I recently watched the 1940 "Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy Stewart for the first time. In explaining a synopsis to my wife she said, "That sounds like the same story in 'You've Got Mail.'" So I did my research and found out she was right. Further, I realized I had never watched this 1998 movie. So here we are, I found the DVD at my public library.
The DVD "extra" is also interesting, the sisters Ephron explain their approach and Hanks and Ryan pitch in also. This is a thoroughly entertaining movie.
While it follows the same general story it is updated for the modern world. Not only is it moved from Budapest to New York, it uses the modern writing technique of email. It also uses the concept of a bigger store coming in and undercutting the smaller, long-established business.
Meg Ryan is Kathleen Kelly, owner of a smaller shop, called Shop Around the Corner, specializing in children's books. Her mother was the original owner. Tom Hanks is Joe Fox of the wealthy Fox family, opening a mega bookstore around the corner from her. They meet, they develop a pretty quick dislike for each other. Unknown to both of them, they had already become email pals with very high regard for each other.
So much of this movie plays out in similar ways to the 1940 movie, it is interesting and entertaining to see how it all plays out to the end.
