via American Cinematheque
It’s Valentine’s Day! And what better day to watch our favourite romantic movies? You’ve Got Mail is at the top of our list! In 1998, the American rom-com revolving around Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), who turn from business rivals to a happy couple, was released. The two business owners hate each other in real life but fall for each other’s “email” personas.
Their anonymous texting saves their relationship and helps them get on each other’s good sides. If you haven’t watched the film, we genuinely think you should; and when you do, reimagine the main characters as our recommended recast of Egyptian stars!
1- Kathleen Kelly (Malak El-Husseiny)
via Instagram & 4 Columns
The owner of a bookstore who loves reading and fictional novels, her small, cosy bookstore is more than a business to her. Kathleen has an AOL email account under the name “shopgirl”. In a chatroom, she stumbles upon a sweet guy who, under their agreement, doesn’t share his real name or personal information. Kathleen falls for the person she texts daily without knowing that he is the same business rival making her life a living hell. We think the talented rising star Malak El-Husseiny would be perfect for the adorable passionate character Kathleen Kelly, played excellently by the iconic Meg Ryan.
2- Joe Fox (Nour El-Nabawy)
via Instagram & Pinterest
Joe Fox is a member of the Fox family, running a series of mega bookstores. He opens a massive bookstore around the corner from Kathleen’s store, which affects her sales. However, his AOL screen personality “NY 152” falls for Kathleen’s online character. When he realises that she is the same person, he works on making things better between them before he confesses his love to her. This sweetheart businessman character, played by the veteran Tom Hanks, could be portrayed by the rising talent Nour El-Nabawy!
3- Frank Navasky (Sherif Salama)
via Instagram & Pinterest
Frank Navasky, a newspaper writer at New York Times, is Kathleen’s ex-boyfriend. He is selfish and prioritises his life and work, leaving no space for Kathleen to discuss her accomplishments or problems. He only shows interest when he thinks her rivalry with Joe is a good writing topic. Played by Greg Kinnear, the character of Frank should be brought to life by our beloved Sherif Salama!
4- Patricia Eden (Tharaa Goubail)
via Imago & Instagram
In very few scenes, we see Patricia Eden, the live-in girlfriend of Joe Fox, before he meets Kathleen. The character is portrayed as obnoxious and self-centred, causing Joe constant discomfort. Finally, Joe calls it quits, leaving Patricia insanely annoyed that we see no more scenes of her. The character is brief but significant, and we would love to see the sweetest Tharaa Goubail be the guest star in our reimagined Egyptian version!
