Nora Ephron and her Impact

Romantic comedies are often looked at as run of the mill and stereotypical when it comes to the portrayal of males and females. However, the films that Nora Ephron has written are memorable for the messages they leave behind and the opportunities they grant future female screenwriters such as Diablo Cody and Dana Fox.

Nora Ephron is well known for being the screenwriter of many films such as Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You've Got Mail. These three films all deal with both men and women interacting with each other and sometimes culminating in a relationship. What makes When Harry Met Sally truly stand out as a memorable film is how Nora Ephron portrays the characters. Harry is under the impression that men and women can never be just friends. On the other hand, Sally believes that men and women can interact without any romantic feelings getting in the way. It is these two ideologies that add tremendous depth to both main characters. As a result, the film stands out when compared to the romantic comedies of yore. In an article written in Entertainment Weekly, Mandi Bierly  explains the creation of Harry and Sally. According to her, "She explains how she realized Reiner - who was divorced at the time and reveling in his depression as much as Harry ultimately would - was the character she should write about. Because Harry had that "dark side," Sally had to be light - more like Ephron..." (Web)

Unfortunately, Nora Ephron passed away on June 26, 2012 and the impact of her passing was felt all over Hollywood. In an article for Salon, Andrew O'Hehir writes about Ephron's passing and the development of her characters. He writes, "In Ephron's universe, men and women are approximate social equals, as well as sexual and economic free agents. ...Her characters are witty, fast-talking city dwellers who discussed previously forbidden topics like politics, religion, and (most of all) sex." (Web) While When Harry Met Sally might be considered Nora Ephron's most famous film, all three films mentioned deal with the topics that O'Hehir lists in his article.

These three films are some of the best work made by Nora Ephron as either a screenwriter or director. In the case of Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, Ephron was both the screenwriter and director. Her impact can be felt in new film and television projects that are spearheaded by women.

 

All three media projects posted above were made by women that were inspired by Nora Ephron to make a name for themselves in Hollywood. In an article written by Marlow Stern for The Daily Beast, Diablo Cody gives high praise to Nora Ephron for inspiring her. She states "I don't think I'd be directing now if it wasn't for Nora. Absolutely not. ...Hollywood is willing to take risks, or what they perceive as taking risks, on female writer-directors because of the success of people like Nora Ephron." (Web) Nora Ephron played a part in the making of some of these projects, albeit indirectly. For both Diablo Cody and Lena Dunham, Nora represented the woman who dared to show stories from a female perspective and make Hollywood take notice.

Works Cited

Bierly, Mandi "What 'When Harry Met Sally...' Was Really About, According to Nora Ephron." EW.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/06/27/nora-ephron-meaning-of-when-harry-met-sally/>.
O'Hehir, Andrew. "Nora Ephron's Romantic-comedy Revolution." Salon.com. N.p., 27 June 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.salon.com/2012/06/27/nora_ephrons_romantic_comedy_revolution/>.
Stern, Marlow. "Diablo Cody on How Nora Ephron Blazed a Trail for Female Filmmakers." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 28 June 2012. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/28/diablo-cody-on-how-nora-ephron-blazed-a-trail-for-female-filmmakers.html>. 

**All of the posters were found on their respective Wikipedia pages. (The poster for When Harry Met
Sally was found on its Netflix page.)