
Nora Ephron, arguably one of the best female directors and screenwriters, would have celebrated her 73rd birthday today. In honour of her amazing career which gave us some of the most beloved rom-coms of our generation, we take a look at five of her best works, both as a screenwriter and a director.
1. When Harry Met Sally.
There are no two ways about it, When Harry Met Sally is one of the definitive films of the rom-com genre. With a really smart script that was penned by Ephron, the film tells the story of two friends who have clearly fallen for each other but are denying the fact to each other. It also raises that all-important question; if you sleep with a friend, can your friendship survive? The answer is probably no.
2. Sleepless in Seattle.
Ah, Sleepless in Seattle, a film we return to on a constant basis. How could you not? The film revolves around a recently widowed man whose son constantly calls a radio show looking for the perfect partner for his Dad. It's adorable, the kid is adorable, Meg Ryan is adorable, it's just all adorable.
3. Silkwood.
Based on a true story, Silkwood tells the tale of Karen Silkwood, a woman who worked in a processing plant and was purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered in order that she wouldn't reveal anything about the bad working conditions. It stars Meryl Streep, it has an amazing script, there's nothing not to like here.
4. You've Got Mail.
Sleepless in Seattle was so popular, there was always going to be some kind of sequel. Although we can't use the word sequel exactly here, it was important to have Tom and Meg back for their leading roles in a romantic comedy. All they had to include was modern technology. Tom and Meg fall in love over email but hate each other's business. Match made in heaven.
5. Julie & Julia.
It might be not be the greatest film over the last ten years but Julie & Julia was just a lovely watch and the fact that it involved a lot of food certainly helped. Julie takes a challenge to attempt to cook all of the recipes from Julia Child's first cook book. Amy Adams and Meryl Streep star. This is really the definition of your lovely Sunday film.
Warning. You may feel hungry afterwards.