New York, Evolving in Front of the Camera

With its Art Deco spires stretching up to the sky, New York has been iconic since the turn of the century. New York’s early front-runner status has made it the standard for the modern city. In pop culture its almost been type-cast, "New York is a bustling metropolis rife with crime," but over the past century New York has constantly evolved. Contrasting You’ve Got Mail with Tootsie, we can see the difference in the way the city is shown in just 15 years. Both are light-hearted films yet the general mood or ambiance differs with the time. The way New York has been expressed and utilized has changed through its history. The change has always been subtle and slow and as a result we haven't really changed our ideas about the city.

Unfortunately because the city’s urban planning had gone into full swing by the 1930’s its transportation design has notoriously been stagnant. Streets are throttled by over dominating buildings and had no room for advancement. With this taxi cabs and subway trains became the dominant mode of transportation in a city that defined the fast urban epicenter. In fact taxis have become such an icon of New York that if a movie character doesn’t hail a cab once in a film it might as well be any other city in the world. In this case it only has to happen once, both You’ve Got Mail and Tootsie merely imply taxi rides without the standard conversation scene taking place in the backseat of a cab (as seen in many a film). In the more modern You’ve Got Mail walking is the main method of transportation; everyone strolls about no matter the time of day. Conversely, in Tootsie walking is considered secondary or almost slumming it. Teri Garr has a wonderful quote when asked if she’s going to take a cab at night, “nah, it’s cheaper getting mugged.”

Big scary and dangerous, New York has always been synonymous with crime. This sort of pre-conceived notion can usually be overblown, a result of early stigmatisms. You’ve Got Mail touches briefly on crime, it never happens to its characters but it is mentioned briefly in a newspaper, their version of New York is very friendly and safe. By contrast the New York of 1982 (in Tootsie) is livable but also has a dark and dirty side. The change takes place not only in the movies but is also a reality. Between 1982 and '98 crime in New York and its bureaus had dropped nearly 45%.

The general feel of New York has become cleaner and more friendlier. Current New York can be filmed during the day while Tootsie takes place either under darkened grey skies of autumn or at night. An afternoon in the dead of winter can seem like the most radiant day in You’ve Got Mail. Both are feel-good movies yet the New York of You've Got Mail permeates a sense euphoria; it seems more pleasant than most fairy-tale lands

New York has changed with the times. Not long ago it was the toughest city in America yet now the majority of films about New York are romantic comedies. No longer is New York about hustle and bustle, but instead a place where you can stroll down to the shop around the corner.