Why ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is Orlando Bloom’s favourite Christmas movie
Actor Orlando Bloom made his breakthrough to global stardom in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, with his iconic performance as Legolas. With that, Bloom is also familiar with epic fantasy films thanks to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, appearing in the first three movies as Will Turner, the son of a cursed pirate. In addition, the actor has also expressed an interest in the festive genre, with his all-time favourite Christmas movie being When Harry Met Sally.
The beloved film is directed by Rob Reiner, known for his other touching classics, such as Stand by Me and The Princess Bride, with Nora Ephron writing the original screenplay. When Harry Met Sally features Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as the titular characters, who find themselves on an intersecting journey. Reiner’s film, as a romantic comedy-drama, explores the possibility of a platonic friendship between a man and a woman.
When Harry Met Sally was released in 1989, the studio hoped word of mouth would be enough to generate interest. It turned out to be a successful approach, as the film grossed $92.8 billion and received critical acclaim. Crystal and Ryan’s chemistry captured audiences’ hearts, causing When Harry Met Sally to become a fan-favourite classic for all generations to enjoy. Ephron also received an Oscar nomination for her script due to its touching charm.
The film, whilst not having direct Christmas cliché plot events such as family values and the Christmas spirit like the other seasonal classics, references the season as Harry and Sally have meetings during or after the festive time. After the infamous diner sequence, a montage shows Christmas time in New York. We see shots of snow-covered parks, people ice skating, Christmas lights decorating every building and a charity worker in a Santa costume. A fitting soundtrack of Ray Charles’s rendition of ‘Winter Wonderland’ accompanies the festive imagery. The sequence has the ultimate Christmas tone, accentuated through its bold colour scheme of red, green and occasionally white, as well as the decorative lights and sleigh bell sound effects. It also demonstrates both sides of the holiday, with families spending time together in traditional festive activities alongside the hectic gift shopping in high-end stores. Reiner’s direction creates a moving New York-themed Christmas card that perfectly captures the festive spirit.
Entertainment Weekly revealed the star’s favourite Christmas film, with Bloom sharing the nostalgia value the film has: “When Harry Met Sally is one of my favourite films from my childhood”. Bloom, born in 1977, was 12 years old when this ’80s classic was released. Over 30 years on, When Harry Met Sally is always on Bloom’s Christmas watch list as a film that “never gets old.”
Watch Reiner’s festive film sequence here.
