Sliding Doors (1998)
“Gary Glitter? For crying out loud!” If you have no idea what that means, you haven’t seen Sliding Doors and therefore aren’t in love with John Hannah. I have, and I am. He’s among my favorites of onscreen fellows I’d marry if he were real. He’s cute, funny, reliable, supportive, athletic, and sensitive. He has such a good heart, and even though he’s on a mission to cheer up the sorrowful heroine, he’s not doing it for distraction or because he can’t take anything seriously. Therefore, he’s not real! But if he were, I’d marry him. He’s such a doll.
The first time you watch Sliding Doors, you laugh yourself silly and declare it the most delightful comedy you’ve ever seen. When you watch it for the second time, you’ll realize it’s more dramatic than you first thought. The third time, you’ll think it’s remarkably moving for a comedy. I’ve seen it probably ten times, and by now I look at it as a drama with some humor to get me through. While I first thought Gwyneth Paltrow was adorable, John Hannah was hilarious, and John Lynch was a world-class jerk, now I have completely different interpretations. Gwyneth is struggling and entirely human, Hannah cheers others up because of the sadness in his own life, and Lynch is wracked with shame and guilt.
Now onto the plot: have you ever wondered what would have happened if just one little part of your day went differently, like catching the subway or missing it? Gwyneth Paltrow gets to live out an alternate timeline by just a few seconds of difference. Writer-director Peter Howitt develops a realistic, interesting story about a career woman supporting her aspiring writer boyfriend who does (and doesn’t) make the Underground train after she gets fired and comes home early. The scenes alternate throughout the entire movie so you always know what she’s doing at both times. In one life, she makes it home early and walks in on her boyfriend having sex with his mistress. In the other life, she doesn’t make it home early, so Lynch has enough time to cover up his affair.
If 1998 passed you by and you didn’t watch all of Gwyneth Paltrow’s great movies (A Perfect Murder, Shakespeare in Love, Great Expectations, Sliding Doors, and Hush), you’ve got to get caught up. Sliding Doors is my favorite. It’s very funny, with great lines that would really help you let off steam in real life, and has enough drama to make you think about the twists and turns of life. Plus, Gwyneth is absolutely adorable (what a cute haircut!) and gets to fool audiences into thinking she’s really British.
More Gwyneth Paltrow movies here!
The first time you watch Sliding Doors, you laugh yourself silly and declare it the most delightful comedy you’ve ever seen. When you watch it for the second time, you’ll realize it’s more dramatic than you first thought. The third time, you’ll think it’s remarkably moving for a comedy. I’ve seen it probably ten times, and by now I look at it as a drama with some humor to get me through. While I first thought Gwyneth Paltrow was adorable, John Hannah was hilarious, and John Lynch was a world-class jerk, now I have completely different interpretations. Gwyneth is struggling and entirely human, Hannah cheers others up because of the sadness in his own life, and Lynch is wracked with shame and guilt.
Now onto the plot: have you ever wondered what would have happened if just one little part of your day went differently, like catching the subway or missing it? Gwyneth Paltrow gets to live out an alternate timeline by just a few seconds of difference. Writer-director Peter Howitt develops a realistic, interesting story about a career woman supporting her aspiring writer boyfriend who does (and doesn’t) make the Underground train after she gets fired and comes home early. The scenes alternate throughout the entire movie so you always know what she’s doing at both times. In one life, she makes it home early and walks in on her boyfriend having sex with his mistress. In the other life, she doesn’t make it home early, so Lynch has enough time to cover up his affair.
If 1998 passed you by and you didn’t watch all of Gwyneth Paltrow’s great movies (A Perfect Murder, Shakespeare in Love, Great Expectations, Sliding Doors, and Hush), you’ve got to get caught up. Sliding Doors is my favorite. It’s very funny, with great lines that would really help you let off steam in real life, and has enough drama to make you think about the twists and turns of life. Plus, Gwyneth is absolutely adorable (what a cute haircut!) and gets to fool audiences into thinking she’s really British.
More Gwyneth Paltrow movies here!