You've Got Mail just turned lucky 13 last year, which we celebrated by looking back at the still-functioning website and Meg Ryan's apartment in the movie. This year, however, there's an IRL celebration of the film, taking place at 7 p.m. tonight at Housing Works Bookstore (126 Crosby Street). We've Got Mail: An Interactive You've Got Mail Experience will revive Nora Ephron's rom com and bring fans of the flick a new type of viewing experience. We asked one of the organizers, Bobby Finger, for more details about the event, and he told us:
We created text and bubbles that appear throughout the movie (as AOL Instant Messanger IMs) that give the audience trivia, jokes/asides, and various other instructional messages. For example, everyone will be asked to imitate the dial up internet noises when a character logs on to AOL, and scream "ewwww" when Tom Hanks' stepmother appears onscreen.
We chose You've Got Mail not only because it's a favorite movie of ours, but because we knew it had a substantial following. It's one of those movies that seems to be on every weekend, but whose over saturation doesn't diminish its appeal. When you pair up Hanks, Ryan, and Ephron, you have charm that's impossible to resist, despite the fact that, tech-wise, it's almost comically dated. Like I said, it's a weekend afternoon movie—something you watch on your couch alone or with one or two other friends. What we're so excited about is having people bring the fun they have during a more intimate viewing (the laughter, reciting of lines, singing along of Harry Nillson songs) to a larger scale.
Plus, there will be prizes! Including You've Got Mail-themed artwork, a themed gift package from Ephron herself, and the group even contacted local businesses—some featured in the movie, others just New York icons—and collected a number of other gifts to raffle off through that. No word on if there will be "a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils," included in the raffle. Should you decide to log in and join the fun, here's an example of what you could win tonight:
Created by Kelly Reeves
