Entertainment

Remember The 'When Harry Met Sally' NYE Scene?

by Rachel Simon

Ask me what my all-time favorite movie is, and I'll tell you it's The Shawshank Redemption, followed closely by Good Will Hunting. Ask me again, and I'll blurt out "it's When Harry Met Sally, ok?!" before running shamefully into a corner and muttering "and Dirty Dancing, and Titanic, and any Nancy Meyers movie ever" under my breath. As much as I truly do appreciate harrowing tales of survival and bravery, my love for a good romance outweighs all. And Nora Ephron's 1989 classic, When Harry Met Sally, sits at the very top of my must-see list. The film has everything: romance, yes, but also great dialogue, sweet friendships, and a few iconic holiday-centric scenes that I could watch a million times over. When Harry Met Sally 's New Year's Eve-set scenes are some of the best film has to offer, and I, for one, am embarrassed that I ever feel shameful admitting just how much I love them.

Both New Year's scenes in the movie — the one where Harry and Sally dance and realize they might have feelings for each other, and the one near the end, when Harry professes his love — are great, but it's the final one that sticks out in everyone's minds. It's the scene that brings Harry and Sally together once and for all, and it includes the most romantic speech ever said in film, IMO — seriously, does it get better than, "And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Years Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of the life to start as soon as possible?" I think not.

And, when I re-watched the New Year's Eve scene recently, I noticed plenty of things about it that I hadn't spotted the first time around. Some registered as flaws (really, Harry? A sweatshirt?!) while others hit me with their sweetness (that speech gets better and better, every time), and overall, I was pretty shocked at how much I hadn't really thought about during other viewings. Such as:

1. Sally Is Looking Fine

That dress is amazing. And that hair! Total '80s perfection.

2. But Harry Totally Ignores The Dress Code

Look, I get he wasn't planning on going out, but couldn't he have at least put on a nicer shirt before he left the house? This is clearly a fancy party.

3. And Probably The Guest List, Too

A party this nice would definitely have had a guest list, but Harry ignores it completely. Come on, dude.

4. Sally Has Amazing "I Don't Have Time For Your Nonsense" Face

Just watch that transformation. It's a work of art.

5. There Are Way Too Many Couples

Is this party date-only? There are so many couples here! No wonder Sally looks miserable — this is clearly not a gathering where singletons are welcome.

6. Harry Has Terrible Delivery

It's sweet and all that he tells Sally he loves her, but "I've been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you" isn't exactly the most romantic way of spilling his heart.

7. The Extras Must've Had A Really Great Time

It's hard to focus on Sally's response to Harry's "I love you" when the extras dancing behind her are whispering random words to each other and swaying to the wrong music.

8. Harry's Epic Speech Is Still Totally Epic

Those lines get me every time.

9. But It Sounds Very Rehearsed

No one just has "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out" at the tip of their tongue. Did Harry, like, practice this in a mirror before he left for the party?

10. And Some Of Those Examples Are Just Not Charming

I'm glad Harry and Sally have each other, because no one else would ever find someone taking an hour and a half to order a meal "cute."

11. Sally Has Great Cry Face

There's no Kim Kardashian situation here — Sally's makeup stays perfect, even when she tears up telling Harry that it's "impossible for me to hate you."

12. What Does Sally Mouth To Harry?!

Maybe it's just me who doesn't know this because I suck at reading lips, but I can't figure out if Sally mouths "I hate you" or "I love you" or just some nonsensical word combination that we're not supposed to understand. Bueller?

13. Harry Has Terrible Timing

Dude, you just made out with the woman you're in love with, and the two of you are having a very nice moment. Now is not the time to start mouth-Googling questions like "what does this song mean?"

14. Sally Is Clearly Regretting Her Decision

Just look at her face as she listens to Harry ramble about song lyrics. That's some serious "oh God, what did I just agree to?" reaction going on.

15. Harry Looks Like An Elf

I always thought this about Billy Crystal but never more so than in this particular moment. Those ears!

16. This Poor Guy Is Gonna Have A Lot Of Trouble Getting That Confetti Out Of His Hair

That's gonna take a lot of showers.

17. Sally Is The Only Blonde Person At This Party

At least according to this zoom-out shot.

This scene, guys. It may not be perfect, but it'll forever be my favorite part of When Harry Met Sally, and a New Year's Eve go-to every single year.

Images: Columbia (10); Giphy (8)