Nora Ephron

As you all know, Nora Ephron passed away this week at age 71, leaving a great hole in the hearts of those who love beautifully written romantic comedies, essays, and memoirs. A lot of people wrote a lot of things about her that are much more thorough and astute than I can, so here are some of my favorite thoughts of the life of this amazing woman:

Remembering Nora Ephron, and How Her Essays Made Her Movies Better, Alyssa Rosenberg, ThinkProgress

In Memoriam: Nora Ephron (1941 - 2012), Scott Myers, GITS (full of great videos and interviews)

RIP, Nora Ephron (or: Nora Ephron is gone, and she was perfect), Nicole Cliffe, The Hairpin

For myself, I can only say that "When Harry Met Sally" is an absolutely perfect romantic comedy and one of my favorite movies of all time. Every time I watch it, I notice some new detail, some new callback, some new character beat that teaches me how intricate and layered a great movie needs to be. It also proves that not all New York comedy needs to be cynical even if they incorporate drama and well-drawn characters. Optimism, if cautious and earned, can be just as intelligent and rewarding a choice. And, of course, she was one of the first film writers I heard of who was a woman and, better yet, who wrote comedies. She set an amazing example and lived an amazing life. I never knew her, but I will miss her stories.