Late afternoon yesterday, I read somewhere that Nora Ephron was gravely ill. So the obvious thing to do was stock up on enough Mexican food, Kit-Kat bars, and whiskey for at least three people; set up camp in bed; and watch Heartburn, the 1986 film adapted from Ephron’s book about her disastrous marriage to Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein, starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. This cinematic gem is often overlooked for the orgasm-faking silliness of When Harry Met Sally or the yes-she-was-kind-of-stalking-him-but-she’s-cute-so-it’s-romantic Sleepless In Seattle or the harbinger of online dating You’ve Got Mail or the I-really-should’ve-eaten-before-I-saw-this-movie Julie and Julia. I could go on, but you know all of this. When we think of rom-coms, we think of Ephron, of her lacerating wit and her honest portrayal of strong women. And we’ll continue to think of her impact on cinema for the rest of our lives. When asked about her wishes for her funeral, Ephron once said: “I want everyone to be basket cases.” Judging by my sloppy viewing of Heartburn, I think it’s safe to say that Nora Ephron will get her wish and then some.
I leave you with some of the most memorable Nora Ephron moments:
