Tuesday, June 9, 2009

you've got mail.



Sometimes, I pretend that I'm one of those people who only gets into really hip, cool-people movies. Hey, sometimes, I'm not even pretending. Just the other night Jordan and I rented "Spellbound," a pretty spectacular documentary about kids and the national spelling bee. In fact, a lot of our monthly rentals are pretty hip choices.

But my all-time favorite movie, I must confess, will never cease to be "You've Got Mail."

I know some might think it's just another chick flick, but really, it's not. It's oh-so-much more.

It's more than a love story.

It's an ode to New York.

And an ode to books.

And an ode to the small business owner.

Quite frankly, the movie made an impact.

It made me want to run a bookstore.

Made me want to move to New York.

Made me want to dress like Meg Ryan (pre-lip surgery, naturally). I've literally spent years of my life trying to dress like Kathleen Kelly. Seriously, the styles are 10 years old, and I still want to dress like her.

Made me want to marry Tom Hanks. (Did I really just type that? Um, yes. What else would you expect from perhaps the only 13-year-old girl to have a poster of the star of "Bosom Buddies" on the back of her door?)

But it's not just Tom and Meg.

It's a clever take on an equally charming classic.

It's the only movie I can almost quote word for word.

It's the movie my best friend and I developed inside jokes over in high school.

I know all the songs and what part of the movie they're played in.

The song playing during my favorite scene? Stevie Wonder's classic "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Played at my wedding.

In addition, my husband has learned that countless of my catch phrases are straight from Nora Ephron's script (I've provided just some of those phrases for your reading pleasure):

"Thank your, ladies and gentleman. Thank your."

"Happy Thanksgiving, back."

"Daisies are such a friendly flower."

"'Hi, I'm Kimberly.' 'Hi, I'm Janice.' It's like they're an entire generation of cocktail waitresses."

"'Is there someone else?' 'No. But there is the dream of someone else."

"I love New York in the fall. It makes me want to buy school supplies."

For Valentine's Day my senior year of high school, my brother gave me a bouquet of "newly sharpened" pencils. Just like Meg and Tom talk about. (Ladies, have I mentioned he's single?)

In other words, "You've Got Mail" is the perfect movie.

Call it cheesy, overly romantic. I honestly don't care.

I'll be watching it until the day I die.

And I won't feel even the slightest bit guilty.

6 comments:

katie said...

this is the second post this week I've read about "You've Got Mail." I've seen it, but I should go back and watch it again!

Jessica said...

It seems we have a LOT in common my bloggy friend!

Anonymous said...

The nut doesn't fall too far from the tree does it? I just finished a bus load of ironing to what movie? You've Got Mail! One of my modern day favorite movies. However, nothing can take the place of the memories of a good western in my daddy's lap like McLintock! John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, ahhhh!

Mom said...

Why am I popping up anonymous again? Testing one, two, three~

Betsy said...

oh I LOVE this movie! i've watched it countless times, and the thing that gets me everytime is the witty and oh-so-catchy dialogue.

it makes me want to own a bookstore and live in New York in the fall too :)

Nikki said...

This is probably one of my all-time favorite movies, too! It is so good and it never gets old!