1940 romantic comedyRating: 16/20 (Jen: 17/20)
Plot: I really messed up on this one. I thought for sure I was about to watch Little Shop of Horrors around the Corner, the infamous film where Jimmy Stewart is repeatedly violated by a giant flower. Unfortunately, this has almost the exact same plot as You've Got Mail with Jimmy Stewart inventing the Internet and courting Margaret Sullavan through electronic mail.
OK, wait a minute. This takes place in Hungary? I didn't buy Jimmy Stewart as a teenager in It's a Wonderful Life, and I don't think he's very convincing as a Hungarian either. Despite that, I really like him in this. I don't always like him as much as some people, but he's got the right amount of charm and fragility in this to create a character that is very real within this kind of ludicrous situation. All of the performances are actually very good--co-star Sullavan, Frank Morgan (the Wizard) as the shop owner, the other employees in the little shop. Contrary to what Jennifer thinks, this is world's better than the Ryan/Hanks remake. It hasn't dated at all, and it doesn't manipulate the audience like modern romantic comedies seem to do. I can understand why this has been remade. It's a good story, and I did enjoy seeing it executed with grace and subtlety.