The day You've Got Mail came in the mail, we all asked if a movie built around America Online, now considered a relic by everyone but your still-on-dial-up grandma, would actually hold up. Looking back, it was a silly question. A good movie is bigger than its gimmick and You've Got Mail proves that in fine fashion.
Of course, You've Got Mail had a little help. Although the title would lead anyone to believe AOL is vital to the plot, it's takes a much smaller role. The plot is based on the 1940's film The Shop Around the Corner, which is included as a stand-alone DVD extra.
After meeting in an "Over 30" chatroom, Joe (Tom Hanks) and Kathleen (Meg Ryan) begin a friendly, email-only relationship. The two are instant friends online and help support each other through their personal problems. Outside AOL, however, the two share a completely different relationship. Joe is a millionaire owner of Fox Books, a mega-discount bookstore right around the corner from Kathleen's tiny, family-owned bookstore. It's dislike at first sight.
You've Got Mail drops viewers directly into the middle of the pair's Internet relationship, instead pushing the focus towards their professional, outside connection. This is why You've Got Mail still works and holds up as a film. AOL is important, but not vital to the plot. The two could be communicating via long-distance carrier pigeon and the core story would still work.
That said, You've Got Mail works, but only as a romantic comedy. The actual plot is, at times, a bit contrived and swoons from one situation from the next with little weight. But, that's life in a romantic comedy. It doesn't matter how much they dislike each other in the beginning, or that they're essentially engaged in an affair (even if its an online one) at the start. The couple will always discover their love connection in the end. Seeing the two kiss at the end is more important than the actual plot.
As much as I want to slam You've Got Mail for it's light, airy plot, it's hard. It's like being mad at a puppy - I just can't do it. While we all want to hold every movie against some standard, there are films that are meant for a very specific audience. This doesn't excuse You've Got Mail, or really any film, from the core mechanics that make great films great, sometimes you just have to let things slide, even just a little bit.
The Blu-ray release comes with a decent set of extras. The Shop Around the Corner is included as its own stand-alone DVD, while all of the on-disc extras are culled from the two-disc DVD edition. The big extra is the commentary track with Director Nora Ephron and Producer Loren Shuler Donner. I tend to like commentary tracks, so I enjoyed hearing the two ladies discuss the film, though there's nothing here that's particularly revealing. The two are joined by the cast in "Delivering You've Got Mail." Ephron also appears in the "HBO First Look Special." Except for the nostalgia of watching HBO First Look, I didn't get much out of the interview.
Next up is "You've Got Chemistry," which stands as a montage to famous movie couples and why they worked together. In addition to Hanks and Ryan, there's material from couples including Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. I'm not into romance movies, but enjoyed the nostalgia that comes with seeing screen legends in action. Next is "Discover New York's Upper West Side," a tour of the film's shooting locations.
Finally, there's a music video for Carole King's "Anyone at All," a music-only track and trailer.
The HD transfer is, for the most part, great. Most scenes really "pop" and are clear, though it does trend towards a darker look. Night scenes, or an extended scene in a coffee shop, are incredibly dark. The blacks overpower all the details and flatten out the picture.
When it comes to making the call between the Blu-ray or sticking with the DVD, it's a personal call. If you're a fan who wants the best possible version, this is it. If not, there's no reason to jump at the Blu-ray. Although it isn't a great movie, it's still good as far as romantic comedies are concerned. If romantic comedies are your thing and you haven't seen You've Got Mail, give it a watch.
