Sleepless in Seattle

“Sleepless in Seattle” is a reknowned film of a love story and is considered to be a “chick flick.” It is directed and has a screenplay written by a woman, Nora Ephron, who creates a romance about a character, Sam (played by Tom Hanks) who is a vulnerable man that finds love after the death of his wife. It is a unique story, as it is the male who is very vulnerable and shaken that falls in love with a woman from the other side of the country who nurtures him back to happiness, unlike most love stories where the man falls in love with a vulnerable woman and saves her from whatever peril she is in. Tom Hanks is not a particular attractive man, does not make a lot of money, and is not looking for a relationship until he finds his love in Meg Ryan’s character. This story is very different from “Clueless,” a movie about attractive high school students trying to find a boyfriend or experiencing love at a young age. While “Clueless” is about an independent female trying to find happiness, “Sleepless in Seattle” is a story about a man and a woman who are meant for each other and find happiness in one another. Ephron uses her characters to build on one another and find love, while Amy Heckerling, the writer and director of “Clueless” uses all her characters to build off Cher, the lead actress. While Heckerling focuses on a female figure who can achieve whatever she wants, Ephron portrays Tom Hanks as a sensitive man who needs Ryan , and Ryan as a compassionate woman who needs the vulnerable Hanks.