LISTS… Crying over Some Soppy Meg Ryan Tearjerkers

#1980s #1990s #AllPosts

 

If you don’t sob at these Meg Ryan films, you have a heart of stone…

 

5 Meg Ryan movies that made me cry (and not with another review of When Harry Met Sally.. but it did).

 

You’ve Got Mail

When Harry Met Sally

 

Back in the day, in the hopeful romantic days before Darlin Husband introduced me to the finer films of life, I watched a fair load of romantic films. Usually, these were romantic comedies with Jennifer Aniston, because if Jennifer could bag a man at our (same) age… then I had a glimmer of hope (being four inches shorter than her, and therefore not as leggy). Hell, I even watched Friends (1994-2004), but only as I had an on-off crush on Matthew Perry. But I only liked him when he was chubby.

Anyway, I watched a ton of films with then America’s sweetheart Meg Ryan. My first introduction to this actress was her role as Sally Albright in When Harry Met Sally (1989) where she became my role model albeit for her hair and the way she ordered food.

This film which you’ll note I’ve reviewed about the same times as Dynasty (1981-89) but considerably fewer times than I’ve written on Dallas (1978-91). But I emphasise every review is different, with reviews on the film and posts on Carrie Fisher’s role and the final montage. I did see her for about five minutes in The Women (2008) but found the film dull, boring and a waste of space and all the actresses’ talent.

Here they are…

 

Top Gun (1986)…

Top gun, Marco Rodriguez

Top Gun is a Tiny Tom Cruise movie with Cruise as the cocky Naval Aviator, Maverick (aka Pete Mitchell) which doesn’t sound as testosterone-fueled). Maverick learned about the value of love, life and planes in the Topgun (Naval Fighter Weapons) school. This he attends with his best buddy Goose (Nick Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards)). Immediately, Maverick gains a rival in Ice Man (Val Kilmer). Maverick falls in love with Kelly McGillis, who after he makes a pass at her is revealed as his hot teacher, Charlie.

 

Meg Ryan, in this debut movie, plays Goose’s wife, Carole who throws her husband the immortal line “Take me to bed now, or lose me forever…” (the film does have some great lines interspersed with plane shots.. and that volleyball scene). Cue Goose and Maverick launching into their version of Great Balls of Fire. Ironically the title of that movie with a headlining star of the former Mr Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid. And the romantic in me wonders if he got her at Great Balls…

Despite the presence of another musical number, You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling sung by Maverick and his mates to woo Charlie. This is not a musical. But it could be. So back to Goose and Carole. Goose being bromance partner no 1, inevitably has to die. Cue sob at Carole’s reaction, funeral scene etc.

But hey ho, Maverick’s got the Iceman to replace him in the shapely form of Val Kilmer (who would later pair off with Ryan in The Doors (1991) biopic movie). Cast also includes the actor, Rick Rossovich – who played the headmaster in Back to the Future – as Slider, Tim Robbins, Michael Ironside and Tom Skerritt. There is a sequel in the works, (will pause here until you stop screaming with joy / fear / add as applicable) and this film is ominously now described as the “first of a series”.

 

Innerspace (1987)…

Innerspace (1987) trailer, Warner Archive

This made me sob for the romance between Lydia (Meg Ryan) and another cocky, Naval Aviator, Tuck (Dennis Quaid). Tuck gets her at his singing, in this all seems like a nice nod to Top Gun so far… Their part in the film is boy meets girl, boy breaks up with girl, boy gets miniaturised for a secret experiment and is injected into a hypochondriac, Jack Putter (Martin Short) rather than a rabbit he was destined for.  Cue hilarity, a stolen microchip and lab good guys vs. rival bad guys.

Journalist Lydia learns the Cowboy one of the rival bad guy’s henchmen wants to buy the microchip. Tuck manages to change Jack’s features to make him look like this henchman to recover it. But it all goes wrong as the pair is captured by the bad guys. With Tuck still inside Jack and running out of oxygen, it’s a race against time. As the romantic in you, hopes that Lydia and Tuck will somehow get together and rekindle their romance in time for the credits.

 

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)…

Sleepless In Seattle – Trailer, Sleepless In Seattle – Trailer

Sleepless in Seattle is the first of the Hanks-Ryan romances features here. Sobbed at this movie a helluva lot of it for the unrequited romance, ie much of the movie and the lovely soundtrack. And that undeniable chemistry between Hanks and Ryan. Sam is a film widow (read hot, young and girlfriendless). His young son, Jonah talks to a radio psychologist about his dad.  Women fall in love with this man as Sam then opens up his heart on the show.

Millions of women write in to meet this man after he talks about his late wife and his love for her. Meg’s Annie, a reporter who covers who inevitably falls for the romance of it all. Despite Annie being engaged to Walter (Bill Pullman), she falls in love with him. After a few near misses in meeting up, Jonah arranges for his father to meet Annie on top of the Empire State Building… and Bill Pullman gets dumped. This is not before you’ve run out of tissues… this is the ultimate in will they won’t they of romance movies.

The film, of course, has wonderful film references to An Affair to Remember (1957) which I reviewed here. Annie and her best gal pal played by Rosie O’Donnell sobbing about the movie. And Tom Hanks’ best buddy’s wife – played by Rita Wilson (Hanks’ off-screen wife) – is also in tears as she tells Sam about it. Meg Ryan won the part after the likes of Julia Roberts and Kim Basinger turned it down.

 

City of Angels (1998)…

City of Angels (1998) Official Trailer – Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan Movie HD, Movieclips Classic Trailers

Nicolas Cage is an angel. No really, in the movie… (not definitely not) for his The Wicker Man  (2006) remake. Anyway, I digress, he’s an angel, Seth (who although invisible falls for and his presence felt by) Meg Ryan’s doctor Maggie. Seth spends what seems like half the movie, mooning over her, debating if he should become mortal to date her. This is instead of checking women out in changing rooms in a creepy 1980s movie sort of way. Eventually, he gives in to his feelings and becomes mortal.

 

She learns he’s an angel and they inevitably become friends and date, spend meaningful time together and fall in love.  Cue montage, soft-focus log fires and then disaster strikes. And I sob despite the fact that this is probably the most contrived romance tear jerking moment of all time ever.  This film script could be described as spiritual by some and a crappy romance by others. Either way, Meg and Nicolas seem to have a wee bit of chemistry, but not as much as her on-screen romance of three movies, Tom Hanks.

 

You’ve Got Mail (1998)…

YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998) – Official Movie Trailer, soundfan

In a nutshell. A remake of The Shop Around the Corner (1940) for the Internet age. Starring Tom Hanks as the boy (Joe). Meg Ryan as the girl (Kathleen). Business rivals, she has a wee cosy (twee) independent bookshop, and he owns a chain of them.

Boy meets girl, omits her last name as she rants about this bookshop chain. Girl discovers the boy’s true identity and gets angry with him, Boy and girl not knowing The boy and The girl falls in love over the internet despite both being attached. Break up with partners ie Bill Pullman Greg Kinnear gets dumped. Arrange to meet. The audience gulps back tears when they finally do. The boy jumps into a volcano. Declare mutual love. Audience sob. The End.

 

So that’s all folks. Unless you haven’t satiated your appetite for Meg Ryan, here’s my favourite scene from 1989’s When Harry Met Sally. Showing you just how you should make a stir at a restaurant…

Sally Order, frommetothee

 

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The Meg Ryan Birthday Blogathon, No 60

This review was added to the Meg Ryan Birthday Blogathon.  Other film reviews with Meg Ryan include When Harry Met Sally as a review, the montage and the role played by Carrie Fisher. Tom Cruise also stars in reviews on Rock of Ages, Edge of Tomorrow, Singing Actors and Cocktail. Nicolas Cage in Peggy Sue Got Married, and a wee review HERE and a longer one of Moonstruck. Dennis Quaid is reviewed here in Dreamscape. A guest review is here on Meg Ryan and Hanks in Joe vs the Volcano.

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