You've Got Mail

You've Got Mail

Warner Bros.

December 13, 1998

Romcom
DVD
C

I saw this at the time, a time when I saw a lot of romcoms.  It offended me as a lifelong book-person.  Still, when it came along alphabetically in this project, I wondered what I would think of it now, a quarter century later, especially since I softened on Meg Ryan after watching When Harry Met Sally... a few months ago.

And, well, there are times when it's deliciously dated, from its concept to its OMG cast.  The soundtrack is generally solid, typically for Nora Ephron (who directed, and co-wrote with sister Delia).  New York City looks pretty and ridiculously clean.  But this movie still offends me as a book-person, because nothing about the bookstores is or ever was realistic.  (Don't get me started on its misunderstanding of Pride and Prejudice!) And of course there's the whole Tom Hanks amiably gaslighting poor Meg thing.  Still, I watched it to the end (again) and can't go below a C.

(And, yes, I've seen The Shop Around the Corner, which is over-rated but less offensive, if I recall correctly.)

Damn Yankees

Damn Yankees
Warner Bros.
September 26, 1958
Musical, Fantasy, Sports Comedy
DVD
C

I actually tried to watch this movie a couple years ago, after hearing about it for decades, but it didn't capture my interest.  I did decide to give it a quarter-hour this time, to at least see how uninterested I was.  So, yeah, a C, "almost interested."

George Abbott, who adapted the play he co-wrote with Douglass Wallop, who wrote the book this is based on, co-directed with Stanley Donen.  And, yes, 35-year-old Jean Stapleton already seems middle-aged a dozen years before All in the Family.