The scene is so tense, it’s almost impossible to watch. Not because it’s gory or dark or even suspenseful but because you’re dying of embarrassment on behalf of the characters. But even as you can barely stand the discomfiture, you’re also laughing, at first a little, then a lot, and then you’re laugh-crying. And just when it seems to be over and you’re catching your breath, an unscripted character in the movie says, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
You may recognize that as the close of a famous scene from the 1989 movie “When Harry Met Sally.” The titular characters are in a restaurant, arguing about whether or not women can convincingly fake orgasm. Harry, played by Billy Crystal, thinks they can’t, but Sally, played by Meg Ryan, knows they can. Suddenly, without preamble, she begins to do just that, right there, at the table, in a full diner.
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