In which Hunter Harris attempts to exorcise the movie quotes haunting her brain.
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The biggestWhen Harry Met Sallyline is Ill have what shes having.
Shes in the first flush of a relationship with Harrys neighbor; hes getting married soon.
When Sally hears this, shes naturally incredulous: What could make this perma-bachelor settle down?
The whole life-of-a-single-guy thing.
You go dancing, you do the white-mans overbite, go back to her place, you have sex.
Is 30 seconds enough?
Thats what youre thinking?
All men think that.
How long do you want to be held afterwards?
All night, right?
See theres your problem: somewhere between 30 seconds and all night is your problem.
On one level I love this line because I share some of the Sally characters pointless neuroses.
I dont have a problem, she snaps back, brow furrowed.
He looks at her pathetically and nods: Yeah, you do.
Not all ofWhen Harry Met Sallyhas aged well, but its still a fabulously clever movie.
Dont let that timer get to 30 or youre screwed.
You almost forget, in the moment, that hes selling something so stupid with his boyish confidence.
and Harry does too.
Theres an undercurrent of insecurity: Has this relationship expired?
Is this person coming into my life at the best possible time?
Is something happening here that Im not seeing?
But still, I think about this line and its fixed confidence and its mystical wrongness all the time.
No to be on my 90s white-romantic-comedy-lead shit, but I am a problem-prone person.
Should I reply to that email now, or wait to do it first thing in the morning?
I say yes to so many things I really have no intention of ever doing.
I repeat to myself like a pointless mantra, a private joke: See theres your problem.
Somewhere between 30 seconds and all night is your problem.
