I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy Hardcover – Illustrated, August 29, 2017

In I’ll Have What She’s Having entertainment journalist Erin Carlson tells the story of the real Nora Ephron and how she reinvented the rom-com through her trio of instant classics. With a cast of famous faces including Rob Reiner, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Billy Crystal, Carlson takes readers on a rollicking, revelatory trip to Ephron’s New York City, where reality took a backseat to romance and Ephron–who always knew what she wanted and how she wanted it–ruled the set with an attention to detail that made her actors feel safe but sometimes exasperated crew members. Along the way, Carlson examines how Ephron explored in the cinema answers to the questions that plagued her own romantic life and how she regained faith in love after one broken engagement and two failed marriages. Carlson also explores countless other questions Ephron’s fans have wondered about: What sparked Reiner to snap out of his bachelor blues during the making of When Harry Met Sally? Why was Ryan, a gifted comedian trapped in the body of a fairytale princess, not the first choice for the role? After she and Hanks each separately balked at playing Mail’s Kathleen Kelly and Sleepless’ Sam Baldwin, what changed their minds? And perhaps most importantly: What was Dave Chappelle doing … in a turtleneck? An intimate portrait of a one of America’s most iconic filmmakers and a look behind the scenes of her crowning achievements, I’ll Have What She’s Having is a vivid account of the days and nights when Ephron, along with assorted cynical collaborators, learned to show her heart on the screen.My Thoughts: As a fan of Nora Ephron’s writing, and also of how she brought her unique vision to some of my favorite movies, I couldn’t wait to plunge into  I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy .Who knew the tedious details that go into a movie, not to mention the conflicts along the way with various actors, crew members, and the production companies involved?Watching as the stories and movies came to life was an interesting aspect to this book.Visualizing how the sets were created was another fun part for me. I love movies and the sets are oftentimes my favorite parts, as the characters lead their lives in their various apartments and homes, not to mention the restaurants and bookstores.Throughout the book, we learn about Nora Ephron’s other books and movies, and how, even as she fought the illness that would take her life too soon, she kept working and striving. An iconic woman who inspires others. 5 stars.

If you like movies, particularly 1990 RomCom movies, this is your book. It's a great look at how a few great movies are made and the intertwined relationships of some real stars of literature and film. I had previously read Nora's "I Feel Bad About My Neck" as well as some of the Lynda Obst books which are absolutely great.First covered is "When Harry Met Sally", the classic. Directed by Rob Reiner brings a congenial group of people together who love working with each other. There are many great stories of this movie and how it was made with Nora Ephron front and center. Then "Sleepless In Seattle" brings Meg Ryan back but with Tom Hanks replacing Billy Crystal and Nora Ephron directing. Tom comes across as a really great guy, no surprise there. Finally on to "You've Got Mail". I will admit I have not watched that often in rerun but I do remember the movie. This keeps Meg and Tom and Nora again directs. This movie is an "ode to Westside NYC" with Nora showing the town and area she knows so well. there are many great stories of her power, persistence and determination to get movies made. Yes, it's a little slow at the end. But overall, a great return to some really solid movies and Nora. She wrote other movies I have enjoyed also: My Blue Heaven with Steve Martin, Silkwood with Meryl Streep and Michael with John Travolta. A very nice career for a person primarily a journalist.

And I will fight you over Nora Ephron's Holy Trinity--When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and my personal favorite, You've Got Mail. All three get a lot of flack or worse, they get "cool girl'd"--as in, "they're not like OTHER rom coms, they're cool", i.e., "she's not like OTHER GIRLS, she's cool". I fully recognize that Nora Ephron's rewrites are a little bit wittier than your average rom com, but don't slam the entire genre. But that's another rant for a different day.Anyway, this book was a hoot to read. I was most excited about reading the behind the scenes of You've Got Mail, but I loved the other tidbits about Sleepless and When Harry Met Sally. I also didn't know much about Nora Ephron, aside from her rom coms (I didn't realize she directed and wrote Julie/Julia!). This book had a really wonderful exploration into Nora's acidic, abrasive, yet ultimately warm and romantic personality. I loved her line, "Every cynic is a romantic."Erin Carlson goes fully in depth--so deep, that I often lose track of which production assistant is which and the difference between set designers. But Carlson's thoroughness just adds to the rich flavor of the book. You can also tell that she, too, unapologetically loves rom coms and her simultaneous admiration ties neatly in a fully rounded picture of Nora Ephron. I love the fact that she elaborates on how iconic these films are, how they inspired everyone from Mindy Kaling to Darren Starr.If you're a rom com fiend like me, who will happily rewatch the Holy Trinity over and over on a lazy Saturday, this book is for you. It's in-depth, wonderfully feminist, and as delicious as a cup of black coffee from Fox Books. Highly recommend.

I did read the whole book but I didn't enjoy it. Ms. Carlson gave the book a good name, however, the subtitle 'How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy' was not answered. It felt like I was reading a cheap magazine with quotes that were randomly placed all through the book. There were about 40 Reference pages at the end of the book because Ms. Carlson didn't do any of the interviews herself. I was very disappointed, don't bother it's not worth your time.

Brilliant.

Really enjoyed this book

The amount of care and thorough investigative work that went into this book makes you feel like you are on set taking it all in. Very illuminating, fun and in depth - enjoyed every page! If you’re a romcom fan so will you.