Rob Reiner's Original, Sadder When Harry Met Sally Ending Explained
Legendary actor and director Rob Reiner's tragic death at 78 has come to a shock to many. Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at their home on December 14. Their deaths are being investigated as a homicide.
Fans who are revisiting Reiner's sizable filmography in the wake of his passing will no doubt appreciate his ability to combine earnestness and comedy in some of his best works, such as the 1989 romantic classic "When Harry Met Sally." The movie might not be quite as heartwarming, however, had Reiner chosen to use the original, sadder ending he had planned for it.
In a 2024 interview with CNN Entertainment, Reiner discussed the film's original finale. It was considerably bleaker than the finished product, which opts for a "happily ever after" approach. He also revealed that this more dour ending had its roots in his personal experiences.
"The original ending of the film that we had was that Harry and Sally didn't get together," the director said. "It was going to be the two of them seeing each other after years, talking and then walking away from each other. Because I had been married for 10 years, I'd been single for 10 years and I couldn't figure out how I was ever going to be with anybody, and that gave birth to 'When Harry Met Sally.'"
Several important scenes in When Harry Met Sally went through quite a journey
Instead of a downer ending, the finished version of "When Harry Met Sally" wraps up with the iconic New Year's Eve scene and Harry's (Billy Crystal) declaration of love to Sally (Meg Ryan). As it happens, this isn't the only change that helped shape the movie into a seminal romantic comedy, either. For instance, Meg Ryan's famous deli scene was a late addition to the "When Harry Met Sally" script. On the other hand, a particular scene that perfectly summed up the movie was cut because its subject matter — the pair discussing a movie script idea based on their own relationship — was deemed a touch too self-indulgent.
Reiner's movies have their share of surprises, like a "This Is Spinal Tap" Easter egg you never noticed in "The Princess Bride." In the case of "When Harry Met Sally," the surprise isn't as much on the screen as it is in what the movie could have been.