When Harry Met Sally

Background:

“Movies are the literature of this generation and all subsequent generations. It's exciting to know that if you make a movie that in some way works, you're going to reach people, to become part of their autobiography.” Nora Ephron

Academy Award nominated American screenwriter, film director and producer Nora Ephron first came to fame as a flourishing journalist and novelist before switching to the cinematic industry as a director and writer. She took home Oscar nominations for her writing on “Silkwood” (1983), “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989) and “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), which she also directed. More recent film credits include “You've Got Mail” (1998), “Bewitched” (2005) and “Julie & Julia” (2009). Despite being one of Hollywood's most prospering female writer/directors, Ephron has also made a series of box office flops, including “This Is My Life” (1992), “Mixed Nuts” (1994) and “Lucky Numbers” (2000). She frequently collaborates with her sister Delia Ephron on her screenplays and has written the bestselling collection of essays “Wallflower at the Orgy” (1970) and “Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women” (1975). Her first novel, “Heartburn” (1983), was transformed into a successful film of the same name in 1986 with the screenplay being written by Ephron and Mike Nichols directing.

Ephron was handed the Crystal Award from the 1994 Women in Film Crystal Awards. She was also the recipient of the 2003 Ian McLellan Hunter Award from the Writers Guild of America. In 2009, she earned a Golden Apple Award from the Casting Society of America, which she shared with her sister Delia.

Ephron has been married three times. She has two sons from her marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein (together from 1976 to 1980). She is currently the wife of screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, whom she married in 1987.

Writers

Childhood and Family:

Nora Ephron was born on May 19, 1941, in New York City, New York, but her family relocated to Beverly Hills, California, when she was three years old. She is the eldest of four girls by playwright and Hollywood screenwriters Henry Ephron and Phoebe Ephron, who are known for their work on “Carousel” (1959) and “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1961) and their Academy Award nomination for “Captain Newman, M.D.” (1963). Nora had a difficult childhood as the result of her parents' dependency on alcohol. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School in 1958, she left her family and moved to Massachusetts to attend Wellesley College. She graduated in 1962 with a BA in journalism. During her senior year in college, she served as the Associate Editor of her school paper, the Wellesley College News. It was while at Wellesley that she wrote a series of letters to her parents, which they later used as material for their 1961 play “Take Her, She’s Mine.” The play was later adapted into a 1963 comedy film of the same title.

On April 9, 1967, Nora tied the knot with author Dan Greenburg, but they divorced in 1976. On April 14, 1976, she married journalist Carl Bernstein. They had two sons, Jacob Bernstein (born in 1978) and Max Bernstein (born in December 1979), before divorcing in 1980. The breakup of her second marriage was later chronicled in her novel “Heartburn” (1983). On March 28, 1987, Nora married Nicholas Pileggi, who is a screenwriter. They currently reside in New York City.

Nora's mother died in 1971 of cirrhosis of the liver. Her father later married June Levant. He died in 1992. Nora's sisters, Delia (born in 1944) and Amy (born in 1952) are also screenwriters. Her sister, Hallie Ephron (born in 1948), is a journalist, book critic and novelist.

Sleepless in Seattle

Career:

After college, Nora Ephron briefly spent time as a White House intern during the presidential term of John F. Kennedy before heading to New York City to pursue a career in journalism. First landing a job in the mail room of the New York Post, Ephron became a reporter. By the early 1970s, she had joined “Esquire” magazine as a columnist and contributing editor and was promoted to senior editor in 1974. Ephron was also a contributing editor for The New York Times Magazine and Good Housekeeping, among other publications. Ephron published her first collection of essays, “Wallflower at the Orgy,” in 1970. She made her TV writing debut three years later when she contributed to the story of “For Richer, for Poorer,” a 1973 episode of the ABC short lived comedy series “Adam's Rib.” She published her second collection of essays, “Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women,” in 1975. It marked another bestseller for Ephron. She revisited the small screen in 1978 when she wrote the teleplay for “Perfect Gentlemen” (CBS), for which she earned an Edgar nomination for Best Television Feature or Miniseries at the 1979 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The TV film was directed by Jackie Cooper and starred Lauren Bacall, Ruth Gordon, Sandy Dennis and Lisa Pelikan.

In 1983, Ephron branched out to screenwriting when she co-wrote the screenplay for the Mike Nichols directed drama “Silkwood,” based on the true story of Karen Silkwood. Starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher, the film was a critical and commercial hit and received Oscar nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, which she shared with writing partner Alice Arlen. Ephron also jointly picked up a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen for her work in the film. Still in 1983, Ephron released her first novel, “Heartburn,” which was loosely based on the split-up of her marriage to Carl Bernstein. Three years later, she was reunited with director Mike Nichols for the big screen adaptation of “Heartburn” (1986), which she scripted. Starring Streep, Jack Nicholson and Stockard Channing, the film opened at No. 2 at the box office and went on to score over $ 25 million in the U.S.

Ephron enjoyed more success in 1989 when she wrote the successful romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989), which starred Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal as two old friends who find themselves falling in love. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. She also took home a BAFTA Film Award for Best Screenplay - Original, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture, and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Also a success at the box office, the film grossed over $92 million in North America against its $16 million budget. After “When Harry Met Sally…,” she embarked into the Mafia world with “Cookie” (1989), a reunion with “Silkwood” writing partner Alice Arlen. The film starred Peter Falk as mobster Dino Capisco and Emily Lloyd as his illegitimate daughter, Carmela “Cookie” Voltecki, and was helmed by Susan Seidelman. Apart from writing, Ephron also served as an associate producer for the first film and an executive producer for the latter. Also in 1989, she made her first appearance in front of the camera when she had a bit part as a wedding guest in Woody Allen's “Crimes and Misdemeanors.” She would make a second movie appearance in Allen's 1992 film “Husbands and Wives.”

In 1990, Ephron executive produced and wrote the comedy “My Blue Heaven,” directed by Herbert Ross and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack. The film was a flop at the box office. She followed it up by making her feature film directing debut with “This Is My Life” (1992). She co-wrote the screenplay with her sister Delia. The next year, she directed “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), a romantic comedy adapted from a story by Jeff Arch that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. With a screenplay co-written by Ephron, the film earned Oscar nominations for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, and Best Music, Original Song. Ephron also shared a BAFTA nomination for Best Screenplay - Original, and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. “Sleepless in Seattle” marked a first huge box office success for Ephron as a director/writer.

In 1994, Ephron directed and co-wrote (with her sister Delia) an unsuccessful comedy vehicle for Steve Martin and Madeline Khan called “Mixed Nuts,” a remake of the 1982 French film “Le Père Noël est une ordure.” She resurfaced in 1996 when she wrote, directed and produced the film “Michael,” which reunited her with Delia for the screenplay. The film collected a total worldwide gross of nearly $120 million and the cast included John Travolta (as Michael Franco), Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins, Robert Pastorelli and Jean Stapleton. After serving as executive producer for “Strike” (1998), a comedy written and directed by Sarah Kernochan and starring Kirsten Dunst and Rachael Leigh Cook, she produced, wrote and directed “You've Got Mail” (1998), a remake of the 1940 romantic comedy “The Shop Around the Corner.” The film starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, their first reunion after “Sleepless in Seattle,” with the script written by Ephron and her sister Delia. “You've Got Mail” was a success at the box office and grossed more than $250 million worldwide against its $65 million budget. Ephron netted a Golden Satellite nomination for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for her work in the film.

Opening the new millennium, Ephron teamed up again with her sister Delia to produce and write the screenplay for “Hanging Up” (2000), which was based on Delia's 1995 book of the same name. Starring Diane Keaton, Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow and Walter Matthau (in his final film appearance) and directed by Keaton, the movie was a disappointment at the box office. She returned to the director's chair later that same year when she helmed John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow and Tim Roth in the comedy film “Lucky Numbers” (2000), from which Travolta earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor for his portrayal of weatherman Russ Richards. Ephron also produced the movie with Sean Daniel, Jonathan D. Krane and Andrew Lazar.

After the failure of “Lucky Numbers,” Ephron withdrew from the cinematic industry for several years. In 2002, she made her debut as a playwright with “Imaginary Friends.” The play ran at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, from September 21 to November 3, 2002, with Jack O'Brien directing and Swoosie Kurtz and Cherry Jones starring as Hellman and McCarthy, respectively. The production was transferred to Broadway on December 12 and closed after 76 performances on February 16, 2003.

Back to feature films, Ephron directed Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell in the big screen adaptation of the classic 60's TV series “Bewitched” (2005), which she scripted with Delia and produced with Douglas Wick and Penny Marshall. The film was panned by critics and earned Razzie nominations for Worst Remake or Sequel, Worst Screen Couple (won), Worst Director and Worst Screenplay. It collected over $131 million worldwide against its $85 million budget. The next year, she published the book “I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman.”

In 2009, Ephron produced, directed and wrote “Julie & Julia,” which was adapted from Julia Child's autobiography “My Life in France” and Julie Powell's book “Julie & Julia.” Starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, the film premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on July 30, 2009, and opened throughout North America on August 7, 2009. It earned positive reviews from critics and made over $118 million worldwide, exceeding its $40 million budget. Ephron was nominated for a 2009 Satellite for Best Screenplay, Adapted and a 2010 Writers Guild of America for the film.

Awards:

• Casting Society of America: Golden Apple Award, 2009

• Writers Guild of America: Ian McLellan Hunter Award, 2003

• Women in Film Crystal: Crystal Award, 1994

• BAFTA: Best Screenplay - Original, “When Harry Met Sally...,” 1990