Nora Ephron’s name is synonymous with classic romantic comedies like You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. But according to Ilana Kaplan’s new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, Ephron’s legacy is a complex mixture of success and struggle, with a far more diverse body of work than her rom-com fame suggests. Kaplan’s book dives into the many sides of Ephron, revealing a driven filmmaker who constantly sought to break the mold, even if that journey wasn’t always met with critical acclaim.
Ephron knew the rarity of her hits. On the night of her 1998 hit You’ve Got Mail’s premiere, she reportedly told friends, “Remember this moment, because it’s a hit—and they don’t come along very often.” Despite her high-profile success in romantic comedy, Ephron’s career was filled with projects that struggled to connect with audiences. From her first Oscar-nominated screenplay for Silkwood to the beloved Julie & Julia, Ephron’s films hit widely different notes, some resonating deeply while others barely registered.
A Mixed Filmography: From Breakout Hits to Forgotten Films
While Ephron is fondly remembered for a few groundbreaking films, her broader career was dotted with misses, such as My Blue Heaven and Mixed Nuts. Her comedic voice, though celebrated in essays and novels, often struggled in certain films, particularly in cases like Mixed Nuts, where critics found her attempt at dark humor falling flat. Despite those missteps, she remained a filmmaker committed to exploring different stories and genres.
This unpredictability in her career, Kaplan notes, has led to a general misrepresentation of Ephron’s work as solely lighthearted romance—a label Ephron found limiting. “She didn’t just want to be known as a rom-com queen,” Kaplan writes, acknowledging that Ephron’s legacy often oversimplifies her impact on film and comedy.
Success and Struggles Shaped by Personal Storytelling
Ephron’s approach to storytelling was deeply personal. Her “everything is copy” philosophy pushed her to take her real-life experiences, such as her high-profile divorce from Carl Bernstein, and turn them into memorable stories like her novel Heartburn. But as Kaplan’s book suggests, Ephron’s philosophy wasn’t about sharing every detail but rather shaping her narrative—a way to keep control over her own story, particularly in the public eye.
Her life experiences gave her a distinctive voice, and she worked to bring a conversational, honest style to her films. Yet, despite this authenticity, Ephron’s movies often had narrow portrayals that have faced criticism. As Kaplan points out, most of her films lack diversity, with very few characters of color, like Dave Chappelle’s supporting role in You’ve Got Mail. Additionally, while some see her inclusion of a trans character in Mixed Nuts as progressive, others criticize it for being transphobic by today’s standards.
A Filmmaker Driven by Contradictions
Ephron was often a paradox—a writer and filmmaker who could be both acerbic and deeply sentimental. This mix of sharp humor and warmth resonated in her iconic romantic comedies but became a source of tension in other projects. Her debut novel, Heartburn, famously fictionalized the collapse of her marriage with biting wit, but the movie adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson received a much cooler reception.
This paradox has led to a unique legacy. As Kaplan describes, Ephron is often remembered as a cozy rom-com creator, but her career included bold choices and unconventional stories that weren’t always embraced by audiences. For Ephron, success wasn’t just about finding hits but about constantly testing new ground in film.
Revitalizing the Romantic Comedy—and Its Limits
Ephron’s work revitalized the romantic comedy genre, a space often dominated by predictable tropes. Her films brought a fresh perspective with characters who were smart, complex, and full of witty dialogue. She didn’t shy away from showing the messiness of love, something that resonated with audiences and changed how romantic stories were told on screen.
However, Kaplan notes that this fresh take also came with its own limitations. Ephron’s stories, while progressive in some ways, often reflected the social attitudes of her time and social class. This sometimes translated to a lack of representation and sensitivity around race and gender identity that today’s audiences notice more critically. For instance, When Harry Met Sally… has remained a classic, yet some critics argue that the film’s portrayal of relationships lacks diversity and could benefit from a more inclusive lens.
A Legacy Beyond the Screen
Kaplan’s book paints Ephron as a filmmaker whose life was a series of bold choices and unapologetic opinions. Through her works, she became an influential figure, one whose contributions to the rom-com genre left an indelible mark. Despite her professional struggles, she continued creating, learning, and evolving in her approach to storytelling, impacting not only audiences but also a generation of women in media and film.
Even a decade after her passing, Ephron’s legacy remains vibrant. Her films, though sometimes criticized, continue to inspire with their wit and emotional honesty. As Kaplan reminds readers, Ephron’s contributions to cinema are as complex as her own life, full of contradictions but always memorable.
