EVEN if you don't instantly recognise her name, you've probably seen her work. When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail these are three of American screenwriter Nora Ephron's best-known movies and they're the reason why she's often credited with inventing the '90s romcom.
Nora was the one who helped millions of moviegoers to see that it's never too late to go after your dreams or to change direction in the pursuit of reinvention.
"Don't be frightened. You can always change your mind. I know: I've had four careers and three husbands," she said in a rousing speech to graduates at Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1996.
Find what makes you happy and give it all you've got. Embrace the mess and the complications but also seek out the joy in the simplicity of life's greatest treasures: good books, good friends, good food this is the message that shines through in Nora's work. And her fans love her for it.
That's why even a decade after her death, her legacy lives on.
"Because in the great rushing loneliness of the world, when a writer's voice makes you feel befriended, you want more of it even after the person is gone, says author Meg Wolitzer.
A new biography, Nora Ephron, reveals the inspiration behind some of the beloved writer's best-known movies.
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...
Nora often said that this was the movie that changed her life and it likewise altered the lives of almost everyone who saw it for the better. The iconic film, directed by Rob Reiner, grossed nearly $93 million worldwide and was placed firmly in the history books as a model that would come to define the romantic comedy genre for years to come.
But it almost never got made.
This story is from the 25 August 2022 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 25 August 2022 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
IT'S ALL ABOUT FAMILY
Lynn and Kairo Forbes invite us into their home as they prepare for their second Christmas without AKA
DENZEL'S DECADE OF SOBRIETY
Expensive wine was his weakness but these days the legendary Hollywood actor is all about clean living
WE DID IT FOR YOU, DAD
It was a dream come true for Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse when they ran out together for the Boks – but it was bittersweet too
HIP-HOPPING ALONG!
Moo Deng, the adorable pygmy hippo, is about to become an even bigger star thanks to a catchy new song released in her honour
IAM NO DIFFERENT
Despite being born without legs, Kanya Sesser truimphs at anything she sets her mind to
OUR WONDERFUL, WEIRD WORLD
Bizarre and beautiful spots exist off the well-worn tourist paths that criss-cross our precious planet
GOD'S INFLUENCER
After Carlo Acutis died at age 15, he was credited with performing miracles. Now the Italian is about to be canonised as the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. But what did the seemingly ordinary teenager do that was so special?
RUCK ON!
Rucking walking with a weighted rucksack - has gained popularity once again for its ability to improve your heart health, increase your strength and burn kilojoules fast
MY KIDNEY FOR MY SON
This Cape Town mom is determined to lose 50kg so she can give her boy the gift of life
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
She's been deaf since she.was a baby but now Chermelle ;s slowly startmg to hear thanks to a Cochlear Implant
