Sleepless in Seattle

Widower Sam Baldwin and his young son, Jonah, move to Seattle to start a new life. Lonely Sam is ready to start dating again, but still missing his mother, an upset Jonah calls a psychologist on a national radio talk show. Sam discovers Jonah is on the air. Sam gets on the phone and tells the psychologist that although it’s been tough, he and Jonah are doing OK. Single women across America hear Sam’s poignant story and write to him wanting to meet. East Coast reporter Annie Reed is also touched and believes Sam may be her soul mate. Even though she’s engaged to Walter, she sends Sam a letter. On the pretense of writing a story, she tracks down Sam’s address and goes to Seattle. Although she and Sam catch revealing glimpses of one another they do not meet, and Annie returns home.

Meanwhile, Jonah has read Annie’s letter, and he’s convinced she’s the one for Sam. Impersonating Sam, he writes Annie and suggests they meet atop the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. Sam finds out and has a talk with Jonah and thinks the matter is ended. Jonah is unfazed, however, and with the help of his playmate whose mother is a travel agent, books a flight to NYC to find Annie. A frantic Sam discovers Jonah is missing and follows him to New York.

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Revealing mistake: In the final scene when Annie and Sam are exiting the observation deck coming towards the elevators, the New York skyline backdrop which should be visible behind them is missing, and the entire sound stage wall can be seen beyond the observation deck safety railings instead. 'Although the exterior and lobby of the Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, are the real thing, a slightly larger replica of the Observation Deck was built in a hangar at Sand Point Naval Base on Puget Sound just northeast of - where else? - Seattle.' https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/Sleepless-In-Seattle.php. (01:39:35)

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Trivia: In the part of the movie that begins with Valentine's Day, there's a shot of a store with a heart (and other Valentine's decorations) in the window. Pasted on the heart is a black silhouette of a man and woman looking into each other's eyes. If you look closely, you'll notice the silhouette is of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

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Question: Can anyone tell me the name of the artist who sings a jazz version of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' played when Tom Hanks finishes talking on the radio for the first time? And where can I buy this version of the song?

Answer: Ray Charles is the singer who performs this version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" - this is not on the original movie soundtrack, but you may be able to find a Ray Charles album where this song is included.

I found an album by Ray Charles "Genius Loves Company By Ray Charles, Ray Charles And the Count Basie Orchestra" where "Over the Rainbow" is one of the songs, but it's not the same rendition as in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." I can't fine the movie version anywhere.

Try the Ray Charles album "Genius Loves Company." It's a collections of duets and he sings "Over the Rainbow" with Johnny Mathis. It was supposedly recorded sometime between 2003 and 2004, but his lines sounds like what's in the film. So I don't know if it's just him reprising an older version he did that was used in the film, or if it's the older version with Mathis' lines mixed in. I couldn't find anything earlier.

Bishop73

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