In You’ve Got Mail, longing isn’t a weakness, it’s what makes the story feel real. It’s in the hesitation before hitting “send,” the messages filled with half-said feelings, and the quiet moments that say everything without a word.
These quotes don’t just tell a love story, they feel like one. Thank you Nora Ephron!!!
1.
“The odd thing about this form of communication is that you’re more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.” — Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan)
2.
“I would have asked for your number, and I wouldn’t have been able to wait twenty-four hours before calling you and saying, ‘Hey, how about… oh, how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie… for as long as we both shall live?’” — Joe Fox (Tom Hanks)
3.
“I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.” — Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan)
4.
“Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life – well, valuable, but small – and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it or because I haven’t been brave?” — Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan)
5.
“But… but there is the dream of someone else.” — Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan)
6.
I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you.
Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan)
7.
“Kevin, this is possibly the most adorable creature I’ve ever been in contact with, and if she turns out to be as good looking as a mailbox… I would be crazy enough to turn my life upside down and marry her.” — Joe Fox (Tom Hanks)
8.
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.” — Joe Fox (Tom Hanks)
9.
“I came home tonight and got into the elevator to go to my apartment. An hour later, I got out of the elevator, and Brinkley and I moved out. Suddenly, everything had become clear. It’s a long story, full of the personal details we avoid so carefully. Let me just say there was a man sitting in the elevator with me who knew exactly what he wanted, and I found myself wishing I were as lucky as he.” — Joe Fox (Tom Hanks)
10.
“But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many… somethings. So, thanks.” — Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan)