It was reported just yesterday that Nora Ephron was literally on her death bed and could pass at any time. Now, it appears the rumors were not unfounded;
Ephron lost her battle with acute myeloid leukemia and died at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Tuesday night. She was 71 years old.
Ephron’s uncanny ability to compose memorable characters supported by vampy wit and undiluted humor made her an instant sensation in the film and literary community. Her unmatchable talent and instinctual capabilities can appropriately be attributed to the fact that she was the offspring of two very talented screenwriters who also churned out timeless pieces including Carousel, and There’s No Business like Showbusiness.
Ephron became a master of being able to convey the most complicated romantic entanglements in way that nobody ever could and she used utilized her heroines in an accessible and sympathetic manner without reducing them into sobbing clichés.
Her exquisite penmanship led her to an amazingly weighty career that encompassed some of the best talents in Hollywood while producing an endless string of acerbic dialogue that will no doubt keep us entertained for years to come.
You may not have known her name but surely you were aware of some of her greatest hits that include: Heartburn (1986), a film that was loosely based on her life, When Harry Met Sally…(1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You’ve Got Mail (1998), and her last film, Julie and Julia (2009).
Her legacy is rich and undisputedly everlasting thanks to the treasure chest she leaves behind. She is survived by husband, writer Nicolas Pileggi and her sons Jacob and Max Bernstein.
For more on Ephron and her illustrious career, click here.