You've Got Mail -- Introduction

Everybody loves to get letters, especially personal correspondence. There is nothing like finding an envelope in your mailbox from a friend or relative you haven’t heard from in a while. All the bills and junk mail are quickly put to the side and you rip open that one particular envelope that has your address handwritten and a return address you recognize.

Finding a treasure like that in your mailbox is sure to put a smile on your face because it means someone has been thinking about you. The writer cares enough to take the time to sit down and put pen to paper to let you know what is new, and ask you how you are. Even a simple note of encouragement is worth its weight in gold!

And now there is email.

Do you remember when receiving an email gave us the same thrill we got when receiving a “real” letter? We read through each one from start to finish, and clicked on the reply button to send our personal thoughts in response to the sender, or our sincere thanks – after all, someone was thinking of us!

Then we got more, and more, and more “forwards.” They got to be increasingly ridiculous! Many were those you-must-forward-this-to-at-least-10-people-by-the-stroke-of-midnight-or-your-spouse-will-turn-into-a-cat, or if-you-forward-this-to-4-people-you-will-find-true-love-within-three-days emails. Soon we began deleting them without a second thought.

You’ve Got Mail came out at a time when the phenomenon of email, chat rooms, and the concept of internet dating was still new and fresh. The soaring popularity of all things technical fuelled the fire of this romantic comedy. It was a guaranteed hit with Tom Hanks headlining as Joe Fox and Meg Ryan portraying Kathleen Kelly. These two stars, along with director Nora Ephron, were together again after their previous smash success, Sleepless in Seattle.

Supposedly, the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. The chemistry heats up between Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox as they are anything but indifferent towards each other. In the beginning, they have two simultaneous yet separate relationships.