When Harry Met Sally is a classic rom-com that ditches most cliches of the genre, while possibly starting new one.
One of the first aspects of the film that seemed fresh to the genre was the mature approach to sex. The film contained heavy dialogue about the nature of friendship and sex between the genders as well as coarse language, giving the film a more real feel. Also in the film, Harry does not seem to be actively pursuing Sally, as they go for several years only occasionally meeting and never consummating the relationship. This is another cliche that is defied. The film also lacks a climactic chase sequence at the end.
The span of time covered in the film was new to the romantic comedy genre. Most prior to that point and also afterward focus on a shorter timeframe usually consisting of a few months, sometimes a year if there is an epilogue. WHMS spans for ten plus years.
The film, to me at least, seemed much less sentimental/sappy than most rom-coms tend to be. It had much more com than rom. The main couple wasn't even together for 9/10ths of the film.
With all this being said, I think that this film can be judged on its artistic merits as a film and not just a romantic comedy film. The film is cleverly structured, features great performances, and has an excellent soundtrack. It holds up well, even after 22 years.
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