1993 Rom-Com Named a 'Best Romance Movie From the '90s' Was Inspired by a Classic Film
It's practically destiny that Sleepless in Seattle is one of the top romance movies of the '90s according to IMDB. The romantic comedy is considered to be one of the best and was praised by critics at the time for being "as ephemeral as a talk show, as contrived as the late show, and yet so warm and gentle I smiled the whole way through."
Director Nora Ephron was originally brought on as a writer to make the script sharper and funnier. The original spec script, written by Jeff Arch, was more of a drama than a comedy with ties back to the classic film, An Affair to Remember. While Ephron and Arch were admittedly very different writers, they both shared a love for An Affair to Remember, with Ephron saying she considered it to be the greatest movie she'd ever seen. Between Arch's sentimentality and Ephron's humor, the beloved script that would become Sleepless in Seattle was brought to life.
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Sleepless in Seattle follows Sam Baldwin (played by Tom Hanks) who moves to Seattle with his son, Jonah, following the death of his wife. On Christmas Eve, Jonah calls in to a syndicated talk-radio program in search of a new wife for his dad, and Sam reluctantly gets on the line to talk about his feelings and deep love for his late wife. Annie Reed (played by Meg Ryan), a reporter in Baltimore, hears the program and is instantly drawn to Sam. Despite being engaged and having no clue where her motivations will lead, Annie writes Sam a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day.
Related: 1998 Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Romantic Comedies of All Time'
The role of Annie was long planned with Meg Ryan in mind, and Tom Hanks was cast after it was determined Dennis Quaid (Meg's real-life husband) wasn't funny enough for Ephron's improved script. Despite movies often using Vancouver, BC to film, Ephron felt it looked "too Canadian" and principal production kicked off in Seattle in July of 1992. Some of the notable Seattle locations spotted in the film are Pike Place Market, Alki Beach, the Fremont Bridge, and the Sorrento Hotel.
Sleepless in Seattle received two nominations for Academy Awards and has withstood the test of time as a romantic comedy classic.
Related: 1957 Classic, Nominated for 4 Oscars, Ranked the ‘Saddest Movie of All Time'
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 12:53 PM.