“This was the modern woman understanding how to cope with the reality and new rules of the modern family.” - Robert Bookman on Nora Ephron (Photo Courtesy: thedailybeast.com)
“This was the modern woman understanding how to cope with the reality and new rules of the modern family.” - Robert Bookman on Nora Ephron
When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle – many of us have seen these films, loved the stories, admired the clearly etched positive characters, the beautiful, touching relationships they portrayed and their happy, romantic endings.
Nora Ephron – the filmmaker, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, journalist and director who crafted these films knew how to make viewers feel good about watching a movie
and leave the show with a thought “What if I was in a relationship like this….”
Personal life
It is not that Nora Ephron had a trouble free life. She had her share of ups and downs in her personal life. She married thrice. Her first marriage to writer Dan Greenburg lasted for nine years. Her second marriage to investigative journalist Carl Bernstein in 1976 had a tumultuous end after she found out about her husband’s extra-marital affair.
But a strong woman that she was, she emerged from her personal problems. She wrote a novel – Heartburn in 1983 based on her personal life experiences. Three years later, the novel was adapted into a film starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep.
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ―Lao Tzu
Having faced relationship problems in her marriage relationships, she deeply understood the need for positive, caring relationships in our lives. The strong, sure and confident women characters in her films aptly convey how we can turn negative experiences into positive with our own response to the problem.
Not surprisingly, her films enjoyed worldwide success as who doesn’t like to watch a beautiful, loving relationship take shape among ordinary people with whom you can identify instantly. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for box office hit- When Harry Met Sally. She was nominated thrice for the Academy Award for Best Writing in original screenplay.
During the years that she worked in the movie industry, she made her mark as a strong and modern woman who carved a niche for herself in an industry mostly dominated by men. She never let personal setbacks come in her way of living her life the way she wanted to.
After two failed marriages, Nora Ephron finally found the true love of her life – screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi. She was married to him for more than 20 years until her death parted them.
Nora died on 26th June, 2012 at the age of 71. She was undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.
Her life inspires us to believe in true love. When you believe in yourself; no matter what the circumstances are and no matter how the world perceives you; you attract positive experiences and positive people in life.
