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Film Appreciation. Sleepless in Seattle. Sleepless in Seattle (1993). Hugely successful romantic comedy - made $227 million at the box office against a $21 million budget – paved way for a flood of romantic comedies out of Hollywood
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Film Appreciation Sleepless in Seattle
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) • Hugely successful romantic comedy - made $227 million at the box office against a $21 million budget – paved way for a flood of romantic comedies out of Hollywood • Noted use of ‘standards’ in the musical score, including ‘As Time Goes By’ • References to classic romantic films including ‘An Affair to Remember’ • Female writer/director Nora Ephron • Academy Award nominations for screenplay and song • AFI #10 Romantic Comedy (City Lights is #1)
Tom Hanks (Sam Baldwin) • Studied theater in college • Has become one of the most successful actor/writer/directors in Hollywood • Nominated for ‘Best Actor’ 5 times • Won twice (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia) • Toy Story, Cast Away, The DaVinci Code, Big, A League of Their Own
Meg Ryan (Annie Reed) • Started career on “As the World Turns” soap opera • Star of many romantic comedies, especially in the 1990s • When Harry Met Sally, French Kiss, You’ve Got Mail, Joe vs. the Volcano
Bill Pullman (Walter) • Theater, Film & Photography teacher turned actor • Also a playwright • Spaceballs, Independence Day, The Grudge
Nora Ephron • Writer/director of Sleepless in Seattle • Notable for success at a time when many women were not known as screenwriter/directors • Also directed You’ve Got Mail, Bewitched, Julie & Julia, When Harry Met Sally • Was once married to Carl Bernstein (Watergate journalist) • Acclaimed journalist, blogger
Themes in ‘Sleepless’ • Does the concept of ‘love at first sight’ or ‘soulmates’ really exist? • Can love cross great distances? • To what lengths will we go to find love? • How do we realize we are unhappy with who we have? • The role romantic movies play in shaping how we perceive our lives and loves.