Few female writers are as beloved as Nora Ephron. A journalist, writer, filmmaker, playwright, and voice for modern American women everywhere, when she passed away in 2012, Ephron left behind a body of work that will continue to be pored over for its insight and influence as long as the world keeps turning.
Though her greatest accomplishments may have been literary, Ephron's onscreen work is well-respected and though she had her hand in quite a few clunkers, she produced some bonafide classics, as well. Below are her 10 best movies, ranked.
Michael (1996)
An "angel expert," Dorothy (Andie MacDowell) accompanies two cantankerous journalists (William Hurt and Robert Pastorelli) to investigate a small Iowa town where a man named Michael (John Travolta) claims to be a being from the heavenly plane. The disheveled, womanizing boozer initially seems like the last person you'd expect to have a direct line to the almighty, but as the group gets to know Michael, they come to believe that he might just be exactly what he claims.
Riding high on the comeback success of Pulp Fiction, Travolta is the one highlight in this maudlin misfire. It's thought by some that features directed by Ephron are less successful than those for which she only had screenwriting credit. This isn't totally fair, but looking at Michael, it's easy to understand the argument.
My Blue Heaven (1990)
Former mobster Vinnie Antonelli (Steve Martin) relocates to a small California suburb with the witness protection program. Wanting to go straight but struggling to change, Vinnie proves difficult for FBI Agent Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis), who's been charged with keeping him alive long enough to testify against his various associates.
Directed by Herbert Ross (Soapdish) My Blue Heaven should be better than it is, and there's no denying that Martin is miscast as a spaghetti eatin' wise guy, but it's an inoffensive mismatched buddy comedy. The biggest problem is that it just doesn't feel like an Ephron film, and therefore, isn't going to be a favorite on anyone's list.
This Is My Life (1992)
Dottie Ingels (Julie Kavner) works a dead-end retail job, but yearns to be a comedian. When she suddenly receives an inheritance, she uproots her family and moves to New York with her children (Samantha Mathis and Gaby Hoffmann) in tow. As she starts to court success, she dates her manager (Dan Akroyd), but can she balance a successful career, a dating life, and two daughters?
Ephron's directorial debut sees her adapting Meg Wolitzer's novel, "This Is Your Life" with mixed results.
Bewitched (2005)
When spoiled movie star Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) hits a career snag, he signs on to play Darrin in a big-screen version of the 1960s sorceress-in-the-burbs sitcom, Bewitched. Determined to make a comeback, Jack tasks his producers with finding an unknown to play his witchy onscreen wife, Samantha, but when they hire a bright-eyed ingenue named Isabel (Nicole Kidman), they have no idea that she's a real-life, honest-to-goodness, spell-caster, herself!
This cutesy remake-but-totally-not was savaged by critics upon release for its sloppy, self-referential narrative and woeful lack of movie magic. Kidman, however, is a ready-made Ephron heroine (one wishes they had worked together on something less silly) and with a supporting cast including Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, and Kristin Chenoweth, Bewitched is the kind of mindlessly watchable nonsense you crave from Sunday afternoon cable.
Heartburn (1986)
New York food critic Rachel Samstat (Meryl Streep) falls for D.C. newspaper columnist Mark Forman (Jack Nicholson), and relinquishes her career to be with him. After relocating and attempting to build a life together, the two struggle through a home renovation that says more about their relationship than it does about real estate.
Based on her own novel, Heartburn is a thinly-veiled unpacking of Ephron's own doomed marriage to Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein. As such, it has some sharp insight into the things that make a marriage work or fall to pieces. Unfortunately, the film's pedigree worked against it, leaving critics unenthused by Mike Nichols' direction and the two central performances. Still, Heartburn has amassed a small cult and it is warmly regarded as a B-tier Ephron work.
Julie & Julia (2009)
Burnt-out by her soul-killing job, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) spices up her life with an ambitious project. With Julia Childs' "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in hand, she sets out to prepare all 524 classic dishes contained therein. Julie's culinary journey is told concurrently with vignettes from Child's own life, in which she's embodied by Meryl Streep.
Besides having the dubious honor of being the first major motion picture based on a blog, Julie & Julia was also Ephron's final film before her death.
You've Got Mail (1998)
Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan), the proprietress of a small bookstore, finds her mortal enemy in Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the CEO of a chain bookseller that threatens her business. Online, however, the two begin an anonymous dalliance that only proves more complicated as the pressure builds for them to connect in real life.
Ephron's loose adaptation of The Shop Around The Corner (1940) features Ryan at her rom-com career apex and Tom Hanks at maximum star wattage. You've Got Mail is as charmingly old-fangled as a dial-up tone.
Silkwood (1983)
Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) works at a nuclear facility where she raises concerns about its safety practices. As she continues raising awareness about violations that could put the plant's workers in danger, she discovers that she, herself, has been exposed to high levels of radiation.
A far more successful collab for Mike Nichols and Ephron, Silkwood is a multiple Oscar-nominated drama based on a true story, with an all-star cast, including Kurt Russell and Cher.
Sleepless In Seattle (1993)
Mourning his wife's death, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves to Seattle with his young son, Jonah (Ross Mallinger). After being pressed by Jonah to call-in to a radio talk show to discuss his feelings, Sam's story catches the attention of Annie Reed (Meg Ryan). The reporter falls for Sam based on his radio appearance alone and, despite herself, writes him a letter asking him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day.
Likely Ephron's best turn behind the camera, this long-distance romance was the first to pair Hanks and Ryan. Floating by on chemistry and Ephron's ebullient dialogue (one of three of her screenplays to receive an Oscar nod), Sleepless in Seattle is a dark horse pick for best film romance of all time.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
It's 1977 and recent graduates Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) are carpooling from Chicago to New York, arguing about whether a platonic friendship is possible between the sexes. Ten years later, the two run into each other at a bookstore and attempt to put that question to the test.
Rob Reiner's film of Nora Ephron's ridiculously quotable, Oscar-nominated screenplay (based on an interview the two conducted concerning Reiner's return to the dating pool after his divorce) was a watershed moment for the romantic comedy and still lands on lists as one of the best-loved films of all time.