I picked a movie that's only 15 years old but one that I look at differently now that I'm a writer. You've Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is a romantic comedy about a big box bookstore that looks a lot like Barnes and Noble and how it puts a small independent bookstore out of business. Tom Hanks is the CEO of Fox Books and Meg Ryan owns and runs the cute little Shop Around the Corner Bookstore that she inherited from her mother.
The first time I saw it, I appreciated it as a very cute romance story with two excellent actors. But as I've rewatched it (many times) other things touch me. The battle between the independent booksellers and Fox books, a battle the small store can't win. The true love of books demonstrated so perfectly by Meg Ryan's character. Tom Hanks' dysfunctional family and his search for true love. The references to classics like Jane Austen and The Godfather. And the colorful secondary characters especially Jean Stapleton as Birdy. The development of a friendship leading to the romance. Most of all, the growth of both main characters. Joe Fox faces the reality of what his business model does to others and learns to apologize. Kathleen Kelly suffers failure and the loss of her beloved store but discovers she is a writer. She also learns to forgive Joe Fox. So many of those elements are the perfect ingredients for a great romance story. The outdated technology always feels nostalgic to me rather than annoying or distracting.
Did you ever see this movie? What did you like or not like about it? Is there a movie you loved as your younger self that you still enjoy or one that appealed years ago but no longer does?
