User reviews

In films like You've Got Mail, where you can almost predict how it's going to turn out as soon as the opening credits appear, then it is up to the writers, director, and actors, to get us to enjoy the journey to the end credits. Nora and Delia Ephron's script succeeds because they know their characters well, and give them a can't miss plot device. Tom Hanks is believable as the head of a gigantic bookstore chain, as is Meg Ryan as the owner of a small children's bookstore shop. As the guy who is putting Meg out of business by opening a chain store close to her little shop, Tom Hanks character comes across as the arrogant person who only goal seems to open as many bookstores as he can, and make as much money as he can in doing so. When he is talking to Meg Ryan on the internet, we see another side of him, and learn that possibly, he's not the evil guy you think he is. Of course, in person, Meg hates him for what he is doing, on the internet, she falls in love with him. This is what makes the film work, as their reaction to each other in person is completely different from when they talk on line. Some people may quibble that the ending is not very believable, but face it, do you fall in love with a person because of who they are, or what you think they are? I think this question is answered quite adequately.

God only knows why it's taken me so long to see this. But God I wanted it to be this kind of movies. I wanted it to be this kind of movies so badly.

(8/10)

Romantic comedies are not everyone's cup of tea; after all, who would want to watch unrealistic stories about ordinary people 'coupling' when we are offered such wonderful everyday experiences as ten car pileups, hordes of people being slaughtered in a hail of bullets while shopping, goblins, explosions, vampires and intergalactic spaceships?

But the majority of women, and many of those men who do not see themselves as the Governor of California will surely find much to like in this charming eye-moistener.

Tales of this ilk can easily be mawkish, but this one largely avoids the trap, thanks to an intelligent script, the believability of the lead pair (as well as the supporting cast) and good pacing that leaves the denouement until the closing shot.

Pleasant, warm-hearted fluff reworking 1940's "The Shop Around the Corner" (remade initially in 1949 as the musical "In The Good Old Summertime"). Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan reteam for the second time as rival bookstore owners in New York City: she operates a Mom & Pop bookshop, he's opening another outlet in his retail chain nearby. They lock horns over business, yet are unaware they are also each other's internet pen-pal. Slick and occasionally too-cute, too cookie cutter, but also an entertaining picture nicely set during the holidays. Ryan can't help but radiate personality and charm, though Hanks is curiously rote here (and he looks tired to boot),. Terrific supporting cast certainly helps, with Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton and Steve Zahn making up a bright ensemble. Engaging, if you're not too demanding. *** from ****

I'm from Germany and I love this film! It makes me happy to just watch it! When watching this film one comes to think why in real life such beauty in words and moments can't be achieved! The film does'nt get boring, even if watched for the 23rd time! It's pure magic - you could endlessly listen to the conversations, the beautiful music and enjoy the excellent acting! Other films try to come in too trendy with freaky music and sexual content(not that there's anything wrong with that) - but it's not a feelgood movie! Besides the puns and the lovely warm hearted atmosphere does the rest! To everyone who hasn't yet seen this movie - rent it, buy it - enjoy it!

I've been starved for a great romantic film and YOU'VE GOT MAIL more than sated my appetite! I'd rank it right up there with CASABLANCA as one of the most romantic movies of all time. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have more chemistry than a High School Science Department! This movie was warm, funny, smart, and sexy. Tom and Meg light up the screen and Tom Hanks is the perfect hero! The movie was 2 hours long, felt like 10 minutes, and I didn't want it to be over! This is a definite keeper, and I can't wait for it to come out on video so I can watch it again and again!

Firstly they are both deceiving there partners behind there backs, he is a fat cat evil businessman intent on destroying any other opposition without regard. She had a perfectly interesting business that local community love and respect. He basically gaslights her by knowing he is the other so called anonymous emailer yet she has no clue. Pretty blooming nasty all round.

This movie was so much better than I expected, which was a simple romantic comedy with predictable "pass each other in the street" scenarios throughout. I was pleasantly surprised to find a love story that touched my heart. Kathleen's vulnerability and pride in her mother made me cry and Joe's sensitivity and devious behavior were so very sweet.

I didn't think that Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan could pull off a romance better than they did in Sleepless In Seattle but I am happy to be mistaken.

I recently watched the 1940 "Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy Stewart for the first time. In explaining a synopsis to my wife she said, "That sounds like the same story in 'You've Got Mail.'" So I did my research and found out she was right. Further, I realized I had never watched this 1998 movie. So here we are, I found the DVD at my public library.

The DVD "extra" is also interesting, the sisters Ephron explain their approach and Hanks and Ryan pitch in also. This is a thoroughly entertaining movie.

While it follows the same general story it is updated for the modern world. Not only is it moved from Budapest to New York, it uses the modern writing technique of email. It also uses the concept of a bigger store coming in and undercutting the smaller, long-established business.

Meg Ryan is Kathleen Kelly, owner of a smaller shop, called Shop Around the Corner, specializing in children's books. Her mother was the original owner. Tom Hanks is Joe Fox of the wealthy Fox family, opening a mega bookstore around the corner from her. They meet, they develop a pretty quick dislike for each other. Unknown to both of them, they had already become email pals with very high regard for each other.

So much of this movie plays out in similar ways to the 1940 movie, it is interesting and entertaining to see how it all plays out to the end.

Aside from the fact that both leads in this are essentially cheating on their significant other, this story line was pretty enjoyable and good overall for a movie in 1998. It was good enough to watch.

I choose to watch this movie on a purpose: expand my own experience in relationships.

Does the movie succeed? Well, this isn't a masterpiece that i would watch again & again to ponder about, but it is surely a good piece: The actors are excellent; maybe Ryan & Hanks will be remembered only for those romance castings, but they get the feeling for it, the chemistry between them and in a career, it is better to have one memorable label than no label at all. If you wait me to say, "Oh, it's like "Sleepless ...", or "they were better/worse in "Sleepless...", well, i hear about it but don't see it actually. And now, this is New York and this isn't the 1st town in the world for nothing.

The story is enjoyable: the trick of the loving writing and the bad meeting is a good one. There are almost two movies in one and the second part is interesting: how to save a failed relationship, and ironically, that's the actual point of my life.

The only drawback in this movie, like the constant big American productions, is that the characters evolve in the "high society". They have good jobs, fine housings, good friends, health.. In fact, their only worry is their feelings, which is per se almost "paradise".

I know it's movie and not life: the big difference is here: movie is happy ending & smooth progression; Life can be sad even if you try your best & the "fight" is every day... It's easy to understand why people (as me) like movie...

I was pleasantly surprised to find "Mail" not to be a rehash of "Sleepless." Ryan and Hanks do work exceptionally well together! Three-quarters into the movie I was wondering how they would ever pull off a romantic and yet believable ending, but the scene at the garden was one of those perfect moments in filmmaking. It just rang true and consistent with the story.

I really enjoyed this one! (And hearing Harry Nilsson's music again, used so beautifully, was icing on the cake!)

...except for the fact that this movie made me so happy! I'm a huge Tom Hanks fan and I collect all of his movies, and it has been quite some time since i've seen a really good and special movie of his. He's just such a wonderful actor and Meg Ryan's just... Well, she's just so great, always happy and when she's acting she always makes me laugh, cause she's just so wonderful! Let's talk about this movie: I'm gonna be honest with you, this isn't Forrest Gump or The Green Mile, but it is romantic, special, wonderful and it made me smile and wish for them to get together in the film, and in the end I was just happier then before! I think it's underrated, but everyone has a special taste, and I just loved it! I seriously recommend it to every Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fan, you are not going to regret it! Thank you for your time.

It's a romantic comedy set in the 1990s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is the second-generation owner of an upscale children's bookstore. Her employees include Birdie (Jean Stapleton) and George (Steve Zahn). Her live-in boyfriend is Frank Navasky (Greg Kinnear), a well-known columnist for the New York Times.

Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) is the third generation of the Fox Bookstore chain that is moving to a location within blocks of Kathleen's store. Joe's father, Nelson (Dabney Coleman), and grandfather, Schuyler (John Randolph), live with much younger women. Joe's live-in girlfriend is Patricia Eden (Parker Posey), a high-flying book editor.

Kathleen and Joe meet anonymously over a 1990s-style Internet chatroom in which they become friends but promise not to reveal personal details. They then begin to email via the America Online (AOL) service that announces "You've got mail" when you've received an email. They become very engaged even while Joe's new superstore puts Kathleen's store out of business. They learn who each other is in life since they live in the same neighborhood and dislike each other. However, for a time, they don't make the connection to their Internet personas.

The movie follows their relationship until it finally resolves itself.

"You've Got Mail" is a gentle romance with great chemistry between Hanks and Ryan. The movie is quite dated because the world's technology has changed so much, and ironically, book superstores have had their own problems because of Amazon, which only began four years before this movie was released. Yet the film was a nice nostalgia trip about the technology of the 1990s with a love story mixed in.

It was hard not to give this movie a 10, but since I have only given out about 20 10's in all the movies I have ever seen - thousands, a 10 here would have been a little too generous.

Though, it is difficult to find fault, I suppose it is fair to say that the movie didn't always have full steam - especially early on. Still, even during those times, it was interesting. I mean, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. What else do you need?

Additionally, I didn't laugh very much. Not that I was required to, but this genre would, after all, be considered a romantic comedy. Despite the lack of laughs, it was as feel good as it gets.

The movie was blessed with two great actors, a creative idea, excellent writing and directing. And, the ending was one for the ages. I might have chosen to "tweak" it a little, but it was about as good as you will ever see - assuming you like romance. I do!

Good film. The couple who can't tolerate each other when they work together but find out that they're actually soul mates when they correspond anonymously through e-mail messages. And in an age where couples are meeting and dating and eventually mating and marrying, thanks to computers, the story works and gets the benefit of a modern look. While it's unlikely that this will reach the popularity of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, it's definitely worth a look just to enjoy the simple performances of Hanks and Ryan. GREG KINNEAR has a good supporting role and it's all brisk and amusing and easy to take.

7/10.

While Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks appear to be genuinely nice people, this film is nothing but a disguised attempt to make sexism and multi-national corporations look good.

Meg Ryan owns a small store that gets put out of business by a chain book store with severely uneducated clerks who earn very little money. And then she gets her coffee at Starbucks. Yeah right! How dumb is Ryan's character anyway? While she enjoys her coffee she's helping put out of business all the local mom and pop coffee shops.

Tom Hanks' character, while becoming more compassionate in his personal approach, makes no change whatsoever in his business practices. Ryan's character teaches him to be kinder, but that's all. And she decides to be with him, even though he'll go on to put other small stores out of business just like her's. What will happen to their happily ever after ending when she sees him do this to another person, except this time he does it with more "compassion?" Because Hanks' character didn't truly change (he would have had to denounce his family's business practices), the message is clear: Give in, submit to big business.

Even the very set-up of this film is sexist. Reverse the roles in this film. Suppose Hanks was Ryan and vice versa. What would audiences think of a man who fell in love with the woman who put him out of business? They wouldn't watch it, that's what. He'd be a wuss, absolutely whipped. But because it's a woman being screwed, it's ok. (Btw, I'm a man and I saw this sexism from the get go.)

This film, in the simplest terms, is a thinly disguised sexist pro big business fairy tale that's supposed to make us feel better about our losing a way of life -- the "shop around the corner" where everyone knows your name, knows the products and isn't out to screw the small guy.