The story is actually an update of Ernst Lubitsch's "The Shop Around The Corner", and it is a magnificent film. Meg Ryan rules the screen in a delightful romantic comedy that leads her to be compared to the famous Myrna Loy due to her vulnerability, intelligence, and goofiness, that make her an instant adoration of every man's heart, and the sympathetic heroine everyone is rooting for.

Ryan plays an owner-proprietor, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan), of a children's bookstore, originally owned by her mother, that is just a little hole in the wall, but loved by everyone. While Hanks character, Joe Fox, a take-charge kind of guy, on the other hand, is seemingly the villain of the story, as he owns a monolithic book super store, Fox Books, that is ready to open its newest branch across the street, not caring who he closes down; as it is, after all, "just part of the business". While they're enemies in business, however, they don't know that each one is the other's true affection via a long-term email correspondence.

Hank's character is the first one to realize that the hostile woman he put out of business, is his beloved E-Mail pen pal, while Ryan's character doesn't have a clue at all who he really is, until the very end of the movie. This information puts Hanks in an awkward, and uncomfortably painful position, to say the least, causing him to do some soul-searching. Can he still have a serious relationship with someone he put out of business?

What happens next is the result of a brilliant screenplay, written and directed by Nora Ephron, who also wrote and directed "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Michael."

Some of the best scenes are when they meet each other in person for the first time by mistake, and by agreed meeting (both are very interesting turn outs). How the story ends is a wild and comical road that you have to see for yourself. While film is appropriate for family viewing, younger children might be bored by it, as it is a tad long for young viewers.

Cautionary note: Both Ryan's and Hank's characters at the beginning of the film have live-in partners, but no intimate scenes are shown or implied.