An Official Ranking of Every Nora Ephron Movie (and Where To Watch 'Em)
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
ICYMI: Nora Ephron is one of the best screenwriters of the '90s and early '00s. Not only did she write some of the very best rom-coms of the '90s—or, I would argue, the best romantic comedies of all time—she also helped make Meg Ryan a rom-com legend and eventually directed her own scripts, becoming a Hollywood legend. Needless to say, if you haven't seen a Nora Ephron movie, you really, really need to. Like now. To help you with your Ephron education, I have taken it upon myself to round up every Nora Ephron movie, ranked from best to worst (but to be fair, none are actually "worst," they're all worth watching).
Make no mistake, though, Ephron was much more than just a screenwriter or filmmaker, she was also a journalist and novelist, her impact going far beyond the big screen. Over the course of her life, she published four books, and a collection of essays and other works was released after her death in 2013. As for her career in Hollywood, she wrote 13 features—three of which earned her Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay—and she directed seven of those scripts. She also directed one film that she did not write, called Lucky Numbers, but given her reputation primarily as a writer, I have decided to leave that one off the list. Now, get ready to have the best movie marathon of your life. I present to you: all the Nora Ephron movies, ranked.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
It's true: Nora Ephron wrote the script for the best romantic comedy of all time. (I will not be taking objections at this time.) When Harry Met Sally is truly a perfect film about the friendship between Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) that grows and changes over the course of a decade. Everything lines up in this movie—the cast, the music, the fall vibes—but it would be nothing without Ephron's sharp and witty script. It was also the film that kicked off Meg Ryan's reign as rom-com Queen. Hollywood was never the same!
See the original post on Youtube
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Ephron directed and wrote Sleepless in Seattle, another classic rom-com starring Meg Ryan. The film is about a recently widowed father (Tom Hanks) whose son, hoping to find a new wife for his dad, calls into a radio talk show, sparking the curiosity of a journalist (Ryan) who lives across the country. Ryan and Hanks are both charming in the roles, and their chemistry is seriously off the charts. You'll never look at the Empire State Building the same way again.
See the original post on Youtube
Heartburn (1986)
Ephron adapted Heartburn, her novel of the same title, for the big screen in 1986. The story is about a woman who, among other things, discovers her husband is having an affair...while she's pregnant with their child. The book was inspired by Ephron's own life and marriage to Carl Bernstein, and the film starred Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.
See the original post on Youtube
You've Got Mail (1998)
Back to the rom-coms! Ephron reunited with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan for You've Got Mail, which she wrote and directed in 1998. In the film, Hanks and Ryan play rival bookstore owners who cannot stand each other IRL but, unbeknownst to them, are falling in love with each other via anonymous e-mail correspondence. It also features a truly mind-boggling supporting cast. Dave Chappelle as Hanks' funny friend? Steve Zahn as Ryan's co-worker? Chris Messina as a bookstore employee?? Some might argue that this should be higher up on the list for that cast list alone, but given the personal nature of Heartburn, I must bump this down to number 4. Sry.
See the original post on Youtube
Silkwood (1983)
Ephron earned her very first Oscar nomination (shared with Alice Arlen) for the script of Silkwood, a tense drama inspired by the life of union activist Karen Silkwood. Meryl Streep plays Karen, a woman who works at a plutonium processing plant and tries to expose unsafe conditions in her workplace to devastating and potentially deadly consequences. The film earned Oscar nods for Streep, as well as co-star Cher and director Mike Nichols (who also directed Heartburn).
See the original post on Youtube
This Is My Life (1992)
Ephron made her directorial debut with This Is My Life, a film she also co-wrote about a stand-up comic (Julie Kavner) who finally gets her big break, but her newfound fame takes her away from her two young daughters. This is a heartfelt dramedy with a focus on mother-daughter relationships. Aka, it's exactly the type of movie to watch if you wanna be in your feelings for a bit.
See the original post on Youtube
Julie & Julia (2009)
Every millennial knows you can't talk about Nora Ephron without talking about Julie & Julia, the last film she wrote and directed. This marked the third collaboration between Ephron and Meryl Streep, who starred as the renowned cook Julia Child in this film that tells the parallel stories of Child and the woman (Amy Adams) who is later inspired to try every single recipe in Child's book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The film has certain rom-com vibes, thanks in large part to Stanley Tucci's delightful chemistry with Streep and Chris Messina's performance opposite Adams, but it's mostly a dramedy about two women who find their way through cooking. It's one of those feel-good movies you just can't help but fall in love with.
See the original post on Youtube
Hanging Up (2000)
Meg Ryan and Nora Ephron teamed up once again for Hanging Up, a film about three sisters—played by Diane Keaton, who also directed, Ryan, and Lisa Kudrow—navigating their relationship with their elderly father and each other. Like This Is My Life, Hanging Up is less about romance and more about family and sisterhood. Plus, there's a big fluffy dog in it, so that's a bonus.
See the original post on Youtube
My Blue Heaven (1990)
Ephron wrote the script for the comedy My Blue Heaven about a mobster (played by an over-the-top Steve Martin) who enters witness protection and the straightlaced FBI agent (Rick Moranis) in charge of keeping him safe. This is one of Ephron's goofier movies (though, fear not, there's sillier to come), but while it lacks the undeniable charm of When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless in Seattle, it's still plenty of fun.
See the original post on Youtube
Michael (1996)
Ephron blended the romantic comedy with a dash of the supernatural in Michael, a movie about two bickering reporters tracking down the story of a supposed angel spotted living with an older woman. They are dubious of this claim until they meet Michael (John Travolta), a chain-smoking, overall-wearing, Frosted Flakes-eating man with angel wings. I won't lie to you; Michael is not Ephron's best (she directed the film and co-wrote the script), but it does still have her trademark wit and charm.
See the original post on Youtube
Cookie (1989)
After Heartburn, Ephron went full comedy with the script for Cookie, a movie about a teenage girl who starts working with her estranged dad in his...less than legal business dealings. The movie feels ~very~ '80s, which means it can be a bit dated at times, but fans of Peter Falk and Dianne Wiest, who play Cookie's parents, will get a kick out of it.
See the original post on Youtube
Mixed Nuts (1994)
Ephron fans will agree: she is the patron saint of fall movies. (There's a reason this picture of Billy Crystal was all over your feed when the season officially began.) But did you know that she also tried her hand at the Christmas movie genre? Ephron co-wrote and directed Mixed Nuts, a relatively outlandish comedy starring Steve Martin as a man who runs a crisis hotline and ends up hosting a kind of impromptu party for clients one wild December night. The movie is definitely dated, but if you're in the mood for a grown-up Christmas comedy featuring a young Adam Sandler, you might enjoy it!
See the original post on Youtube
Bewitched (2005)
Bewitched might be at the bottom of this ranking, but that doesn't mean it's horrible. It's a witchy rom-com starring the mismatched Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, of course it has its moments! Ephron co-wrote and directed the film, which means that it has moments of brilliant fun, but did we really need a meta reboot of Bewitched? Maybe not.
See the original post on Youtube
Bonus movie: Everything Is Copy
If all of these movies have you begging for more Nora Ephron, you should check out Everything Is Copy, a documentary composed of old interviews of Ephron as well as new interviews with her friends and family. The film, which was released after her death, was written and co-directed by her son, Jacob Bernstein.
See the original post on Youtube
You Might Also Like
