You've Got Mail

Play trailer

You've Got Mail

PG

1998

1h 59m

Drama

Romance

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

88 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly hates Joe Fox, the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other's true identity. Eventually Joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is actually his business rival. He must now struggle to reconcile his real-life dislike for her with the cyber love he's come to feel.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Great chemistry between the leads made this a warm and charming delight.

Read Critics Reviews

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

May 27, 2011

The coincidences that make the destined lovers' paths cross aren't contrived with much finesse, but the characters get in some decidedly clever lines.

Go to Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 29, 2010

4/5

Predictable-but-sweet romantic comedy.

Go to Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Feb 9, 2006

The clumsily loaded characterisation not only treats almost every other figure as dispensable, but doesn't even bother to make Meg and Tom properly sympathetic.

Go to Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

May 23, 2025

3/5

…if the ending of You've Got Mail isn’t satisfactory, the build-up is, with Tom Hanks Hanks and Meg Ryan both extremely likeable in a sugar-sweet confection ideally suited to their talents…Ephron’s critique of modern living has an unexpected resonance...

Go to Full Review

Laura Bradley

The Daily Beast

Dec 5, 2022

As I’ve gotten older, my affection for the story still lingers.

Go to Full Review

Hanif Abdurraqib

4Columns

Oct 2, 2020

The most worthwhile tension in You've Got Mail lies in the simple but pure ecstasy of receiving an email from a person you are excited about. Long live the parts of the film that refurbish the excitement of our sometimes-misguided yearnings.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

grumpy old bag

Nov 4, 2025

great, old classic movie. stands the test of time. enjoyed watching it on the big screen again!

See more

Robert P

@Superbad 2 days ago

You've Got Mail = A *3.5* star Movie!

See more

Landon J

@Minxsykitty Jul 28, 2026

Just ok. Don't love the ending/resolution. Kindof a dumb premise I suppose but it works well enough. I'm not sure were supposed to be rooting for the Hanks character here in the modern day but he prevails anyways. Interesting enough.

See more

Carli B.

@carliburchett May 19, 2026

As an avid romance movie lover, it's almost a shame to say I watched this for the first time today. However, I'm glad I've seen it, because now I have another go-to romance movie to rewatch countless times. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fit perfectly together in this movie. I love books, so the two leads owning bookstores is perfect. I will never forget the iconic end scene line "I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly." I now want that framed on my wall with the movie poster above.

See more

Ana Paula P

@RT95820923 Apr 14, 2026

My favourite romcom ever! It doesn’t get old!!!

See more

Brian D

@Brianwd2 Mar 30, 2026

75%. 3/28/26. Like this time period - love Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is great. I enjoyed the buildup but was let down when he discovered who she was and she ripped him and then he never told her it was him. Then a while later he befriends her and kind of plays with her while she still doesn't know it's him. Big nit pick where they're both in relationships, and she even tells her friends/family that she's going to meet some guy she met on the internet - which is basically openly cheating. Also just didn't love how Hanks' character handled the situation so it's to much of a feel good. Light, easy watch. 2/5 rewatch

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Nora Ephron

Director

Tom Hanks

Joe Fox

Meg Ryan

Kathleen Kelly

Parker Posey

Patricia Eden

Greg Kinnear

Frank Navasky

Jean Stapleton

Birdie Conrad

A Cinderella Story

11%

53%

A Cinderella Story

Watchlist

Sleepless in Seattle

75%

75%

Sleepless in Seattle

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sleepless in Seattle

Joe Versus the Volcano

65%

54%

Joe Versus the Volcano

Watchlist

Only You

56%

68%

Only You

Watchlist

While You Were Sleeping

81%

79%

While You Were Sleeping

Watchlist

TRAILER

for While You Were Sleeping

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Celebrating RT25 with our Favorite Movies of 1998

New on Netflix in July 2022

New on Netflix in May 2022

View more photos

Synopsis

Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly hates Joe Fox, the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other's true identity. Eventually Joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is actually his business rival. He must now struggle to reconcile his real-life dislike for her with the cyber love he's come to feel.

Director: Nora Ephron
Producer: Nora Ephron, Lauren Shuler Donner
Screenwriter: Miklós László, Nora Ephron, Delia Ephron
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 18, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $115.7M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings