As Hollywood reacts to the death of romcom queen Nora Ephron, movie lovers are being reminded yet again of the special wit that made this Oscar-nominated writer and director a standout filmmaker.
From Justin Timberlake to Meryl Streep, stars have shows an outpouring of respect for Ephron’s gifts since her death on Tuesday at the age of 71.
“She was the one you wanted to read, to listen to, to be in the company of. Nora Ephron. Incomparable wit; delightful friend. Sadness reigns,” tweeted actor and comedian Steve Martin @SteveMartinToGo.
“Nora Ephron died. Christopher Hitchens is about to find out just how ******* funny women really are,” wrote star Denis Leary @denisleary.
The filmmaker had been diagnosed in 2006 with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the myeloid line of the body’s blood cells.
Ephron died from pneumonia, a complication resulting from that disease.
Yet Ephron’s humour, as well her endless compassion for imperfect human beings, remain the hallmarks in films such as “Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and the 1989 classic “When Harry Met Sally.”
These films cemented Ephron’s place on Hollywood’s A-list, and delighted moviegoers with lines that have become part of pop culture history.
Take a look at 10 of the best lines from the one-of-a-kind mind of Nora Ephron:
“The Godfather is the I-ching. The Godfather is the sum of all wisdom. The Godfather is the answer to any question. What should I pack for my summer vacation? ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli.’”
--Tom Hanks as Joe Fox in the 1998 film, “You’ve Got Mail.”
“I”ll have what she’s having.”
--Older woman to a waiter during Meg Ryan’s faked orgasm scene in 1989’s, “When Harry Met Sally.”
“Annie, when you’re attracted to someone, it just means that your subconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously. So what we think of as fate is just two neuroses knowing that they are a perfect match.”
--David Hyde Pierce as Dennis Reed in the 1993 film, “Sleepless in Seattle.”
“I have to murder and dismember a crustaceaen.”
--Amy Adams as Julie Powell in the 2009 film, “Julie & Julia.”
“Are you trying to say capeesh?...Well don’t do it, cause it hurts my ears when you do it.”
--Steve Martin as Vincent “Vinnie” Antonelli in the 1990 film, “My Blue Heaven.”
“I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
--Billy Crystal to Meg Ryan in 1989’s “When Harry Met Sally.”
“My husband had hamsters…He had hamsters named Arnold and Shirley. And he was always whipping up little salads for them in the Slice-O-Matic and buying them extremely small sweaters at a pet boutique in Rego Park. Also, there was a certain amount of talking in squeaky voices.”
--Meryl Streep to Jack Nicholson in the 1986 film, “Heartburn.”
“May I put you on hold while I run to my desk? Uh…you’re not calling from a bridge or holding a weapon, are you?”
--Steve Martin in the 1994 film, “Mixed Nuts.”
“And you just gotta remember, Sparky – no matter what they tell you – you can never have too much sugar.”
--John Travolta as the Angel Michael in 1996 film, “Michael.”
“You know, that I actually met a girl by the name of Moo Goo Gail Pan? That was her last name. Her first name was Freida. Freida Moo Goo Gai Pan. She was half-Jewish, half-Chinese. A lot of people called her the Ori-Yenta.”
--Walter Matthau in the 2000 film, “Hanging Up.”
