Netflix has announced its monthly content churn for August, and unfortunately, the classic rom-com Sleepless in Seattle is on the chopping block. There is still plenty of time to watch the movie before it departs Netflix’s catalog on Thursday, Aug. 31. With a full month to go, there may even be time to plan a date night for those inclined.
Sleepless in Seattle stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as unlikely lovers who find their way to each other in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The movie is on Netflix now and it may have been languishing in your queue for a while, but you can’t put it off much longer. It will leave the streamer on the last day of August along with plenty of other titles. Between changing licensing deals and data-saving considerations, these kinds of shuffles have become a regular part of the streaming industry.
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Sleepless in Seattle was directed by Nora Ephron who co-wrote the script with David S. Ward and Jeff Arch. It stars Hanks as an architect who loses his wife Maggie (Annie Reed) to cancer, leaving him to raise their son Jonah (Ross Malinger) alone. Seeking a new start, he moves them from Chicago to Seattle where they pass a year in simple mourning. The movie’s main romantic plot gets started when Jonah calls into a radio talk show on Christmas Eve and talks about his late mother. Sam gets on the phone as well, and before long women around the country are writing to the widower.
Meanwhile, Ryan’s character is a news reporter in Baltimore and a hopeless romantic, comparing Sam’s scenario to the movie An Affair to Remember. She writes to Sam like many other women despite the fact that she is engaged. Her letter asks Sam to meet her on top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
The movie has had a massive cultural impact and incredible longevity, with many retrospective reviews cropping up over the years. It was nominated for best original screenplay at the Oscars when it was released and it has always had generally positive reviews. It has also been referenced heavily in other rom-coms since its release – just as it referenced An Affair to Remember in its time.
Sleepless in Seattle is streaming now on Netflix. It will not be available after Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Be sure to set a night aside to stream the movie while you can.
