4 Reasons To Watch ‘You’ve Got Mail’ This Fall
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In my corner of the world, autumn has arrived with all its distinctive delights. A mild chill graces the days and cozy sweaters have been pulled from closets. Fall hues have emerged on door wreaths in the neighborhood, echoing the turning leaves I admire on my morning walks.
As with every season, fall brings its own yearly rituals such as apple picking and pumpkin-themed baking, and it also launches the season when I am excused to curl up indoors to read or watch movies with warm beverages. In our home, one such ritual is the yearly viewing of You’ve Got Mail, the 1998 rom-com featuring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
You’ve Got Mail has a prominent place in our family culture. We always watch it in the autumn as the movie’s opening scenes are set in New York City in the fall, “Don’t you love New York in the fall?”
However, as my all-time favorite movie, my children have had enough viewings that they can (and do) quote from it regularly. If you’ve never seen the film, or it’s been a while, allow me to expound on its merits to encourage you to, at the very least, make it part of your yearly fall rhythm.
01 | You’ve Got Mail is decidedly bookish.
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Kathleen Kelly, the movie’s protagonist, owns a charming children’s bookstore on the Upper West Side. Those who loved books as children will swoon over The Shop Around the Corner. Kathleen’s employees are devoted and snobby literature enthusiasts, in the best ways possible. Her antagonist (and simultaneously anonymous email pal and love interest), Joe Fox, is also in the book business (though of the superstore chain kind). Kathleen’s boyfriend is a writer, and Joe’s girlfriend is a publisher. Suffice it to say that the movie’s various settings and characters are a literary lover’s dream.
02 | The characters are wonderfully quirky.
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Frank Navasky, Kathleen Kelly’s boyfriend is a stereotypical insecure and slightly narcissistic writer with unflinching politics and yet utterly endearing. Patricia Eden, Joe Fox’s girlfriend, is a stereotypical hard-nosed and entirely narcissistic publisher and yet thoroughly amusing. George, Christina, and Birdie, Kathleen’s employees, are all eccentric and adorable both in speech and mannerisms.
And, New York City, particularly the Upper West Side, is written into the screenplay as a character unto itself, an irresistible appeal for New York lovers. The remaining supporting cast brings additional life to the story and main characters Kathleen and Joe, well, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Need I say more?
03 | It’s loosely based on Pride and Prejudice.
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Next, for Jane Austen lovers, the movie loosely incorporates themes and plot parallels from Pride and Prejudice. From Kathleen and Joe’s initial disdain for one another (and Joe’s eventual wooing of her) to the prejudices that must be overcome for the romance to succeed, similarities are evident.
Additionally, the book itself is a throughline of Kathleen and Joe’s relationship, showing up both physically and in conversations. Jane’s fans will appreciate the deliberate nod to the Austen title.
04 | It’s sweet and wholesome.
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Lastly, You’ve Got Mail is sweet and wholesome. In an era when rom-coms often tilt toward racier material, it’s a treat to find a clean romantic comedy. It’s noticeably devoid of sexual content and Joe’s eventual pursuit of Kathleen is underpinned with the goal of marriage. While a conversation may be needed in regard to Kathleen and Joe’s initial relationships (as they depict couples living together) overall, the movie is a family-friendly treasure.
In short…
My fall season wouldn’t be complete without an annual movie night of You’ve Got Mail. Perhaps this weekend it’s time to hunker down and get cozy for your own viewing. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are optional but highly encouraged.
