Nora Ephron

Dear Erica,

Christmas routinely makes an appearance in every Nora Ephron movie, either as a major plot point or sometimes just to denote a passage in time. There are many reasons I love her movies. Her pointed sense of humor about the mundane is similar to mine. She is not afraid of schmaltz. And she makes an art out of romantic comedy. However, it is her affinity for twinkle lights and tinsel that puts her in the top echelon of writer/directors. Let's take a look!

When Harry Met Sally - All of the holidays are met to some degree, but Meg Ryan drags a Christmas tree down Madison Avenue so this counts as a Christmas movie. There is also a wonderful Christmas montage that follows the infamous line: "I'll have what she's having." Test audiences laughed so long and hard at this bit of dialogue that the Christmas montage kept being extended as not to interfere with the following scene. Score!

Sleepless in Seattle - Meg Ryan once again finds herself on Christmas eve, this time singing along to Jingle Bells with Gene Autry. "Horses, horses, horses, horses..." is repeatedly quoted this time of year. It's my favorite scene in the movie! There are also Christmas toasts galore and more than one hideous reindeer sweater.

You've Got Mail - Third in the Meg Ryan trilogy has less to do with Christmas. Fall and spring are far more predominant. Yet there is enough foggy breath and garland to classify this as a Christmas classic, even if her character is going through the worst moment of her life at the time. Since it's Meg Ryan we can pretty much guess everything will turn out in the end, so it doesn't really sour the holiday spirit.

Christmas appears, to a lesser extent, in all of her other movies. Then there is her epic ode to the holidays, Mixed Nuts, that is far too fantastic to be mixed in with these "almost Christmas" movies. Don't worry, there will be more on Mixed Nuts as December 25th gets closer. It's my favorite Christmas movie, after all, so I have to save it for when the decorations come out.

So to Nora, I thank you for understanding how Christmas makes every movie a better one. It's as if you have made them all just for me. Which you have, right?

Till next time,
Bradley