You’ve Got Mail (1999)

ROMANTIC COMEDY: (1999, PG) Joe and Kathleen are carrying on an anonymous correspondence though e-mail. Each has a live-in partner: Joe lives with Patricia and Kathleen lives with Frank. Joe is building a book superstore. Kathleen works in a small children’s bookstore around the corner. They unknowingly meet and he doesn’t admit that owns Fox books, the store that is about to put her independent bookstore out of business. As the store begins to suffer, Kathleen turns to her anonymous e-mail correspondent. While avoiding each other, by e-mail they plan to meet. He recognizes her and stands her up. Kathleen closes the bookstore. Joe undertakes making friends with Kathleen. They eventually fall in love on a face-to-face basis.

VIOLENCE/SCARINESS: None.

CRIMES: None.

MORALS, ISSUES & VALUES: E-mail seems addicting; they can hardly wait to get on line first thing in the morning. The traditional “three little words” have now become “you’ve got mail.” There seems to be safety in anonymous communications. The superstore has a large stock, gives discounts and is very impersonal, while Kathleen and her loyal staff read all the books, know all the customers, and provide full service and love. One author is “faithful” to the little shop until the superstore makes her a better offer. Joe suffers being insulted and hated by the woman he loves. Kathleen feels badly after insulting Joe. Each couple breaks up because they recognize true love. Both Joe and Kathleen almost miss true love by lying. Very mild and infrequent vulgarity and profanity.

SEXUALITY & GENDER ISSUES: Contemporary gender roles. Single parent family. Both Joe and Kathleen are the ultimate in Yuppie Urban lifestyle. Both are living with people they don’t love. Joe’s father talks about his many affairs and divorces. Joe’s stepmother makes a pass at him, which he promptly rejects.

SUBSTANCES: Joe drinks a beer. Joe mixes drinks in a bar.

COMMENTS: A remake of the charming “The Shop Around the Corner,” it has all the star chemistry of the original (with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan replacing Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan). With references to everything from “The Godfather” to Anthony Powell, from Generalissimo Franco to Jane Austin, it also echoes the famous love affair by correspondence between Mrs. Patrick Campbell and George Bernard Shaw. With a smart and funny script, the film’s bottom line is that honesty is the best policy and that people can fall in love despite their differences.

STARRING: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, Steve Zahn, Dabney Coleman, Greg Kinnear.

ALTERNATES: Another romantic comedy with the same stars is “Sleepless in Seattle.”