I was at my cousin’s and she had a VHS of You’ve got mail so I don’t know if it was because it was related to the interent or what lead me to watch it but it ended up becoming one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s the perfect romantic comedy, with a great soundtrack and Meg Ryan at her best. This shop around the corner remake is everything that you’d want to see from a reimagining. It’s such a movie of its time, AOL, dial up, what’s not to love.
The movie is the perfect romantic comedy and a blast for nostalgia, it is clearly set in New York in the late 90s and you can feel it even all these years after. The comedy hits, you see 90s technology, everything. A fw odd things about the movie, they mention “Birdie’s past” and it’s always a secret, like it really made you wonder about what went on in her life, a throwaway line has kept me wondering for decades.
This is also peak Meg Ryan, same director as Sleepless in Seattle the other Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie and the third time they’re together since they were in Joe versus the Volcano. I remember trying to piece together a timeline where all 3 movies could’ve happened in the same continuity. It involved a lot of headcanons like amnesia, name changing for safety reasons and whatnot but it worked. WHile the movie takes place through out the year it clearly feels like a holiday (Thanksgivnt and Christmas) season movie.
Some people online are obsessed about how this is a movie about infidelity and to a certain point its true but so is the case of many romantic comedies and movies so I think that’s a separate issue to discuss. They also mention cybersex on camera, it’s probably one of the first times people heard this term, hell it doesn’t even exist anymore. But talking about romance I gotta say I had a huge crush on Shopgirl and I did try to message her on AOL Instant Messager.
Oh and aapparently there are tons of deleted scenes that have never surfaced, I took this from IMDB so who knows:
A scene in which Kathleen gets involved with two garbagemen and first gets tongue-tied.
Extended scenes referring to the roof-top murderer including a love affair with George.
A scene with Kathleen and Christina talking about falling in love.
Extended scenes that characterize Patricia: a presentation of an author (the woman in the later elevator scene)
Extended scenes that characterize Frank: he meets an famous author whom he adores.
Scenes on Kathleen’s and Joe’s childhood.
A scene in which Joe explains Annabel why the Shop Around the Corner had to close.
You could also get all of Kathleen’s email on the official website for the movie, I neve knew this but if I find them I’ll post them here.
What a great wintery soundtrack and one of the few soundtracks that feel a part of the movie, It’s not inspired by but every track here is used in the movie because it helps set the mood of the scenes, not random songs hastily put together or anything. So many nostalgic songs
Harry Nilsson – “The Puppy Song” – 2:43
This song is such a great intro to the movie, and a very upbeat sad song, i love it
The Cranberries – “Dreams” – 4:31
So 90s, it goes very well with the introduction and the emotion of hey it’s abrand new world
Bobby Darin – “Splish Splash” – 2:12
kinda out there but in the movie scens where it happens it makes perfect sense
Louis Armstrong – “Dummy Song” – 2:19
a song that’s used a little less in the movie and not one i particularly love it fit isn the movie but feels weird here
Harry Nilsson – “Remember” – 4:02
a great song nostalgic better listened in smaller segments
Roy Orbison – “Dream” – 2:12
this one hits hard and is in the part of the movie where it is relevant
Bobby Day – “Rockin’ Robin” – 2:36
more up beat fits perfectly with the movie context
Randy Newman – “Lonely at the Top” – 2:32
such a fun dark song back when dark songs could be frank and not gritty
Stevie Wonder – “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” – 2:38
another song that was overplayed in the 90s i think seems very
Harry Nilsson – “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City” – 3:08
too much harry nilsson but i guess the movie is set in NYC so this had to be here, and the other choices are very solid so. though i guess the movie features Sinéad O’Connor’s version. both have their strenghts and weaknwnsses one feels more 90s so kinda could fit the movie better.
Harry Nilsson – “Over the Rainbow” – 3:31
this song jsut hits at the right moment in the end when things are like how you wanted to
Carole King – “Anyone At All” – 3:09
wow i guess an official music video for this movie, it’s not great, i don’t even remember this song in the movie, i think it’s the only one i don’t. she’s singing inside a book store a barnes and nobles ironically enough and then some badly spliced footage of the movie which especially looks bad when they try to frame it as that tits what’s happening outside the window since it’s so fake or when she sees it in a book or when she gets an email, why is she getting an email from NY152 and vidoe messaging him? is this canon?
Billy Williams – “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter” – 2:08
i don’t remember this song in the movie, maybe the credits or a very short scene?
George Fenton – “The ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Suite” – 5:36
he made a bunch of the BGM, which is all great, you can actually find the BGM though without the movie it’s kinda just there, here is a quick sample of everything and it’s a great way to enjoy it.
Jimmy Durante – “You Made Me Love You” – 3:04
just an instrumental for the most part weird track.
Because of the upbeat songs right after some downers it’s a weird ost lots of old songs and modern well 90s modern but it works in the movie. and it’s great. WHo knew a small story about two people meeting each other online in a chatroom could lead to so many hijinx.