[Source: AP]

The words “For Nora” end Meg Ryan’s new film “What Happens Later.”

It was a no brainer to dedicate it to the late Nora Ephron, though it did require an extra layer of approval from the Directors Guild. Ephron and Ryan were responsible for some of the culture’s most enduring and beloved modern romantic comedies from “When Harry Met Sally,” which Ephron wrote, to “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail.”

And this film was not just a romantic comedy, but one that Ryan co-wrote and directed too. She co-stars with David Duchovny in a kind of fairy tale about two exes stuck in an airport together for 24 hours during a snowstorm. Though it might sound slightly gimmicky on paper, the result is anything but — it’s smart, charming, a little whimsical and a very welcome return for Ryan, who hasn’t been in a film for eight years. It opens in theaters Friday.

“It’s hopefully a movie that just unzips you a little bit like in terms of your heart,” Ryan said. “It’s not a cynical movie at all. It’s vulnerable. But maybe around the holidays, people are more open to seeing movies like that.”

Ryan and Duchovny did not really know each other before “What Happens Later,” but you’d never know it to watch them on screen or hear their off-camera rapport. They spoke to The Associated Press this week about the film, Ryan’s hiatus, the false promise of fame and their kids following them into the business.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.