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Sleepless in Seattle

Sleepless in Seattle is a 1993 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron, from a screenplay she wrote with David S. Ward and Jeff Arch. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, the film follows a journalist (Ryan) who becomes enamored with a widowed architect (Hanks), when the latter's son calls in to a talk radio program requesting a new partner for his grieving father. In addition to Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger, and Rob Reiner, the film features an ensemble supporting cast also consisting of Rosie O'Donnell, Gaby Hoffmann, Victor Garber, Rita Wilson, Barbara Garrick, and Carey Lowell.

Sleepless in Seattle

Jeff Arch

Gary Foster

Robert Reitano

  • June 25, 1993 (1993-06-25) (United States)

105 minutes[1]

United States

English

$21 million[2]

$227.9 million[2]

Inspired by director Leo McCarey's An Affair to Remember (1957), which itself was a same-script remake of McCarey's Love Affair (1939), Sleepless in Seattle was conceived as a romantic drama by Arch in 1989. Several studios rejected his script, deterred by the idea that its main couple does not meet for nearly the entire film. Ward and Ephron were among several writers hired to re-write the script into a funnier film, with Ephron eventually being promoted to director. Although both Hanks and Ryan had been favored for the lead roles from the beginning, several other actors expressed interest in both parts. The film was shot mostly in Seattle during summer 1992. Several of its most pivotal scenes were filmed on a former naval base due to the city's lack of sound stages, including a recreation of the Empire State Building's observation deck when the New York skyscraper was not available.


Sleepless in Seattle was released on June 25, 1993, to positive reviews, receiving praise for Ephron's writing and direction, as well as Hanks and Ryan's performances. The film received 2 nominations at the 66th Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song. Despite competition from several blockbusters released around that same summer, the film was a surprise commercial success, earning $17 million during its opening weekend (the highest opening for a romantic comedy at the time), and ultimately grossing over $227.9 million worldwide. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 1993, and remains one of the most successful romantic comedies in box-office history. The soundtrack was also successful, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200.


Several critics and media publications agree that Sleepless in Seattle is one of the greatest romantic comedy films of all time. The film is also credited with establishing Ephron as a celebrated romantic comedy filmmaker.

Plot[edit]

Sam Baldwin, a recently-widowed Chicago architect, moves to Seattle with his eight-year-old son, Jonah, to start a new life. A year later on Christmas Eve, Jonah calls in to a radio talk show and persuades a reluctant Sam to go on the air to talk about how much he misses his wife, Maggie, and how he knew she was the one for him when he first took her hand. Thousands of women from around the country hear the program and, touched by the story, write to Sam.


One listener is Annie Reed, a Baltimore Sun reporter. She is engaged to Walter, but feels something is missing from their relationship. After watching An Affair to Remember, Annie writes Sam a letter suggesting they meet atop the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. She decides against mailing it, but her friend and editor, Becky, mails it, and later agrees to send Annie to Seattle on a story assignment after she has done some research on Sam via a detective agency.


Sam begins dating a co-worker, Victoria, whom Jonah dislikes. When Jonah reads Annie's letter, he instinctively feels that she could 'be the one' but is unable to convince Sam to meet Annie in New York on Valentine's Day. Jonah's friend Jessica, whose mother is a travel agent, urges him to reply to Annie, agreeing to the New York meeting.


While dropping Victoria off at the airport, Sam glimpses Annie exiting her plane and is mesmerized by her, though unaware who she is. Later, Annie secretly watches Sam and Jonah playing on the beach together. The next day she goes to Sam's houseboat. From across the street she sees Sam's sister Suzy, and assumes she is his girlfriend. A passing vehicle nearly hits Annie and honks at her. Sam recognizes her from the airport and says, "hello." Annie also says "hello" before quickly leaving. After returning to Baltimore, Annie goes to New York to meet Walter for Valentine's Day.


With Jessica's help, Jonah books a flight to New York and goes to the Empire State Building to find Annie on Valentine's Day. When Sam discovers this, he immediately follows and finds Jonah on the Empire observation deck. Meanwhile, Annie sees the skyscraper from where she and Walter are dining. She confesses her doubts to him and they amicably end their engagement. Annie rushes to the Empire State Building and arrives on the observation deck just moments after Sam and Jonah have gone down in the elevator.


Annie discovers Jonah's backpack. When Sam and Jonah return to retrieve it, Sam recognizes Annie again. After everyone introduces themselves, Annie takes Sam's hand and the three leave together, as Jonah smiles when the elevator doors close.

Production[edit]

Origins and development[edit]

In 1989, Sleepless in Seattle was conceived by Jeff Arch, a struggling writer and former cinematographer who was working as an English and taekwondo teacher at the time.[3][4] Arch had experienced little to no success as a writer prior to Sleepless in Seattle.[5] Sleepless in Seattle was Arch's first script to be optioned as a film.[6] The story began as a play about two people falling in love over the telephone without meeting in person.[5] Arch decided that, unlike typical romance plots in which the main characters bicker for most of the film after they "meet cute", his couple would not meet until the end of the film,[5] feeling unprecedented confidence that Sleepless in Seattle would be successful as long as he "got these people to the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day".[4] The writer drew inspiration from several sources, including the French film And Now My Love (1974), a seminar by motivational speaker Tony Robbins,[7] and a Washington Post article he had read about women hiring private investigators to uncover information about their romantic partners.[5]


Arch faced criticism about the unlikelihood of the film being made due to the lack of scenes shared by its lead couple.[5] He pitched the film to at least six studios and executives, all of whom rejected it for similar reasons.[4] Desperate, Arch's agent Dave Warden submitted the spec script to producer Gary Foster in 1990.[8] Although Foster typically discards new scripts that fail to captivate him within its first 25 pages, he claims to have read past the 25th page of Arch's script unnoticed,[8] only to find he was crying by the last page.[3] Immediately noticing the script's potential, Foster submitted the script to TriStar Pictures executive Richard Fischoff, whose studio had produced all of his previous films.[8] At first, Fischoff's staff screened the script and passed on it.[8] After pleading from Foster, Fischoff eventually relented and read the script, optioning it to TriStar a few days later.[8]


Eventually TriStar chairman Mike Medavoy heavily promoted the film,[4] and Foster began interviewing potential directors shortly after.[8] Nick Castle had been slated to write and direct Hook (1991), a big-budget adaptation of Peter Pan also for TriStar, but he was eventually removed from the film in favor of Steven Spielberg.[8] The studio reassigned Castle to Sleepless in Seattle as a consolation.[8] Garry Marshall had also been considered to direct.[7] While Foster retained sole producer credit, the film was co-executive produced by Lynda Obst and Patrick Crowley.[9] Foster struggled to get the film made over the following two years.[7][8] After finally agreeing to maintain the idea of keeping the couple separated, TriStar insisted that the "wistful" script be re-written to make the film and each character edgier and quirkier, particularly Sam and Annie.[4] Foster found the script lacked the sophistication and complexity required to elevate an emotional, sentimental story beyond merely treacle.[8] Foster reluctantly informed Arch they were interested in changing writers in order to "sharpen" his script.[8] Although Arch submitted a re-write himself, he soon found he was essentially "kicked off my own movie", and replaced by a writer with whose work he was not pleased, such as relocating the entire film to New York without including the Empire State Building.[4] Arch begged Foster and director Nick Castle to hire a better writer "who's going to take this way up to the next level".[4]

Sleepless in Seattle

June 15, 1993

36:22

Themes[edit]

Luchina Fisher of ABC News summarized Sleepless in Seattle as "the story of a kid who plays matchmaker between his widower father and a woman having second thoughts about her fiancé".[29] According to CinemaBlend's Jerrica Tisdale, the film discusses themes about taking chances and destiny.[67] Hanks believes falling in love with someone's voice is a relatable catalyst, explaining that "We've all experienced something like that".[41] Although generally associated with Valentine's Day due to its focus on romance, the film also features Christmas and New Year's Eve elements.[68][69]


The Baltimore Sun's Stephen Hunter described the film as a "shameless romantic fantasy" and its heroine as "a sort of icon of nearly pure '50s innocence", with Ephron herself dressing Ryan's character to resemble a Breck girl.[16] With a self-aware tone considered to be unusual for the time of its release, Sleepless in Seattle parodies the romantic comedy genre, despite being a romantic comedy itself.[70] Calling the film "a throwback to the great romantic comedies of the '30s and '40s", Common Sense Media described Sleepless in Seattle as "a fairy tale that encourages viewers to believe that true love and destiny will conquer all obstacles".[71] According to Tyler Coates of Flavorwire, Ephron uses An Affair to Remember to challenge "the cinematic joys that predated her own films", observing that the 1957 film brings at least four female characters to tears throughout Sleepless in Seattle.[33] Ephron described An Affair to Remember as "a running character" throughout film,[72] which Annie routinely refers to as guide about her own love life.[73] Several scenes from An Affair to Remember are shown throughout the film,[72] which Annie and Becky constantly watch despite questioning "what something so seemingly shallow and unrealistic could possibly offer them".[74] When Annie finally meets Sam atop the Empire State Building, the theme from An Affair to Remember plays.[75] One of the film's major recurring themes is "love in the movies" and cinema's influence over how viewers perceive love,[13][46] which in turn affects their ideals, goals, and decisions; Annie attempts to recreate the feelings she has seen in films because she has yet to experience them herself.[33] The film also strives to prove that "art imitates life", as opposed to life imitating art.[33] Vulture's Matthew Jacobs said the film "doubles as a comment on the way Hollywood romance has perpetuated fantasies of what love looks like", which the author said is best exemplified by O'Donnell's line "You don't want to be in love; you want to be in love in a movie".[27] Several commentators have referenced this line analyzing the film's themes.[76][77][73][78] Film and media studies professor Michele Schreiber said the quote is "meant to elicit a sense of recognition among Sleepless in Seattle's audience because the text assumes that by nature of the fact that they are watching the film, its spectators must empathize with, if not share, Annie's desire to fall in love in a way that is completely removed from the mundane realities of everyday life" while "assum[ing] that the audience will find equally familiar Becky's pointed critique of Annie's misguided preoccupation".[73] According to However, Decider's Meghan O'Keefe said the film lacks "any real ground-breaking commentary on the state of the human heart".[79]


According to a review published by Encyclopedia.com, Sleepless in Seattle "explores the differences between men and women when it comes to love and romance".[80] However, Coates noted that, despite its meta commentary about classic Hollywood romances and gender, the film "avoids any of the vulgarities and complications of recent submissions to the romantic comedy genre", while also at times deviating from gender stereotypes.[33] The critic noted that while Annie initially dismisses the concepts of fate and soul mates, trying to convince herself that her relationship with Walter is more practical than romantic,[10] Sam openly likens his feelings for his late wife to magic, which ultimately prompts her "to embark on a philosophical journey of sorts to find out whether attraction is something otherworldly after all".[33] The A.V. Club's Caroline Siede wrote that the film "balances romance and realism by giving its central characters two different but equally pragmatic philosophies on love".[10] While Annie believes "meant-to-be love" is only found in fairy tales, Sam argues that true love exists because he experienced it with his late wife, but believes it can not be experienced more than once in one's lifetime.[10] Siede also said that, due to the focus on Sam and Jonah's relationship, at times the film more-so resembles a "father/son dramedy" occasionally intercut with a serviceable romantic comedy plot, elaborating that for most of the film "only Annie is an active rom-com player while Sam is just obliviously living his life", with much of Sam's comedy stemming from a man starting to date again during "the burgeoning era of third-wave feminism".[10] Ephron believes Sleepless in Seattle more-so fits into the romantic comedy genre as opposed to the "women's movies" she pokes fun at in the film, explaining, "We aren't a classic weeper in any sense of the word – although some people cry when they see our movie".[15]


Rebecca Deczynski of Good Housekeeping said the film discusses both the positive and negative aspects of long distance relationships.[81] Distinguished from other romantic comedies because its main couple is separated for most of the film,[33] Ephron identified "the global village" as one of the film's main themes, explaining "we all live in one place ... and it's connected by airplanes, 800-number radio shows, the same jokes and statistics. By the time Tom and Meg are out on their respective piers sitting on their respective benches, you feel like it's a love scene even though they are 3000 miles apart".[13] In an article written in 2018, Corey Chichizola of CinemaBlend observed that although the film's plot seemed plausible at the time of its release, "the majority of the film's events and problems could be solved instantly if there were smart phones around", determining that the introduction of various technology since Sleepless in Seattle has in term limited storytelling, with writers of future films being required to find logical ways to eliminate smart phones and dating apps in order for certain plots to be plausible.[70] Nicole Sperling of Vanity Fair observed that Jessica's use of acronyms and Annie's "journalistic tenacity" pre-date instant messaging and Google search by several years.[82] Agreeing that Sleepless in Seattle "has become a journey into nostalgia" in the decades since the film's release, Elle's R. Eric Thomas said "there's something sweet and appealing about the relative simplicity—even simplicity in a film with a plot as complex as this one's. And who amongst us isn't rediscovering the telephone during this time, when even small distances seem yawning? Or the simple pleasure of a mailed letter? (Thank you to all the Post Office employees!) After a grueling three years during which the dark underbelly of nostalgia was used to prop up the worst aspects of this country's history and present, it's particularly heartening to be reminded that sometimes, the hallmarks of the past can continue to help us."[83] O'Donnell theorized that although the film might be received as a story about catfishing in modern times, its setting and innocence harkens "back to a time where everything seemed a little bit simpler".[70]

Release[edit]

Marketing and promotion[edit]

Although Foster and Ephron estimate that the studio spent at least $20 million marketing the film, TriStar senior vice president of publicity Ed Russell claims they spent significantly less, despite their admittedly competitive marketing campaign.[84] Sleepless in Seattle was heavily advertised during daytime programming to target female viewers, who responded well to its posters and trailers.[84] The film's official theatrical release poster, which depicts Hanks and Ryan gazing into the sky from opposite time zones, features the tag line "What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you", which was inspired by a line spoken by Ryan's character in the film.[34] Despite its female target audience, trailers and television spots were geared towards men by prominently featuring Hanks and Reiner.[84] A trailer aired during the televised broadcast of President Bill Clinton's inaugural ball in January 1993, five months before its release date,[84] with Clinton's inaugural committee specifically asking TriStar to advertise during the gala.[85] TriStar paid approximately $250,000 for the 30-second commercial.[85] Foster claims advertising during the inaugural ball implied that the studio was warning the film industry to "Watch out, we believe in this movie and we're not afraid to do anything. We're not afraid to spend money".[84] He also maintains that the decision to advertise during the telecast was business-driven as opposed to political, explaining that the studio saw anticipated the gala's expected high ratings would promote Sleepless in Seattle to a significantly larger audience.[85]


The studio also discussed corporate tie-ins with companies such as greeting card companies, teleflorists and Tiffany & Co. for corporate tie-ins.[86] On Valentine's Day 1993, chocolate recreations of the Empire State Building were offered to 200 critics.[87] Test screenings hosted in January were well-received and widely covered by several American magazines, including Premiere, Redbook, Allure and Movieline.[84] Variety reported that Sleepless in Seattle scored 94 out of 100 in at least one of its screenings, encouraging the studio to reschedule the film for a summer release.[86] Senior vice president of publicity Ed Russell arranged several word of mouth screenings for the film, including a conference held for romance novel and magazine editors on May 16, 1993, in San Diego.[84] A benefit premiere was hosted for Sleepless in Seattle at the Cinedome in Seattle in June 1993, with proceeds going towards the Pike Place Market Foundation.[19]


Originally planned to be released in April 1993, Sleepless in Seattle was rescheduled for summer 1993 because studio executives predicted it could be a popular summer hit, despite competing with several large-scale blockbusters and action-adventure films at the time,[19] notably Jurassic Park,[87] The Firm, Cliffhanger and Last Action Hero.[86] Sleepless in Seattle was considered to be one of the year's few "date movies", and was also branded "1993's When Harry Met Sally ...".[88] According to Kathy Tyre of Adweek, TriStar crafted a marketing campaign that branded Sleepless in Seattle as the summer's "romantic alternative".[87] Marketing executive Kathy Jones confirmed that the studio would spend significantly more money marketing the film due to its summer relocation but claims they wanted to avoid over-promoting "a lovely, romantic movie".[86] Tri-Star theorized the romantic comedy would attract women who were not particularly interested in watching the year's action films,[19] serving as "counter-programming" to the roster of more traditional summer blockbuster fare.[84] Columbia, TriStar's sister studio, had used the same strategy for When Harry Met Sally... four years prior.[27] Rescheduling the film also removed direct competition such Indecent Proposal (1993), which was expected to have higher box office returns than Sleepless in Seattle.[84] However, releasing the film in June also proposed the risk of Sleepless in Seattle being overlooked by an estimated 60 films being released that summer, among them What's Love Got to Do With It and The Firm.[84]


Foster believes that had the film been released in April as originally planned, they would have already spent most of their marketing budget by the time the year's blockbusters were released, explaining that "This kind of counterprogramming in the summer seems to work",[19] whereas Ephron felt releasing the film earlier would have forced them to remove the film from theatres in order to make way for the summer blockbuster films.[84] Sneak previews were hosted in 750 theatres the Saturday before the film's release, which were filled to 80% capacity.[84] In addition to much publicity, previews were consistently very well-received by audiences.[16] The film was ultimately released to theatres on June 25, 1993.[16]

Box office[edit]

Despite initially being perceived as an underdog,[84] the film was surprisingly successful at the box office, becoming "the surprise hit of the season" according to The Baltimore Sun's Mike Littwin.[89] The film was widely touted the sleeper hit of the summer.[4] Sleepless in Seattle opened theatrically on June 25, 1993, coincidentally the same day as former Sleepless in Seattle director Nick Castle's Dennis the Menace.[16] It premiered in 1,579 venues, earning $17,253,733 in its opening weekend, ranking second in the North American box office behind the third weekend of Jurassic Park.[90][42] Sleepless in Seattle had the most successful opening weekend for a romantic comedy at the time.[27][91] The Los Angeles Times reported that the opening weekend audience was 60% female and 40% 30 years and older.[84] At the end of its run, the film grossed $126,808,165 in the United States and Canada, and $101,119,000 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $227,927,165.[2]


According to HuffPost, Sleepless in Seattle's earnings established it as "the most successful traditional romantic comedy of all-time" at the time of its release.[92] Ephron and Foster attribute the film's success to its release being postponed from March 26 to June 25.[84] The film became one of the highest-grossing of 1993,[27][80][93][94] and remains the 13th highest-grossing romantic comedy in the United States.[95][96] According to The Numbers, Sleepless in Seattle is the 21st highest-grossing romantic comedy of all-time.[97]


In July 1993, Rolling Stone journalist Lawrence Frascella predicted that Ephron "is poised to become one of Hollywood's leading women directors" with the success of Sleepless in Seattle.[13] To commemorate the film's 25th anniversary, Fathom Events and Sony Pictures Entertainment re-released Sleepless in Seattle in approximately 400 theatres throughout the United States for two days,[98] on the December 2 and 5, 2018.[99][100] Ryan and Foster filmed a new introduction exclusive to the re-issue.[101]


The film continues to be aired regularly on various television stations.[102]

Musical adaptation[edit]

In 2009, development began on a musical version of Sleepless in Seattle. David Shor was announced as the musical's producer, with a book being written by Jeff Arch, Shor's longtime partner and original story writer for the motion picture. Leslie Bricusse was initially attached to the project, but withdrew due to "creative differences with the show's producer and director".[123] Michelle Citrin, Michael Garin and Josh Nelson were announced to be working on the music and lyrics, with Shor discovering Citrin via YouTube.[124] The musical was initially set to premier in 2010,[125] with the premiere date later being moved to 2011 and June 2012.[126] In February 2012, Shor announced that the musical would not premiere until the 2012–13 season and that the show would "undergo a top-to-bottom overhaul" and would have a new creative team.[127][128] With a new score by composer Ben Toth and lyricist Sam Forman, the musical version premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in May 2013.[129]


After being postponed for several years,[130] the musical was due to open in London's Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on March 24, 2020, under the name Sleepless: A Musical Romance[131] starring Jay McGuiness, Kimberley Walsh and Daniel Casey as Sam, Annie and Walter respectively.[132]


But, delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the show back to August 25, 2020, for a run through September 27. The show required the audience to be socially distanced and used several other pandemic-era safety measures.[133]

Legacy[edit]

Revered as a classic love story,[134] reviewers deemed Sleepless in Seattle a classic almost immediately upon release, crowning it "the ultimate romantic comedy".[105] Sleepless in Seattle is widely celebrated as one of the greatest romantic comedy films of all-time,[67][78] with several media publications ranking it among the best romantic comedies.[c] S. Atkinson of Bustle declared it the decade's "definitive romantic comedy".[120] Some critics consider it to be one of the best romance films.[135][145][146] CinemaBlend's Corey Chichizola said few romantic comedies have remained "as iconic and beloved" as Sleepless in Seattle, attributing its popularity to nostalgia and fans longing for a simpler time.[70] Calling Sleepless in Seattle arguably "the last great American romantic comedy", Flavorwire's Tyler Coates said the film also effectively remains "a subtle, serious employment of a genre usually dismissed as frivolous, lighthearted entertainment marketed solely to women" and "a serious contribution of artistic merit" to an otherwise saturated genre.[33] Considered to be one of the all-time great romantic films by the American Film Institute,[99][147] the organization included Sleepless in Seattle on both its best romance and romantic comedy film lists, ranking it 45th and 10th respectively.[148][149] Television presenter Francine Stock credits Sleepless in Seattle with changing the trajectory of romantic comedies.[41] In 2021, The Hollywood Reporter associate editor Lexy Perez declared that the film remains "a household name in the world of romantic comedies".[6] Marie Claire named Sleepless in Seattle one of the 61 definitive films of the 1990s.[150]


Ryan, who has not watched the film since 1993, believes it is unlikely that a film like Sleepless in Seattle would be successful again due to the main characters' lack of scenes together.[44] Foster theorized that the film continues to resonate with audiences due to its sense of magic, specifically the belief that "there's this timeless wish fulfillment that you're going to meet that person somewhere".[44] According to Susan King of Variety, the Empire State Building scenes have "become an indelible scene in pop culture".[3] Philip Sledge of Cinema Blend hailed the ending as one of the greatest in the romantic comedy genre,[18] while Jessica Brajer of MovieWeb called it "one of the most emotional scenes in all of movie history".[151] Crowning Sleepless in Seattle "The Best Rom-Com Ending of All Time", Decider contributor Meghan O'Keefe said the ending ultimately saves the film from being dismissed as simply "another inoffensive romantic comedy", writing that its lack of a kiss or wedding scene ultimately distinguished from similar films.[79] O'Keefe concluded, "It's a gorgeous triumph of a moment that's defined by the simple offering of a hand".[79] The ending has also been parodied and recreated several subsequent media, including an episode of The Mindy Project in 2014.[152][153] The film is also credited with introducing younger generations to An Affair to Remember, by which Sleepless in Seattle was inspired.[3]


The film's success positively impacted its cast and crew, who went on to have successful entertainment careers.[134] Vogue credits Hanks' performance with making him America's favorite person,[136] while Garth Pearce of the Daily Express said the film established Ryan as America's sweetheart.[154] For Vanity Fair, journalist Michael Shnayerson said Sleepless in Seattle "crowned [Ryan] as America's screwball darling", shortly after which she began earning at least $15 million per film.[155] While ranking Sleepless in Seattle one of the best performances of Hanks' career, Rolling Stone's David Fear credits the film with establishing the actor as a romantic comedy sex symbol.[156] Hanks, Ryan, and Ephron would reunite for one more film, the romantic comedy You've Got Mail, in 1998.[31] Sleepless in Seattle was the second of four on-screen collaborations between Hanks and Ryan,[99][d] with Kelly O'Sullivan of The Pioneer Woman crowning them both "the unofficial king and queen of rom-coms" and "the most iconic rom-com couple of all time".[144][146] According to Good Morning America contributor Luchina Fisher, Sleepless in Seattle is one of three Ephron films that "breathed new life into the" romantic comedy genre, alongside its predecessor When Harry Met Sally... and successor You've Got Mail.[29] Despite being her second directorial effort, Sleepless in Seattle's success eclipsed that of her directorial debut, and ultimately established Ephron "as a major directorial force in the rom-com genre".[10] In 2018, The A.V. Club's Caroline Siede said the film remains her finest work as a director.[10] On its 20-year anniversary, HuffPost wrote that the film continues to resonate due to "Ephron's sharp dialogue and the inherent goodness and charm projected by both Hanks and Ryan".[92] According to Ariel Levy of The New Yorker, Sleepless in Seattle established Ephron as a famous director.[158] In 2013, co-executive producer Lynda Obst released a book named after the film, Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business,[159] which explores the decline of romantic comedies during the 2010s.[160] Obst remarked that Sleepless in Seattle's nearly $300 million gross is hardly considered a "smash" as of 2014, explaining, "Studios aren't happy unless it makes close to a billion dollars".[161]


Sleepless in Seattle is credited with introducing most Americans to tiramisu, which had been a relatively obscure dessert before 1993.[162][163][164] Rob Reiner's character Jay mentions "tiramisu" during a conversation with Sam about dating, which Sam mistakes a euphemism for a sexual act.[165][166][167] Jay does not clarify that tiramisu is actually an Italian dessert.[20] The conversation caused much interest in the dessert throughout America.[168] According to Josie Delap of The Economist, few Americans had been familiar with the dessert before Sleepless in Seattle, despite America's high Italian population at the time.[169] After the film's release, several viewers resorted to calling the studio directly to find out what tiramisu is,[170] with TriStar executive Susan Levin reporting they were receiving 20–30 phone calls per day about the subject by the first Monday after the film's release.[171] Levin claims several callers were either disappointed or refused to believe them when they explained that tiramisu is simply a dessert,[171] although some were relieved by the revelation.[169] Some restaurants and bakeries also reported an increase in tiramisu purchases and orders after the film.[171] Tom Stockley of The Seattle Times observed that, by October 1993, "Virtually every Italian restaurant in the Seattle area features [tiramisu], as do several non-Italian eateries. It may be Seattle's hottest dessert, just as it is elsewhere in the country".[172] According to cookbook author Dorie Greenspan, Sleepless in Seattle turned tiramisu from simply an Italian dessert into a phenomenon almost overnight,[173] reporting that "Minutes after the movie opened, every morning TV show had some cook making tiramisu",[174] while The Free Press Journal said the film resulted in global fame for the desert.[162] Olga Massov of The Washington Post said some tiramisu began to suffer in quality due to their popularity, reporting that several restaurants began taking shortcuts in order to keep up with the demand.[166] In a 2014 interview with RogerEbert.com, Reiner dismissed tiramisu as overrated, insisting that he would never order it for himself.[165]


Elle's R. Eric Thomas found the film particularly topical in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, agreeing that Sleepless in Seattle "has become a journey into nostalgia" in the decades since the film's release.[83] Thomas said, "who amongst us isn't rediscovering the telephone during this time, when even small distances seem yawning? Or the simple pleasure of a mailed letter? (Thank you to all the Post Office employees!) After a grueling three years during which the dark underbelly of nostalgia was used to prop up the worst aspects of this country's history and present, it's particularly heartening to be reminded that sometimes, the hallmarks of the past can continue to help us."[83]

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