spoiler:Ira.]]
* CaliforniaDoubling: They drive off the University of Chicago campus on the south side to New York.... via a picturesque segment of Lake Shore Drive headed toward the south side [Did they have to visit a friend at Northwestern, Depaul or Loyola first?]
* {{Catchphrase}}: You're right. You're right. I know you're right."
* ChekhovsLecture: Harry's hypothesis on why men and women can't be platonic.
* ChildHater: Harry getting into a spat with a kid at the ballfield.
-->'''Kid:''' (Big jerk.)\\
'''Harry:''' (Little creep.)
* DangerTakesABackSeat: PlayedForLaughs on the plane, when Sally fails to escape Harry's facial recognition.
* DuckSeasonRabbitSeason: Arguments with Harry usually devolve into this.
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Most notably mentioned in the post-sex phone call scene
* FateDrivesUsTogether
* FauxDocumentary: The interviews with elderly married couples that are sprinkled throughout the movie. The stories were based on real-life couples, but portrayed by actors.
* FinishingEachOthersSentences: Couple #3 engage in this.
* FollowTheLeader: ''When Harry Met Sally'' shares more than a few similarities with ''Film/AnnieHall'' and ''Manhattan''.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Helen opting to keep her surname.
** Also, Harry's confession that his dates always end with him desperate to yank on his clothes and flee out the door.
* ForInconveniencePressOne: Harry parodies this in one of his apologetic voicemails.
* FreakOut: Harry has a meltdown after bumping into his ex and her new boyfriend at The Sharper Image. Sally seems to be showing more maturity than he -- that is, until she hears about Joe's engagement.
* TheFreelanceShameSquad: "It just so happens that I have had '''plenty of good sex!'''" [cricket chirp]
* TheGhost: Mr. Zero.
* GilliganCut: "If she wants to call me, she'll call me. I'm ''through'' making a schmuck out of myself!" [cut to Harry singing karaoke to Sally over the phone]
* GirlOfTheWeek: The other people Harry and Sally briefly date (Julian, "Aunt" Emily in particular)
* HairOfGold: Sally
* HelloAttorney: Helen.
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: Ironically, it proves Harry's point that sex ruins friendships. Not that Harry feels very victorious about it.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: Sally fakes one in the middle of a crowded deli to prove a point to Harry.
** Some consider this [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame all there is to know about When Harry Met Sally]].
* InelegantBlubbering: Sally hearing the news of her ex's wedding engagement.
* InsistentTerminology: The official title of the film is ''When Harry Met Sally...'', including the ellipsis.
* ItGotWorse: Harry recounting the events leading up to Helen dumping him.
* KavorkaMan: Harry must be a walking petri dish of venereal disease by this point. (Sally lampshades)
* LostLoveMontage: Harry flashes back to his times with Sally on New Year's Eve. The montage is ''so'' powerful, it drives him to sprint across the city to reunite with her.
* LoveEpiphany / RaceForYourLove: Harry's sprinting through the streets on New Year's Eve.
* MarsAndVenusGenderContrast: Played with, but mostly played straight.
* TheMatchmaker: Jess and Marie.
** MatchmakerCrush: Harry and Sally set each other up with their best same-gender friends. [[BetaCouple Marie and Jess]] hit it off with ''each other'' instead.
* MayDecemberRomance: Harry's rebound girlfriend. Lampshaded, characteristically, by Harry himself.
* ModestyBedsheet: Sally and Harry sport the classic "L"-shaped bedsheet.
* NiceHat: Battery-operated [[AdventurerOutfit pith helmet]]. With fan!
-->'''Sally:''' [wearing hat] [[IncrediblyLameFun Why is this necessary in life]]?\\
'''Harry:''' [[SlicesDicesAndMakesJulienneFries Also makes great fries.]]
* NietzscheWannabe: Harry, especially as a young man.
* NotStayingForBreakfast: Harry's MO.
-->'''Sally:''' You know, I'm so glad I never got involved with you. I just would have ended up being some woman you had to get up out of bed and leave at 3:00 in the morning and go [[IHaveToGoIronMyDog clean your andirons]]...
* OppositesAttract: Sally is perpetually perky, Harry is death-obsessed.
** UptightLovesWild: A rare [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of this trope. Sally starts the film as a chaste Christian, while Harry is a greasy bohemian.
* OralFixationFixation: Harry and his grape seeds. [*ptooey*]
* PrecisionFStrike: It's truly startling when Sally drops an F-bomb.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The movie was based on Director Rob Reiner's own dating experiences and frustrations (he was recovering from a divorce just as Harry was), and as he was single at the time, originally Harry would not get with Sally at the end. The decision of the happier ending where they get together apparently was a result of Reiner meeting and eventually marrying a woman during the film's production.
* RealMenHateAffection: Harry confides to Jess about his divorce in the least-intimate setting possible: a football game.
* RecurringRiff: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Had_to_Be_You_%28song%29 "It Had To Be You"]] pops up all over the place-- it's practically [[{{Leitmotif}} the theme song]] for Harry and Sally's relationship.
* SecondLove
* SeinfeldianConversation: Arguing over whether Ingrid Bergman should have stayed with Bogart in ''{{Casablanca}}''.
** At the very end, Harry questions the message of "Auld Lang Syne".
* SeriousBusiness: Jess gets very competitive when playing Charades.
* SexChangesEverything
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan
* SlapSlapKiss: ..And back to Slap, again.
* SplitScreenPhoneCall
* StepfordSmiler: Throughout the film, Sally claims to be totally over her commitment-phobic boyfriend. That is, until he promptly proposes to somebody else. Cue [[InelegantBlubbering explosion]].
* StunnedSilence: After their first meal together, Harry stares at Sally like she's from Mars.
* ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld: High-maintenance women, and low maintenance women.
-->'''Sally:''' ...And Ingrid Bergman is ''low'' maintenance?\\
'''Harry:''' An [[FunWithAcronyms L.M]]. Definitely
* ThousandYardStare: Post-coitus Harry in Sally's bed.
* ThrowItIn: Harry's weird accent in the museum. Meg Ryan's reaction is real; you can see her glance offscreen at Rob Reiner.
* ToiletSeatDivorce: The wagon wheel coffee table. From '''Hell'''.
** Inverted, with Harry transferring his own pent-up rage toward his ex on Jess and Marie.
** Not one to take chances, though, Jess [[AvertedTrope bins the table]].
** Sally's boyfriend in college broke up with her because she wore panties embroidered with the days of the week. And "Sunday" was missing. [[CrazyJealousGuy J'accuse!]]
* UnsatisfiableCustomer: Sally is the Berlin Wall of gourmets. Everything needs to be separate.
-->'''Harry:''' "On the side" is a very big thing with you.
* WeddingDay: Marie and Jess's, where Harry and Sally have a post-sex fight.
* WhyCantIHateYou: Sally's response to Harry's LoveConfession at the end.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Harry's a bit too quick in agreeing with Sally that it was a mistake to have sex with her.
* YourCheatingHeart: Marie has a long-term affair with the married Arthur. Sally continually reminds her that Arthur is never going to leave his wife; Marie always admits to it, but a few scenes later, she's discussing him yet again...
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