Interpersonal Relationships In When Harry Met Sally

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“When Harry Met Sally” depicts the ups and downs of a relationship between and man and a woman over the course of twelve years. These ups and downs are also referred to as the ten interpersonal relationship stages. A couple’s communication throughout their relationship, both positive and negative, determine whether the relationship will be maintained or terminated. Although some couples experience every stage from the beginning to the end of their relationship, many partners, like Harry and Sally, flow back and forth between these stages and sometimes skip a stage completely, making every relationship entirely unique. Harry and Sally entered the initiating stage, or the point in a relationship where one indicates that they would like to form a relationship with the other typically through introducing themselves, several times throughout the movie. Harry and Sally are aware that they are in this stage because they both make the effort to introduce themselves and begin some sort of relationship, no matter how informal. The first …show more content…

As their friendship intensifies, Harry and Sally begin to spend more time with each other's friends, and even go on a double date with each other’s best friend, Jess and Marie. Their friend circles merge and even as Harry and Sally enter romantic relationships with other people, they still spend time together and with the same group of friends. They do not exhibit other characteristics of the integrating stage, such as sharing property or an increased sense of obligation to one another. Despite sharing friends and some physical affection, Harry and Sally seem to skip over this stage and move onto the differentiating stage once their relationship grows more

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