除了更自由的语言和更直白的性幽默，《当哈利遇到莎莉》是一部非常传统的浪漫喜剧，非常像1934年《一夜风流》(It Happened One Night)建立的模式。两个完全不同但长相相当的人因环境而走到了一起。他们一开始对对方充满敌意，但随着影片的发展，这种敌意变成了爱情，因为他们的性格在与对方的接触中变得柔和了。事实上，哈利和莎莉的核心特征与《我爱你》里的彼得和艾伦非常相似——他世故而愤世嫉俗，她被宠坏了，对一切都很确定。事实证明，他们两人都不像自己认为的那样正确或自信。WHMS对长期关系的态度非常现代。仅仅相爱并从此过上幸福的生活已经不够了。他们必须对自己到底是为了什么，或者是谁，有一个全面而真实的理解。他们还必须在性方面兼容(因此在他们最终在一起之前，他们必须和对方睡过觉)。在一个平淡无奇的世界里，在这个传统浪漫的框架内，WHMS几乎是完美的。 Structurally, there are no gaps or implausibilities. Even the central coincidence of these people running into each other under these circumstances is answered. The short but affecting intermissions of successful old couples describing their relationships are not only crucial to the pacing of the film, they also make the point that Harry and Sally are just another couple with an unusual and interesting story. There's an element of luck and coincidence in every successful relationship. The effectiveness of the film's structure is perhaps best highlighted by the soundtrack. There's a perfectly selected Louis Armstrong track for every phase of their relationship - the soundtrack not only complements the mood of the film, it comments on the action. The acting is superb, with the two main protagonists as well as their two foils (Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher) all giving career-best comic performances. Without such fantastic performances, it's very possible that the film could have failed: these are essentially self-indulgent people, that we sympathise with them and recognise them is in great measure down to the stars. Finally, the script is fantastic. Of course nobody really speaks like that, but like all great scripts it distills emotions and points of view into a few lines. And it's funny. The one-liners are still sharp and amusing on the twentieth viewing, and the set-pieces are beautifully realised (the orgasm scene is only the most famous - check out Harry's olympic sex-dream speech - "Must have been the dismount" - or the "I'm through making a schmuck out of myself" phone call). All this, and a dinner party talking point about male and female relationships. Can we ever be just friends? Not even with an ugly girl? "Nah, you pretty much want to nail them too."
