History Film / YouveGotMail

* BelligerentSexualTension: Between the two leads, obviously.
* BigApplesauce
* BlackBestFriend: Dave Chappelle (who passed up playing Tom Hanks' best friend before, in Film/ForrestGump.)

* PlayingAgainstType: Steve Zahn and Dave Chappelle play low-key comic relief as opposed to their more over-the-top roles.

* ThrowItIn: Tom Hanks ad-libbed the line after he accidentally closed the door on the balloon (where he frees the balloon then adds on the way out, "Good thing it wasn't the fish!").

'''''You've Got Mail''''' is a [[strike:2 hour advertisement for AOL]] 1998 romantic comedy featuring Creator/TomHanks and Creator/MegRyan. It was directed by Nora Ephron. Sisters Nora and Delia Ephron co-wrote the script. The Ephron sisters admitted they were updating ''Parfumerie'', a theatrical play by Miklós Lászlo (1903-1973) for a new generation. Naturally it is also related to ''Film/TheShopAroundTheCorner'', a 1940 film adaptation of the same play.

!!The film provides examples of:

** Joe simultaneously goes through the same thing after realizing he stepped over the line by needling her while also not revealing himself as her pen-pal. In his e-mailed apology in response, he tells her not to feel too guilty because it was "provoked and maybe even deserved". This starts the turning point in both characters easing up on their hostility towards the other and it all works out in the end, of course.

''You've Got Mail'' is a [[strike:2 hour advertisement for AOL]] 1998 romantic comedy featuring Creator/TomHanks and Creator/MegRyan. It was directed by Nora Ephron. Sisters Nora and Delia Ephron co-wrote the script. The Ephron sisters admitted they were updating ''Parfumerie'', a theatrical play by Miklós Lászlo (1903-1973) for a new generation. Naturally it is also related to ''Film/TheShopAroundTheCorner'', a 1940 film adaptation of the same play.

** Nope. He also refers to his bookstore as a G.D. piazza. Television airings of the film edit that out, so we just get "piazza."

Joe Fox (Hanks) and Kathleen Kelly (Ryan) are both active in the New York bookstore scene, but at very different levels. Joe is a high-ranking executive for "Fox Books", an ever expanding chain of bookstores. Kathleen runs "The Shop Around The Corner", a small independent bookstore, inherited from her mother. As she keeps losing customers to Fox Books and in danger of going bankrupt, Kelly starts a public campaign against the chain. Naturally Joe and Kathleen's relationship is adversarial.

Meanwhile the two are involved in rather unsatisfying romantic relationships and feel lonely. They search for pen pals over the Internet. Fox uses the screen name "NY 152", Kelly goes by "Shopgirl". They soon become friends and soon become courting over the Internet, each unware that their respective new love interest and business rival are the same person.

The film was a box office hit, its total lifetime gross estimated to $250,821,495. With about $116 millions earned in the United States alone, it was the 14th most financially successful film of its year. While the plot was hardly original, the film gathered rather positive reviews due to the chemistry between its leads, its often witty dialogues, quirky supporting cast, and somewhat realistic take on the plight of small businesses going under.

* "FunnyAneurysm": Fox Books forced a small bookshop out of business and probably just like Barnes & Noble is fighting a losing battle against Amazon and digital shops in 2013.
* GenreThrowback: A wholly uncynical and innocent movie about romance. A throwback to Hollywood's Golden Age of fluffy romance films, featuring no villains, all nice people, witty dialogue, a lot of supporting roles, and the movie's conclusion is never in doubt.

* LovesMyAlterEgo: Joe once he knows he's talking to Kathleen online, who loves him when they trade e-mails but understandably dislikes him in real life.
* MustHaveCaffeine: Joe Fox explains his business plan: "we're going to sell them cheap books and legal addictive stimulants."
* OverlyNarrowSuperlative: It's mentioned a few times that Frank is "the greatest living expert on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg."

* PredatoryBusiness: Played straight at first, since Fox Books does drive the family bookstore into bankruptcy. Subverted later. The megacorp is offering cheaper goods, but it still serves the community for the better, as can be seen when Meg Ryan is walking around the store, noticing that groups of adults and children alike are scattered around reading books and having fun. Even though one employee that didn't know about the "Shoe" books, there's no indication that they are selling cheap material or using dirty business practices. As Joe Fox said, "I sell cheap books. Sue me".
-->'''RogerEbert''': "The movie is sophisticated enough not to make the megastore into the villain. Say what you will, those giant stores are fun to spend time in."
* QuoteMine: Joe's interview rebuttal to Kathleen's protest was a victim of this. He was quote as saying "I sell cheap books. Sue me." The extended quote actually also mentioned that their bookstore was a Piazza, where people are welcome to come in, sit and enjoy the afternoon.

** Tom Hanks' character constantly refers to Film/TheGodfather as the "I Ching" of manly wisdom and quotes extensively from the film. He inadvertently teaches Meg Ryan the meaning of the phrase "Go to the mattresses" - go to war with your enemies - which she promptly uses [[NiceJobBreakingItHero to declare war on Hanks' store chain]].

* SophisticatedAsHell: Joe's reaction to being {{Quote Mine}}d in a TV interview: "I was eloquent! Shit!"
* TechnologyMarchesOn: This being a film where people use computers in [[TheNineties 1998]], you will of course hear the sounds of dial-up modems connecting to America Online 4.0 (released that summer) on laptops that, compared to Netbooks and even tablets today, look incredibly bulky. In addition, the use of instant messaging, chat rooms, and email, rather revolutionary at the time, are now rather overshadowed by the rise of social networking, audio/video chat, and text messaging on mobile phones. The anonymous pen pals premise might be a tad harder to pull off today in comparison.

* ThrowItIn: Tom Hanks ad-libbed the line after he accidentally closed the door on the balloon (where he frees the balloon then adds on the way out, "Good thing it wasn't the goldfish!").

* "FunnyAneurysm": Fox Books forced out of business a small bookshop and probably just like Barnes & Noble is fighting losing battle against Amazon and digital shops right now.

** Also, as mentioned above, these days online book retailers and e-booksellers are the ones forcing mega-bookstores out of business, making Fox Books' dominance a bit HilariousInHindsight.

* WhatTheHellHero: Kathleen to herself. When she finally musters the confidence and the ability to zing and insult Joe at the coffee shop, she at first feels enlightened but later expresses regret and guilt about being "cruel" in an email to "NY152".

* BlackBestFriend: Funny in that Dave Chappelle once passed up playing Tom Hanks' best friend before, in a [[{{Understatement}} slightly more popular]] [[ForrestGump film]]. Perhaps an upgrade since this role lacks the UncleTomfoolery that Paul Mooney said Chappelle was hesitant about with the Bubba role.

* BlackBestFriend: Funny in that Dave Chappelle once passed up playing Tom Hanks' best friend before, in a [[SarcasmMode slightly more popular]] [[ForrestGump film]]. Perhaps an upgrade since this role lacks the UncleTomfoolery that Paul Mooney said Chappelle was hesitant about with the Bubba role.

* ThrowItIn: Tom Hanks ad-libbed the line after he accidentally closed the door on the balloon (where he frees the balloon then adds on the way out, "Good thing it wasn't the fish!").

* BeamMeUpScotty: In-universe; in a realistic touch, Joe quotes ''Film/TheGodfather'' off-hand to Kathleen, but misquotes it as "I didn't know who you were with." It's actually "You should've told me your boss was Corleone."

* SophisticatedAsHell: Joe's reaction to being {[Quote Mine}}d in a TV interview: "I was eloquent! Shit!"

* QuoteMine: Joe's interview rebuttal to Kathleen's protest was a victim of this. He was quote as saying "I sell cheap books. Sue me".
The extended quote actually also mentioned that their bookstore was a Piazza, where people are welcome to come in, sit and enjoy the afternoon.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: While Kathleen and Joe are having a tiff at a dinner party (shortly after Kathleen finds out he is the part of the Fox Books hierarchy), he nonchalantly scoops some caviar off a dessert plate onto his o

''You've Got Mail'' is a [[strike:2 hour advertisement for AOL]] 1998 romantic comedy featuring TomHanks and MegRyan. It was directed by Nora Ephron. Sisters Nora and Delia Ephron co-wrote the script. The Ephron sisters admitted they were updating ''Parfumerie'', a theatrical play by Miklós Lászlo (1903-1973) for a new generation. Naturally it is also related to ''TheShopAroundTheCorner'', a 1940 film adaptation of the same play.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: While Kathleen and Joe are having a tiff at a dinner party (shortly after Kathleen finds out he is the part of the Fox Books hierarchy), he nonchalantly scoops some caviar off a dessert plate onto his own. Kathleen is offended by that ("That caviar is a GARNISH!"), prompting Joe to [[CrowningMomentOfFunny look her in the eye and wordlessly put more caviar on his plate.]]
* FictionalCounterpart: Fox Books is clearly a stand-in for Barnes & Noble, and the way it forces Kathleen's bookshop out of business is based on the real-life 1996 closure of a small Upper West Side bookstore, Shakespeare & Co., following the opening of a B&N branch in the same neighborhood.
* "FunnyAneurysm": Fox Books forced out of business a small bookshop and probably just like Barnes & Noble is fighting losing battle against Amazon and digital shops right now.
* GenreThrowback: A wholly uncynical and innocent movie about romance. A throwback to Hollywood's Golden Age of fluffy romance films, featuring no villains, all nice people, witty dialogue, a lot of supporting roles, and the movie's conclusion is never in doubt.
* MustHaveCaffeine: Joe Fox explains his business plan: "we're going to sell them cheap books and legal addictive stimulants."
* PairTheSpares
* PetTheDog: Literal example: Joe Fox has a dog and he meets Kathleen while walking it.
* PlayingAgainstType: Steve Zahn and Dave Chappelle play low-key comic relief as opposed to their more over-the-top roles.
* PrecisionFStrike: Joe goes on a tirade about how the news edited his interview rather unfavorably compared to Kathleen and shouts "Shit!" in the fitness club in quite possibly the film's only use of swearing.
* PredatoryBusiness: Played straight at first, since Fox Books does drive the family bookstore into bankruptcy. Subverted later. The megacorp is offering cheaper goods, but it still serves the community for the better, as can be seen when Meg Ryan is walking around the store, noticing that groups of adults and children alike are scattered around reading books and having fun. Even though one employee that didn't know about the "Shoe" books, there's no indication that they are selling cheap material or using dirty business practices. As Joe Fox said, "I sell cheap books. Sue me".
-->'''RogerEbert''': "The movie is sophisticated enough not to make the megastore into the villain. Say what you will, those giant stores are fun to spend time in."
* QuoteMine: Joe's interview rebuttal to Kathleen's protest was a victim of this. He was quote as saying "I sell cheap books. Sue me".
The extended quote actually also mentioned that their bookstore was a Piazza, where people are welcome to come in, sit and enjoy the afternoon.
* ShoutOut: The name of Kathleen Kelly's store, "The Shop Around The Corner", is a deliberate reference to the 1940 movie.
** Tom Hanks' character constantly refers to Film/TheGodfather as the "I Ching" of manly wisdom and quotes extensively from the film. He inadvertently teaches Meg Ryan the meaning of the phrase "Go to the mattresses" - go to war with your enemies - which she promptly uses [[NiceJobBreakingItHero to declare war on Hanks' store chain]].
** Another, more subtle shout-out is the Kathleen's statement that she loves PrideAndPrejudice, which also features the "enemies becoming a couple" plot. It's also the book that she brings to their disastrous "first" meeting.
* TechnologyMarchesOn: This being a film where people use computers in [[TheNineties 1998]], you will of course hear the sounds of dial-up modems connecting to America Online 4.0 (released that summer) on laptops that, compared to Netbooks and even tablets today, look incredibly bulky. In addition, the use of instant messaging, chat rooms, and email, rather revolutionary at the time, are now rather overshadowed by the rise of social networking, audio/video chat, and text messaging on mobile phones. The anonymous pen pals premise might be a tad harder to pull off today in comparison.
** More early-AOL residue: During the one sequence using Instant Messenger, both characters type in far more into the windows than what most people do today, who prefer to break up long blocks of text across several [=IM=]s.
* ThrowItIn: Tom Hanks ad-libbed the line after he accidentally closed the door on the balloon (where he frees the balloon then adds on the way out, "Good thing it wasn't the fish!").
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: This movie fairly well screams 1998.
* WhatTheHellHero: Kathleen to herself. When she finally musters the confidence and the ability to zing and insult Joe at the coffee shop, she at first feels enlightened but later expresses regret and guilt about being "cruel" in an email to "NY152".
** Joe simultaneously goes through the same thing after realizing he stepped over the line by needling her while also not revealing himself as her pen-pal. In his e-mailed apology in response, he tells her not to feel too guilty because it was "provoked and maybe even deserved". This starts the turning point in both characters easing up on their hostility towards the other and it all works out in the end, of course.

** Another, more subtle shout-out is the Kathleen's statement that she loves PrideandPrejudice, which also features the "enemies becoming a couple" plot. It's also the book that she brings to their disastrous "first" meeting.

* GeorgeLucasThrowback: A wholly uncynical and innocent movie about romance. A throwback to Hollywood's Golden Age of fluffy romance films, featuring no villains, all nice people, witty dialogue, a lot of supporting roles, and the movie's conclusion is never in doubt.

** Joe simultaneously goes through the same thing after realizing he stepped over the line by needling her while also not revealing himself as her pen-pal. In his e-mailed apology in response, he tells her not to feel too guilty because it was "provoked and maybe even deserved". This starts the turning point in both characters easing up on their hostility towards the other and it all works out in the end, of course.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous: While Kathleen and Joe are having a tiff at a dinner party (shortly after Kathleen finds out he is the part of the Fox Books hierarchy), he nonchalantly scoops some caviar off a dessert plate onto his own. Kathleen is offended by that ("That caviar is a GARNISH!"), prompting Joe to [[CrowningMomentOfFunny look her in the eye and wordlessly put more caviar on his plate.]]

* PredatoryBusiness: Played straight at first, since Fox Books does drive the family bookstore into bankruptcy. Subverted later. The megacorp is offering cheaper goods, but it still serves the community for the better, as can be seen when Meg Ryan is walking around the store, noticing that groups of adults and children alike are scattered around reading books and having fun. Even though one employee that didn't know about the "Shoe" books, there's no indication that they are selling cheap material or using dirty business practices. As Tom Hanks said, "I sell cheap books. Sue me."

* QuoteMine: Joe's interview rebuttal to Kathleen's protest was a victim of this. He was quote as saying "I sell cheap books. Sue me."

** Joe simultaneously goes through the same thing after realizing he stepped over the line by needling her while also not revealing himself as her pen-pal. In his e-mailed apology in response, he tells her not to feel too guilty because it was "provoked and maybe even deserved." This starts the turning point in both characters easing up on their hostility towards the other and it all works out in the end, of course.