I Just Watched You've Got Mail for The First Time, And I Want To Throw The Ending Off Joe Fox’s Boat

From left to right: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan looking at each other in You've Got Mail. — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

I get it, trust me, I do, I understand that You’ve Got Mail is considered one of the best rom-coms and one of the best movies of the ‘90s, and I, too, adore Nora Ephron with my entire heart and soul. However, I have to be honest, I do not like this movie. I wanted to. I tried really hard, and the majority of it was wonderful. However, the ending of this classic ruined it for me, and we need to talk about why.

From left to right: Tom Hanks sitting in a chair and turning around to talk to Meg Ryan who is also facing away from him. — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

I Thought You’ve Got Mail Was Going To Be A 5-Star Film

I’ve always known that You’ve Got Mail is highly rewatchable, and I agree that Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks should work together again because of their palpable chemistry that’s on display in this. And for the majority of this film, I loved it. I was so into this enemies-to-lovers storyline that was mixed with this online anonymous relationship that said enemies were in.

Plus, every time Hanks and Ryan were on screen together, their chemistry jumped off the screen. So, as I was watching this film with my Netflix subscription, I thought it'd become a new favorite rom-com.

Article continues below

However…that all changed during the final 20-ish minutes of the movie.

Meg Ryan looking flustered in You've Got Mail. — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Then I Watched I Watched The End Of You’ve Got Mail, And It Ruined It

Things started to go downhill when The Shop Around the Corner went out of business.

I’m sorry, but I would not be with a man who ran the company that put my dream out of business and didn’t do anything to stop it. Joe Fox just let it happen. If he loved Kathleen, I believe he should have done something to help keep her dream alive. Also, once they became proper friends, and Kathleen told him about her online discussion with a man (who is Joe), it took him too long to tell her he was the guy she was talking with. He let that go on for way too long, and it felt weird.

Meanwhile, if I were Kathleen, I would have put up more of a fight. She kind of just let it happen. She did tell him that this situation was “personal,” and she got mad at him for what happened with the stores. Then, they became friends. But that was before she knew that Joe Fox was also her crush from the internet.

So, after all that, when she found out her online friend was Joe, she immediately accepted it and was like, “I wanted it to be you so badly.” Then, they kissed, and the movie ended.

Excuse me! But there’s still a lot to unpack here. Joe put Kathleen out of business, and then he kept this secret from her for quite a while. Capitalism won, and lies of omission were accepted. Sorry, but that’s not the ending I want to this story. Therefore, yeah, the final moments of You’ve Got Mail did ruin the entire movie for me. And no, I will not be watching it 152 more times.

TOPICS

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.