For most of the movie Sam is only barely aware of Annie's existence, but we know they are meant for each other in a way that can only happen in movies. Annie will finish Sam's sentences but he isn't there to share that we are. Their emotional connection, for us the audience, is created almost entirely in the film's editing. The two play off each other beautifully and what makes that so amazing here is that they spend less than five minutes together in the entire movie.
While the script is clever and the characters likeable in that beyond reality way that can only happen in movies, I keep going back to the chemistry between Hanks and Ryan as being SLEEPLESS' prime ingredient. Ephron and her co-writers mined all the elements that repeatedly pop up in that ill-defined genre (a truly good-hearted guy in pain, a slightly daffy yet adorable and strong-headed girl, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle keeping them apart and the concept of destiny and magic playing very real plot elements) and crafted a truly original story. One of these women is Annie Reed (Ryan) who has just become engaged to the milquetoast but good hearted Walter (Bill Pullman.) In true rom-com style, we know Sam and Annie are soul mates but since Sam is on the west coast and Annie is on the east, the fun is in seeing how these two lovelorn people manage to connect despite the fact they have never met and only have fate and destiny to bring them together.Īt one point in the story, Sam screams "That's a chick's movie!" (referring to AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER) and SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE not only fits that description, it embraces it with a loving gusto.
On Christmas Eve his son calls a radio talk show asking for a new mom as his Christmas wish and after Sam tells his story over the air, thousands of women across the country become enchanted by his tale. Moving from Chicago to Seattle with his precocious 8-year-old son Jonah (Ross Malinger), Sam has spent the past 18 months in mourning. Heavily inspired by the 1957 Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr tear-jerker AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (which this film frequently directly references and shows clips from), SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE is the story of successful architect Sam Baldwin (Hanks) trying to cope with the recent death of his wife.