1 9 9 4 ▁American ▁rom antic ▁comedy ▁film ▁directed ▁by ▁Fred ▁Sch ep isi ▁and ▁st arring ▁Tim ▁Rob b ins , ▁Meg ▁Ryan , ▁and ▁Walter ▁Matth au . ▁The ▁original ▁music ▁score ▁was ▁composed ▁by ▁Jerry ▁G olds m ith . ▁The ▁film ▁cent ers ▁on ▁a ▁mechan ic ▁and ▁a ▁Pr inc eton ▁doctor al ▁candidate ▁who ▁fall ▁in ▁love , ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁candidate ' s ▁uncle , ▁Albert ▁Ein stein . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Is ▁everything ▁random ▁" or ▁is ▁there ▁a ▁Grand ▁Design ?" ▁mus es ▁Albert ▁Ein stein ▁at ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁And ▁we ▁are ▁left ▁with ▁the ▁ult imate ▁conclusion ▁that ▁where ▁true ▁love ▁is ▁concerned ▁at ▁least , ▁the ▁answer ▁is ▁a ▁res ounding ▁" Yes " ▁to ▁a ▁Grand ▁Design . ▁ ▁An ▁easy - going ▁gar age ▁mechan ic , ▁Ed ▁Wal ters ▁( Tim ▁Rob b ins ), ▁meets ▁Catherine ▁Bo yd ▁( M eg ▁Ryan ), ▁a ▁successful ▁Pr inc eton ▁University ▁mathematics ▁doctor al ▁candidate , ▁as ▁she ▁comes ▁into ▁the ▁gar age , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁her ▁resist ant ▁and ▁critical ▁English ▁f ian cé , ▁ac erb ic ▁experimental ▁psych ology ▁professor ▁James ▁Mor eland ▁( Ste phen ▁F ry ). ▁There ▁is ▁an ▁immediate ▁" elect ric " ▁connection ▁which ▁Ed ▁recogn izes ▁as ▁he ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her ▁at ▁first ▁sight , ▁but ▁she ▁is ▁not ▁yet ▁aware . ▁ ▁Ed ▁sees ▁his ▁future , ▁briefly , ▁and ▁Catherine ▁is ▁a