“You can settle for reality, or you can go off, like a fool, and dream another dream.”—
Nora Ephron, Heartburn

When I think about accomplished filmmakers, I think of Nora Ephron. A talented writer and director, Ephron led the way for many women working to be a part of the film industry. She wrote fourteen movies, including When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner, 1989), and directed eight. Ephron was nominated for three Oscars and one Golden Globe, in addition to winning seven other awards. With a diverse range of interests and humble, yet clear ambitions for her work, she made a name for herself and paved the way for others. The qualities she exhibits are those which I hope to reflect in my own career as an aspiring writer and director, and Nora Ephron has therefore become a role model for me. Her writing is relatable and her ability to translate her ideas and passions through directing is evident in the success of her work.
The films Nora Ephron creates are built upon the relatability of the characters and the relationship created between them and the viewers. When studying her films, I cared about the characters and I understood them. Ephron provides such intimate detail of their lives, personalities, and mannerisms that audiences can’t help but empathize with them. The most consistent aspect of her films is the development of her characters and their establishment as relatable people. Ephron said, “I try to write parts for women that are as complicated and interesting as women actually are,” expressing her ambition for detail and personality in her characters. This is most clear in Ephron’s compelling dialogue, which is philosophical about life and love. Her words resonate with audiences, who find that these dynamic lines are echos of questions we ask ourselves. Talking about her characters feels like recounting stories of old friends, because they experience life just like we do: painfully, awkwardly, but beautifully.
That being said, she’s able to create beautiful films not because she romanticizes story lines to a pulp, but because she shows the rawness of real life. The situations in her films are natural. Ephron doesn’t force thoughtfulness in her screenplays or directorial efforts, but her work is by no means lacking emotional insight. Rather, the authenticity of real life present in her work shines through the objectively bland, day-to-day scenarios to create something timeless. It perfectly acknowledges the notable “little things” that are so often either overlooked or over exaggerated to the point of annoyance.
Nora Ephron’s work also explores a wide range of ideas, from the struggles of romantic relationships to searching for meaning in life. She proves her ability to not only explore contemporary issues, but to translate matters that are relevant in the present moment into situations that will matter in the future. The timelessness of her creations is reflected in the amount of directors and films that have been inspired by her work. Although she didn’t invent the romantic comedy, she undeniably left her mark on it. It’s almost impossible to watch a good romantic comedy created in the last couple of decades that isn’t reminiscent of Ephron’s movies. Details that might seem cliched now were not such stereotypical aspects of a romantic film when Nora Ephron was creating them; they only became quintessential facets of the genre because she made them so worthily relatable.
Another important matter that Nora Ephron discussed not only in her writing and embodied in her lifestyle was the importance of strong women that could carry their own weight in an industry that so often favors men. The lack of recognition for creative women in film is less of an issue now than it was before people like Ephron made female innovation in film a reality, but it is thanks to women like her that it is so. She acknowledged that critics often didn’t expect great work from a female unless she was the daughter, the wife, etc., of a man who was also a good screenwriter or director. Ephron encouraged strong women to excel; as she said in her commencement address at Wellesley College in 1996, “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” She helped to change expectations for women and praised those who broke out of the mold as well.
Although she passed away on June 26, 2012, Nora Ephron continues to be an inspiration and a role model to me as an aspiring director and screenwriter. It should be the goal of all cinematic pioneers to create work that is as honest and authentic as Ephron’s, while raising the standards against conventional expectations for women.