Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) owns a small book shop come-whimsy-soft-characters type shop started by her mother ("Shop around the corner") which is faced with competition from a large discount chain (Fox Books). Meanwhile she is having a chat room/e-mail correspondence with a guy (Joe Fox - played by Tom Hanks) who just happens to be part of the Fox family, owners of Fox Books. She does not know this. He is also unaware of this at the start.

They arrange to meet. He gets his friend to check who is sitting in the cafe where they are to meet and so goes in. She tells him off for ruining her business. She feels bad about it and tells her friend (ie him) in the chat room.

Business is bad so she closes the store. Joe gets stuck in a lift. He leaves his wife...

"I have met many successful businessmen and many exhibit the characteristics of Joe Fox in this movie. I sincerely hope that one day I will find out what it feels like to be that rich. Until then I have this movie. It fills my void."

"Joe, a piece of internet typing advice: Use paragraphs, my dear, your emails are much easier to read afterwards."

"Babe, some more internet advice: highlight the text with your mouse and then hit delete, there's no need to backspace like that! You'll give yourself white knuckle!

"Joe Fox, you are such a tease."

"Oh, a triumph of Dickensian name nameage. That veritable Fox, the sneeky vixen who grabs a mouthful where er he can, gobbling up victims, like small book shops, in his wake. If truth be told I have always hated those small whimsical book shops in any case, experience shows that I always end up buying up to 17 cuddly animals when I only went in for a look around. A plot point: Couldn't she have become a card shop?"

Joe Fox befriends her but still has not told her he is her chat room friend.

They fall in love. Now the shop has closed she has become a writer. They arrange to meet one last time in a park. She realizes it is him, they kiss... cut to blue sky...

"That was a perfect combination of poetry and meanness."

"Just call me Joe."

In any wistful fairy tale position, failing that, in the teen magazine waiting for Mr Right position.

A few more leprechauns might help.

Has a negative score on our reality meter. Little book store vs big discount chain? Owners talking secretly on AOL? Then they meet? Run for the hills...

Dogs and cats will both find a moment of peace and harmony during this movie as dogs love Tom Hanks, whereas cats love Meg Ryan. Expect them to walk paw in paw for weeks afterwards, opening doors for each other and chatting merrily at breakfast.

Locusts and other flying insects will clatter appreciatively throughout.

If you are the owner of a successful book discount store chain you are an evil money grabbing nice people eater. Shame on you and all your stockholders.

A favorite hat with a small teddy bear sewed into it.

There is a dangerous start to this movie: a computer simulation of New York City in which we zoom in on an apartment. This is misleading as, whilst clearly the internet is central to the movie, it is only used as a method for them meeting, and the point to the whole enterprise being that the internet is an anonymous medium.

Thankfully, there are no problems with the modem during the movie or other problems requiring hours on the free help service that AOL kindly provide.

One of those feel good whimsical movies which makes no sense whatsoever but you are along for the ride so you let the logic slide. A very good romantic comedy. Tom Hanks is in everyone's favorite uncle mode. Meg Ryan everyone's favorite victim. A joy.

WARNING If this movie does not make you cry (even a little) see a doctor urgently, you may have trapped water.

October 31 , 2002.