Can men and women ever really be "just friends"? A series of articles at Slate magazine this week explores the question from different angles. Today's feature highlights platonic relationships in Hollywood movies, which may or may not reflect real life. The most famous example is in When Harry Met Sally.

Are we supposed to believe that Harry and Sally were once satisfied with friendship, or that they always harbored romantic feelings? Option 2 seems more likely: Their friendship was actually a courtship all along. Like Harry and Sally's friends, the viewer expects and wants the couple to get together. And even first-time viewers with the most basic understanding of plotting must realize that, narratively, romance is inevitable.

The upshot is that truly platonic cross-sex friendships appear to be easier in real life than in Hollywood movies. Link