I don’t know which film or TV show did it first, but I know my own personal obsession became a thing after When Harry Met Sally. The magic of phone calls, specifically with landlines, is sadly a lost art. But the magic of phone calls, especially in budding relationships, is a thing of beauty that still delivers all the right feelings. Whether it’s in romance novels or on our screens, it’s the simplest form of intimacy that always evokes something tender and raw.
There’s a specific vulnerability that’s always present in scenes where two people are on the phone, allowing the characters and the viewers to see that the characters are authentically themselves. In these quiet moments, they aren’t holding anything back, even if they themselves don’t realize it at the time.
The way it transpires in When Harry Met Sally especially works to emphasize the strength in their friendship. The difference in how comfortable the titular characters are around each other versus the people they date is noticeable in the moment’s casual intimacy. They aren’t in the same room, yet they’re together in every way, watching the same movie, frame by frame. The split screen that displays both of them in their respective houses, lounging at the end of the night, brings to life the ease that’s present every time they’re together.
It doesn’t matter that they’re polar opposites, nor does it matter that they frequently argue and challenge each other, because every beat in this specific scene underscores how comfortable they are around each other. Open. Honest. Couples are supposed to argue. They’re supposed to fight. They’re supposed to get under each other’s skins. It’s how they behave and appreciate one another outside of those moments that establishes why they’re each other’s person.
There’s also the case of how it’s easier for people to break down their walls later at night. It’s harder to keep our defenses up when we’re tired. It’s easier to let go in those few hours before bed. It’s easier to open our hearts when we’re watching TV or reading a book and focusing on other people’s happiness instead of our own. Harry and Sally are debating Casablanca, but between the lines, they’re talking about their relationship, too. They’re remembering the words they told each other when they first met. They’re living solely in the here and now, walls down, giving themselves a beat to be themselves.
There are countless shows and movies that use phone calls to move the couple forward in their journey. (Off the top of my head, I often think of Ginny and Mike’s in Pitch and, more recently, it happens on High Potential, too.) Still, between the achingly human portrayals of complex characters we get from Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, and the softness woven into the screenplay, the phone call in When Harry Met Sally is undoubtedly one of the most important beats in the film. It’s a quiet form of magic that establishes intimacy doesn’t always have to include a physical touch to confirm how two souls are tethered to one another. It’s a delicate showcase of the love that blooms slowly, allowing two voices to bring each other a sense of calm that’s inexplicable. It’s so specific and so beautiful, and I’ll always appreciate it with my whole heart.
What are your thoughts on the phone call scene in When Harry Met Sally? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures