Every morning, they log on and hear: “You’ve got mail.” They met online, and they only use nicknames, Shopgirl and NY152. Kathleen writes, “I like to start my notes to you as if we’re already in the middle of a conversation.” So she never uses the polite first line we write at work: “Hope you’re well”. It is friendly and safe for colleagues and clients. If someone writes it to you, “I’m well, thanks” is enough. “I hope this email finds you well” sounds stiff to many readers. Used in real life: “Hi Sam, hope you’re well. Are we still meeting on Thursday?”

Their emails are long and full of small things. Joe says he would send her “a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils”. Kathleen writes about a butterfly on the subway. Work emails are shorter. When yours is really short, start it with “Just a quick one”. It means “This will only take a moment”. It is informal but polite, so it works with colleagues. In a British pub, though, “Fancy a quick one?” means “Do you want a quick drink?” Used in real life: “Just a quick one — did you get my invoice on Monday?”

Then the new Fox Books opens, and Kathleen’s customers go there instead. She writes to NY152, “My business is in trouble.” He tells her to “go to the mattresses”, which means “go to war”. So she fights back, in the newspaper and on TV. If you were NY152, this is when you’d write, “Keep me posted.” It means “Tell me the news as things happen”. You keep someone posted on something, and the usual answer is “Will do”. For one piece of news, say “Let me know”. Used in real life: “Good luck with the move — keep me posted!” “Will do.”

At last, they agree to meet in a café. Outside, Joe’s friend looks through the window and tells him who is waiting: “It is Kathleen Kelly.” So Joe goes in as Joe Fox, not as NY152, and they argue. The next day, she writes, “Last night I went to meet you, and you weren’t there.” He begs her to forgive him “for not being there”. This is the moment to listen for. That is a big apology for a big problem. For a late email, five words are enough: “Sorry for the late reply”. A more formal version is “Apologies for the delay”. And don’t drop “the”: it’s sorry for THE late reply. Used in real life: “Sorry for the late reply. I was away, but yes, Friday works.”

Kathleen’s shop closes, and then she gets a bad cold. Joe visits her with flowers and asks, “Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flower?” Slowly, they become friends. But her emails to NY152 still end with no real name. Most emails end with a word or two above our name. “Best” is the safe choice at work. “Kind regards” is more formal, for people you don’t know well. “Cheers” is friendly and very British, so keep it for people you know. Used in real life: “Thanks for your help today. Best, Teddy.”

The words reviewers reach for are the three bonus words above. ReelViews saw a simple love story told in the style of an earlier age, and liked it more for that. Orlando Weekly found the film nice and easy to enjoy, though it felt a little empty underneath. And Ruthe Stein, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, pointed to its many strange but likeable people.