Just so you know: I hardly ever watch romantic comedies. My idea of a good movie with romance in it is Blue Valentine, (500) Days of Summer, or Celeste and Jesse Forever.

That being said, When Harry Met Sally is one of those movies that has captured the hearts of romantic comedy lovers ever  since its debut in 1989. There have been countless references to it since then and has become something of a looming giant in the genre. In it are some truths and realizations that open up a dialogue between men and women, whether or not those truths are exactly on point.

Why should you see it? It’s not some movie where Katherine Heigl (or Sandra Bullock pre-The Blind Side) plays a woman who longs for a romantic entanglement because her life is too boring and she not-so-secretly wants to be treated like crap by men. It’s about two people realizing, over time, that what they have might be more special than they realize. With many laughs thrown in.

The very talented writer Nora Ephron died this year due to complications brought on by leukemia. She wrote When Harry Met Sally and, while it followed the traditional “boy meets girl” plot that has served romantic comedies very well, the dialogue is sharp, quirky, and reveals much about what we expect from our partners. She also wrote Julie and Julia, Heartburn, Sleepless in Seattle, and Silkwood.

While some argue that men and women can be friends, myself among them, the movie is based on the premise that a man and a woman speaking to each other isn’t just friendly banter. The end goal of the man is to get the woman in bed.

The movie made Billy Crystal seem likable and perhaps even funny (or is that too far?). It made Meg Ryan seem like a brain surgeon, as compared to the other rom-com roles she has “acted” in. I had never seen this movie until recently when I decided that I really wanted to see what the fuss was about. It was what I expected but, more than that, it was about a journey. The two characters don’t really hate each other at the beginning, like most of these movies. They feel each other out and actually become friends, despite their attempts otherwise. Then comes the part where Harry is proved right and it turns out that men can’t be trusted with only friendship; they will try to take advantage in a given situation and that’s when it becomes a bit murky.

Spoiler: everything works out in the end. Just like you want it to. <3

Rent it on Netflix.