sleepless-in-seattle

1 Sleepless in Seattle (Romantic Comedy) ( 1993) © 2000 by Raymond Weschler Major Characters Sam Baldwin……………….Tom Hanks An architect whose wife has recently died of cancer, who decides to move from Chicago to Seattle in order to start a new life. Annie Reed………………….Meg Ryan A Baltimore writer who hears of Sam’s story on the radio, and who becomes convinced that it is her “fate” to be with Sam, even though she does not know him. Jonah Baldwin………………Ross Malinger Sam’s eight year old son who wants his dad to find a new wife that will make them happy, and who tells the whole country this on a national radio talk show. Walter…………………………….Bill Pullman Annie’s fiancée, who is a nice man, but not a person that Annie is passionately in love with. Becky………………………………Rosie O’Donnell Annie’s friend and co-worker at the newspaper where Annie works. Victoria…………………………..Barbara Garrick A woman who Sam tries to date, but who Jonah does not like. Jessica……………………………..Gaby Hoffmann Jonah’s friend, who tries to help him find the perfect new wife for Sam. Plot Summary This film is a romantic comedy about Sam Baldwin and Annie Reed, two people who have never really met each other. Sam is a nice young architect whose wife dies of cancer, who decides to move from Chicago to Seattle in order to start a new life with his son. He decides to change cities because everything in Chicago reminds him of his wife, and he hopes moving to Seattle will end his depression. It doesn’t really, and thus Jonah, Sam’s sweet eight year old son, decides to do what he can to find his dad a new wife and himself a new mom. One day, Jonah phones a national radio call-in show to tell the world that his father needs a new wife, and Sam suddenly finds himself talking to millions of people, mostly women. One of those women is Annie, a very cute and reasonably happy young writer in Baltimore, who is engaged to get married to Walter. Walter himself is a nice guy, but Annie is frustrated because she is not 2 madly in love with him, and after hearing Sam and Jonah, she starts to think that Sam is the man that she should truly be with. After Annie sees what she thinks are a variety of “signs” that she and Sam are meant to be together, she soon decides to do everything she can to meet him (even though he lives on the other side of the country). Ultimately, this is a sweet little movie about the nature of life in general, and whether the things that happen to us are because of what some people call destiny, or simply a series of events with no particular cause. Some Words and Expressions that You May not Know Sam and Jonah begin a new life in Seattle after the death of Sam’s wife, and in Baltimore, Annie prepares for a life with Walter. Five minutes in the microwave. A “microwave oven” cooks food much faster than other ovens. My shrink. Call him. A “shrink” is a very slangy but widely used word for a psychologist. Loss of spouse support group. A “spouse” is a husband or wife, and a “support group” is a group of people with the same type of problem who come together to support each other emotionally. Hug a friend. “To hug” a person is to hold them close to your chest, or to embrace them. Work is the only thing that will see you through this. In this case, “to see a person through” a difficult situation is to help them survive it. Don’t mind him; He’s just a guy who lost his wife. “Don’t mind” him is a way of telling a person to ignore or not pay attention to him. Take a couple weeks off. “To take off” some time from work is leave the job in order to relax or go on vacation. I’ll move on…and in a few months, boom, I’ll be fine. “To move on” from a difficult situation is to leave it behind. “Boom” is the word used for the sound of an explosion, or as here, a sudden or dramatic change. If a person is “fine,” they’re doing OK. 3 Seattle. Chicago. Baltimore. Three important American cities: Seattle is in the state of Washington, on the West coast, Chicago is in Illinois, in the Midwest, and Baltimore is in Maryland, on the East Coast. Harold, who ran off with his secretary. “To run off” with a person is to go away with them. It can imply, as in this case, in order to have a sexual affair. He came back, because Irene threatened to put the dog to sleep if he didn’t. “To threaten” a person is to warn them that they face punishment or other bad consequences if they do not act in a certain way. “To put an animal to sleep” is a very gentle way of saying to kill them, often because they are suffering. Don’t mention the IRS or the Federal Prison system. The Internal Revenue System, which is the US government organization that is responsible for collecting taxes. Your uncle Milton lost all his money in a pyramid scheme. A “pyramid scheme” is an illegal (and stupid) investment in which people gamble on the hope that others will join the club in order so that they can make money (A “pyramid” is a triangular structure shaped like those in Egypt, and a “scheme” is often an illegal plan that is created by one person in order to get money from others). Am I what they have in mind? “Am I the type of person they are thinking about?” Walter and I are engaged! If two people are “engaged,” they have decided to get married. He’s allergic to everything. If a person is “allergic” to something, they start to cough and get sick if they eat it, or even get too close to it. We always have to carry a hypodermic of adrenaline wherever we go. A “hypodermic” is a medical needle that is used to give shots. “Adrenaline” is a hormone or chemical in the blood. My head swells up like a watermelon and I drop dead. If something “swells up,” it increases in size. What did we use it for? :: Uncle Milton’s parole. In this case, “parole” is the act of being released from prison early, under certain conditions, such as promising not to leave the country. Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. 4 This is a famous line from a speech that the baseball star Lou Gherig gave in 1939 to fans at Yankee Stadium, after it was announced that he was dying of a mysterious disease (now called “Lou Gherig’s Disease”). I would like to propose a toast to my kid sister. “To propose a toast” is usually to raise up a glass of champagne at a meal and say kind words about somebody. A person’s “kid sister” is their younger sister. A common term of affection. He’s a lovely man, Annie. “Lovely” is a British word that generally means good, admirable or attractive. Are his folks nice? A widely used word for parents, or sometimes, people. We’re going down to DC tonight. Washington DC, which is the US Capital. He got my lettuce and tomato on whole wheat, which of course, he was allergic to. A type of sandwich, which is usually served with a type of meat such as roast beef or tuna (Whole wheat is the type of bread). How amazing! :: One day you order take out, and it changes your life. “Amazing” is a powerful and common adjective meaning wonderful, remarkable or incredible. If a person “orders take out,” they ask a restaurant for food to be eaten elsewhere (often at home). Destiny takes a hand! “Destiny” is another word for fate, or something that had to have happened, perhaps because God or the universe wanted it to. “Destiny takes a hand” is a way of saying fate has changed life. Destiny is something we’ve invented because we can’t stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental. If a person “can’t stand” something, they hate it, or in this case, they can’t accept it. The above sentence shows that many people do not believe in destiny or fate, but simply believe that things just happen without any particular cause. It wasn’t a sign. It was a coincidence. In this case. “a sign” is way of saying that a particular event is representative of a person’s fate, destiny or larger plan. A “coincidence” is the occurrence of two events that look like they are related but in fact just happen by chance. He asked me to take a midnight walk on the steel pier. A “pier” is a narrow piece of land or man-made 5 structure that sticks out into the water. Walter; it’s quite a formal name, isn’t it? If a name is “formal,” it is official, ceremonial or conservative. I knew your father and I were going to have a wonderful time in the sack. To get “in the sack” with a person is to get into bed with them, or more specifically, to have sex with them. It took several years before everything worked like clockwork in that department. “To work like clockwork” is a slangy way of saying to work well or efficiently (Here, Annie’s mom is talking about sex). When we’re old and gray, you’ll have to remind me to put my teeth in, or I’ll be walking all over town smacking my gums together and not even noticing. “To smack” something is to hit or slap it. “Gums” are the part of the mouth that your teeth are attached to. Jonah lets the world know that Sam needs a new wife, and soon thousands of women, including Annie, want to be her. I’m broadcasting live across America from the top of the Sears tower in Chicago. “To broadcast live” is to send out a radio or TV show that is being heard or seen as it’s being made (not from a tape). The Sears Tower is the tallest building in the United States. Is he busy? :: Not really, he’s out on the deck. An outdoor platform, usually made of wood, where people often relax and eat. Wretched woman! “Wretched” is a powerful adjective that means much hated and useless, or perhaps extremely poor and pitiful. Wanna bet? Note that “want to”---> “wanna” in fast speech. “To bet” is to gamble. If I get yelled at, I’m never going to listen to your show again. “To yell” at somebody is to scream at them. If you just tuned in, this is Dr, Marsha Fieldstone. “To tune in” to a radio show is to start to listen to it, perhaps after searching around for other radio stations. 6 What are you selling tonight? Micro hibachis or the ginza knives? A “hibachi” is a type of Japanese frying pan (And ginza knives are a brand of very sharp Japanese knife). You are on the air! To be “on the air” is to be in the process of being broadcast over TV or radio. Come on, now! I’m not going to go through this alone. “Come on” is the most versatile phrasal verb in English, here meaning “Be reasonable!” If you “go through” something, you experience or survive it. Talk to her. She’s a doctor. :: Of what? Note that a doctor is usually a doctor of medicine, but in fact a person with a Ph.D. can have a doctorate degree in such fields as history or art. Dr. Marsha, I don’t mean to be rude… A very good word for impolite or disagreeable. I don’t want to invade your privacy. :: Sure you do. “To invade a person’s privacy” is to try and find out things about them that are personal, intimate or that they don’t want to talk about. We had a pretty tough time there, at first, but we’re dealing with it. If a person has had a “tough time,” they have had a lot of serious problems, difficulties or even tragedies. “To deal with” something is to accept it or perhaps to learn to try and work with it. Something must still be missing if Jonah still feels you’re under a cloud. A poetic way of saying to be depressed or very sad. Let’s get into that right after these messages. In this case, “to get into” a topic is to begin to seriously discuss it. We’ll be right back with your listener response. In this case, a reference to the listeners of a radio talk show that call into the host to express their views on the air. This is where other people call in and get to dump on what you said. Here, “to dump on” a person is a very slangy way of saying to severely criticize them. I bet he’s tall with a cute butt. :: Bet he hasn’t bathed in weeks and he stinks. “I bet” is an extremely common way for a person to say that they are certain about something. “Cute” is a great little word for adorable or precious, and a person’s “butt” is their ass or derriere. Maybe I’ll hustle myself out to Seattle and 7 give him a little gift for New Year’s Eve. “To hustle oneself” to another place is a slangy way of saying to go there, often with great effort because there is no easy transportation. They don’t cut anything before they stick it in the fridge. A common short word for refrigerator. I wouldn’t kick this guy out of bed for eating crackers; You know what I’m saying? A very common and colloquial way of saying “Do you understand what I mean?” People who truly loved once are far more likely to love again. An interesting bit of popular psychology. After a while, I won’t have to think about how I had it great and perfect for a while. A grammatically curious way of saying “I had a great life.” It was a million tiny little things, and when you added them all up, it just meant that we were supposed to be together. “Tiny little” is a poetic use of two similar adjectives that has in fact become fairly common. “To add up” a group of things is to add them together to make a greater whole. Well folks, it’s time to wrap it up. “To wrap up” a project is to finish it. Colloquial and common. To “Sleepless in Seattle,” let us know how it’s going. :: You can count on it. If a person asks “How’s it going?,” they’re asking how life is in general. (Note that “Sleepless in Seattle” is the nickname that’s given to Sam). He is the meanest man in America. A person who is mean is rude, abusive or unpleasant. Phone service in the greater Chicago area was tied up for two hours….when some kids calls a phone-in radio show and says his dad needs a new wife. If phone service is “tied up,” it is difficult to make a call because too many people are trying to use the phone at the same time. A “phone-in” radio show is a talk show in which listeners get a chance to express themselves on the air. The shrinkette practically forces the guy on the phone. A ridiculous way of referring to a female psychologist. It was on “60 Minutes.” There were those cows in Michigan that got zapped by stray voltage and no one knows why. Maybe it was Wisconsin. 8 “60 Minutes” is a famous TV news show. If a person gets “zapped,” they are suddenly struck, perhaps by a bolt of actual electricity from a lightening storm. Michigan and Wisconsin are Midwestern states. Those parts where the daughter gives the mother the refrigerator with the big red bow on it. A “bow” is a knot formed by two or more curved pieces, often made of cloth or other material that is used for a decoration. The Polaroid ad….that kills me. In this case, a colloquial way of saying “that makes me laugh a lot.” They’re a lot of desperate women out there looking for love. :: Especially over a certain age. In this context, “over a certain age” is a diplomatic way of referring to a woman who is older than about 35. It’s easier to be killed by a terrorist than to get married over the age of 40. This is a cynical (or cruel) way of telling a woman that it is extremely unlikely that an unmarried woman can find a husband after age 40. That statistic is not true. :: Calm down, you brought it up! “To bring up” a topic is to be the first to talk about it in a conversation. If someone is a widower, why do they say he was widowed? A “widower” is a man whose wife has died (while a “widow” is a woman whose husband has died). What’s with you?! Something is wrong. A common and colloquial way of asking a person what is wrong with them when they are acting strangely. Often said with great emotion? The guy could be a crackhead, a transvestite, a flasher, a junkie, a chainsaw murderer, or someone really sick, like my Rick. A “crackhead” is addicted to the horrible drug crack cocaine, a “transvestite” is a person who dresses in the clothes of the opposite sex and a “junkie” is a drug addict. A “chainsaw” is an electric tool that is used to cut down trees (and sometimes kill people!) Now, we’re getting down to it! Here, a slangy way of saying “Now we’re finding out the truth.” I got to go to Boston for the AAB convention and then visit Winston Hughes about switching over our computers. A “convention” is usually a large meeting of professionals from many different places. “To switch over” to a new computer system is to change from an old system to that new one. Valentine’s Day. 9 A day of celebration for people in love, and other romantic couples. We can register…for dishes, glasses, silver…. If a couple “register” before getting married, they give their friends the name of a store that has a list of things that they would like to receive as a wedding present. How about it?! A way of asking “What do you think?” or perhaps “Do you agree?” I’ll take you to Chinatown for Dim Sum. A popular type of Chinese food that is served at breakfast (It includes small portions of fresh breads, meats and vegetables). What did I used to say? Here’s looking at you. Here’s mud in your eye. Two well known lines from Hollywood movies that are used to express affection or good luck. The dispatcher? :: All of Seattle knows! In this case, a “dispatcher” is a person who tells police and firemen where to go after calls for help are made. It’s so nice when a man can express his feelings. Note that it is often thought that men, unlike women, are very bad at expressing their emotions, or what they are feeling inside. I was just tossing and turning last night….because I just realized that I was never going to fit my platters into the refrigerator we ordered. “To toss and turn” in bed is to move around a lot while sleeping. A “platter” is a large plate for serving food. We’ll have to redo all the cabinets. In this case, to “redo” something is to build it again. “Cabinets” are storage spaces, often found in kitchens for storing plates and glasses. That’s the bearing wall. A “bearing wall ” is the most important wall in a structure such as a house, which is used to support the weight of the building. Well, this is fate. Another word for destiny, or the pre-determined course of one’s life. What do they call that when everything intersects? :: The Bermuda Triangle. If two lines “intersect,” they cross each other. “The Bermuda Triangle” is a well known area in the Caribbean Sea where there have been many airplane crashes over the years. That’s for hiccups. A movement in the chest which stops breathing for a second. 10 Annie becomes obsessed with Sam, and Sam learns anew about the world of romance and dating. What possessed you to give our address? A curious way of asking “Why did you…?” Dear ‘Sleepless in Seattle,’ you’re the most attractive man I’ve ever laid ears on. “To lay eyes on” a person is a poetic way of saying to see them, but “to lay ears on” is never used. Generally speaking, I think we should rule out anyone who doesn’t live near here. “To rule out” a possibility is to not even consider it. See what I mean? A common way of asking a person if they understand what you’re saying. In the movie, the women are always scratching up the man’s back and screaming and stuff when they’re having sex. Common filler words which have no particular meaning. Jessica’s got cable. A reference to cable television, which has lots of channels. Remember “Marooned in Miami”? To be “marooned” is to be stuck or stranded, usually on a beach. Why did you get married? Was it all trumpets and fireworks? A “trumpet” is a musical instrument, and “fireworks” are colorful light shows produced by small explosives. Together, they suggest lots of excitement and romance. Betty said we had to break up or get married. So, we got married. If a couple “break up,” they separate and often no longer see each other. When you first met her, did you believe she was the only person for you, and in some mystical, cosmic way, it was fated? Both “mystical” and “cosmic” are powerful adjectives that refer to the nature or energy of the entire universe, or perhaps of a supernatural force. If something is “fated,” it is certain to