When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

Harry Burns is insufferable for the entire first act, a gloomy know-it-all who kicks off a road trip by explaining why men and women can never be friends. If you met this guy at a party, you’d fake a phone call. Then the movie slowly wins you over. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan bicker like two people who actually listen to each other, and Rob Reiner jumps across more than a decade so every reunion feels earned. Ryan’s Sally, particular about everything, is pure comic timing. Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby make a perfect side couple, especially fighting over a wagon wheel coffee table. The little interviews with long-married couples would soften the grumpiest viewer. The one real flaw: Harry gets forgiven fast, thanks to one big New Year’s Eve speech doing a lot of heavy lifting. It made $92.8 million domestic on a reported $16M. A 9.1 because the dialogue still sparkles and the friendship feels real. $123 says you order your next slice of pie with so many instructions that the server writes it down twice.

What works: Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have legendary chemistry, and the dialogue is so sharp it still sounds fresh.

What doesn’t: Harry is grating for a long stretch, and one big speech at the end is asked to make up for a lot of bad behavior.

Who it’s for: Anyone who loves a talky, funny romance where the conversations matter more than the plot.