Sliding Doors
Tags: alternate reality, entertaining

Plot synopsis:
The film follows Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow), a young Englishwoman living in London who has just been fired from her public relations job. The plot splits into two parallel universes, based on the two paths her life could take depending on whether she catches a London Underground train or not.In the timeline in which she makes the train, she meets James (John Hannah) on the underground and they strike up a conversation. She gets home in time to catch her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) in bed with his American ex-girlfriend Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn); she dumps him and moves in with her friend Anna (Zara Turner). James continues to serendipitously pop into Helen's life, cheering her up and encouraging her to start her own public relations firm. Helen gets a new makeover by cutting her hair short and dying it blond. She and James fall in love despite Helen's reservations about beginning another relationship so soon after her ugly breakup with Gerry.In the timeline in which she misses the train, she then hails a taxi instead but gets mugged when a man snatches her handbag. Helen hits her head in the scuffle and goes to hospital. She arrives home late, giving Lydia time to leave. Helen carries on with her life oblivious of Gerry's infidelity, and begins working part-time jobs to pay bills. Gerry conceals his infidelity and juggles the two women in his life; Lydia even interacts with Helen on several occasions. Helen has a number of conflicts with Gerry, then discovers she's pregnant with his baby, but delays telling him.In the first timeline, Helen discovers she's pregnant, believing it is with James' child, and goes to see him at his office. She is stunned to learn from James' secretary that he is married. Upset, she disappears. James finds her on a bridge and explains that he was married but is now separated and planning to divorce. He and his soon-to-be ex-wife maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of his sick mother. After she and James declare their love for another, Helen walks out into the road and is hit by a car.In the second timeline, Helen tells Gerry she has a job interview with an international PR firm. Thinking Helen is at the interview, Gerry sees Lydia, who is also pregnant with his child. While there, the doorbell rings and Lydia tells Gerry to answer it. Helen is there, and is stunned when Lydia tells her she can't do the interview because she's "deciding whether or not to keep your boyfriend's baby." Distraught over finally catching her two-timing boyfriend's infidelity, Helen runs and falls down Lydia's staircase.In both timelines, after her accident (hit by a car in the first timeline, and falling down the stairs in the second) Helen goes to hospital and happens to end up in the very same emergency room in both timelines, and loses her baby. In the timeline in which she caught the train, she dies from internal bleeding in the arms of her newfound love. In the timeline in which she didn't, she recovers and tells Gerry to leave for good. Before waking up, she sees flashes of the other Helen's life.In the final scene (now taking place solely in the "missed the train" universe), James is leaving the hospital after visiting his mother, and Helen is leaving after ending her relationship with Gerry. Helen drops an earring in the elevator and it is picked up by James. This mirrors the start of the film, where James picks up Helen's earring on the elevator after Helen is fired from her job. Before the doors close, James tells Helen to cheer up, and repeats his line, "You know what the Monty Python boys say..." Helen (who, in the beginning of the film, assumed the rejoinder to be "always look on the bright side of life.") says, " Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition." She and James stare at one another, each surprised by her response. The doors close and the audience is left to wonder what will become next.

Review: The romantic comedy, 'Sliding Doors', is a great look at how quickly a person's life can change in a matter of moments.
By taking one path instead of another, forming a tantalizing 'what if?' In fact this movie gives the impression that some things are meant to be known, while some things are not.London publicists Helen, is effortlessly sliding between parallel storylines that show what happens if she does or does not catch a morning train back to her apartment.
Sliding doors is one of the best films that Gwyneth Paltrow has done.
The film clip to this song is also very good.Sliding doors is one of those feel good movies, which can also make you feel sad as well.
If you want to see the good and bad sides of love take a look at this romantic classic.CMRS gives 'Sliding Doors': 4.5 (Very Good- Brilliant Film).
The acting is great (even if Paltrow's accent is at times a little too British and forced) and the plot twists every few seconds.
It could have become very confusing, but the direction is good enough that you can easily follow the two stories at once.There are two things that stop this film being a 10.
The second is that the message of the film seems that we don't control our own future-after all, it isnt Helen who decides if she makes it to the train, it all depends on if a little girl is pulled out of the way by her mother in time.
Gwyneth Paltrow plays Helen Quilley, she works in Public Relations and is dating an idiot who is cheating on her (come on guys, would you?) After losing her job she heads home early, and the film then follows two Parallel realities, that cross over and intertwine in a very clever manner, that adds a great deal to the movies quality.One way, she gets home and finds him cheating, and the other way she is mugged and her boyfriend gets away with it, at least for now.In this wonderfully charming romantic comedy, great performances from, Paltrow, Lynch, Hannah and Tripplehorn plus a good script and some good laughs all add up to a movie i simply don't tire of.
In the other, she meets talkative James (John Hannah) on the train and finds her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) cheating with Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn).Written and directed by Peter Howitt, this movie is one gimmick but I'm not sure there is much more than that.
I don't remember reading a thing about this movie when it originally appeared, and that's odd because I enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow's work.
I caught up with it on DVD, and I thought it was a superior movie with an extremely interesting premise and splendid performances by Paltrow's co-stars.
Although Gwyneth Paltrow plays the same character in both aspects of the story, both Helens seem completely different.
It is thoughtful about what might happen in a different reality if we make different choices or "fate" aligns just right for whatever reason.There were some very funny moments, especially when Hannah let loose with his version of Pythons "Meaning of Life".
The story shows two parallel lives of Helen: in one life, she stays with her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch), and in the other life, she finds that Gerry cheats her with Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and falls in love with James Hammerton (John Hannah).
It is very interesting that in 1998, two movies presented similar concepts of different situations depending on a minor event: "Sliding Doors" and "Lola Rennt".
This movie is quite magical and does the best it can to get Gwyneth Paltrow through her parallel universes and see the things that one would see.
This movie will make you think for years on end, Just that one little thing could change your life for good.This movie is running to stories of Helen Quilley who has just been fired of her work place for drinking the night before has she rushes to the train station, while go down the stairs a little girl get in the way and she goes around girl and train door shut in face.Then we see the movie rewind and she back on top the stairs this time mum pulls the girl way from wall so she can get past, just about got on to the train, in this scene we can she her on train also on outside train.From here we see both side of stories, we see how life would have been if she did catch the train and we can also see what would have happened if she missed the Train.
This genuinely lovely film was such a pleasure to watch.The charters were well written and so different from each other which blended well in the film,and the chemistry between the main actors John and Gwyneth was evident which helps a great deal when playing out a love story.The acting was very well done and Gwyneth's accent superb-let's face it so many actors have tried and gotten it terribly wrong.I thought John Hannah Was brilliant in this movie and any warm blooded woman like myself fell in love with him immediately,and subsequently yelled "kiss him Helen" at the screen-or was that just me?And as for Russell-he has without a doubt the funniest laugh in a movie ever-a pee my self laughing at all of his scenes.The only qualms I had with this movie was that i found the Helen misses the train parts of the film quite dull-I would've happily watched a film with just the progressive and eventual relationship with James and Helen.John Hannah definitely stole the show though and I'm sure amassed a league of female fans.If you do fancy the pants off him as i do then you must see him in the film 'circus'.phwoaah he is soooo sexy in it and its a great film with loads of twists to its plot..
This, arguably, is her finest hour as this is a romantic movie with a rare intelligence and a daring approach to telling its story.Paltrow plays Helen, a twenty-something PR executive living with her writer-boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) in London.
It's more of a serious study into relationships than a hilarious dual-layered comedy - it's not exactly "There's Something About Mary", still my favourite rom-com.There aren't many films like "Sliding Doors" out there.
It's definitely a chick-flick (like most of my Better Half's DVD collection) but I would still just about recommend "Sliding Doors", purely because it's a refreshing change from the norm.
A movie like this really makes you think about things...What if this film was really as good as people keep saying?What if Gwyneth could fake an English accent without sounding like a member of the royal family?What if it was believable that a weasel like Jerry would have TWO women chasing after him?What if they had cast better actors?What if the ending didn't make me feel like ripping my hair out?What if I hadn't wasted my money on such a pathetic movie?.
Howitt apparently had the idea for the film when he was almost run over by a car, the whole "what if?" situation worked around his mind and ended up being Sliding Doors.
Hannah and Paltrow are superb, he is funny, charming and utterly beguiling, yet a world away from the normal pretty boy types so favoured by film makers.
It does look slightly dated though, but that's mostly to do with things like fashion and technology.I must admit I did find the premise of this film quite interesting; how just a couple of seconds at a crucial moment can make drastic changes to a life did intrigue me.
It did leave me with a few questions by the end and I see that as a good thing; there were certain things open to interpretation and any film that does that is always going to be worth a look, in my view.
It is the great performances by all the cast, a brilliant idea, and a witty script that make this film a classic in its genre in my opinion.As with the best comedy, there is also tragedy that befalls the players in this drama, and you end up realising how complicated life is and how fate plays a big part in our lives.As someone who hates rom coms, I have to say that Sliding Doors is still one of my favourite films, and I watch it whenever it comes on the TV.
simply in word word,a must see movie for real movie lovers.as far as i am concerned,i liked this for many reasons.firstly,the basic story is different for regular movies.everybody at some points of life feel what if i did that instead of this?and this movie shows the answer.i can say its enjoyable and funny even though its a drama.and secondly,it shows whatever is destined to happen,it will happen.the same thing is proved here.as we see the ending.this is the movie which cant be made again as this is never before and i can say never after kind.this is best after pulpfiction for me as both has same motive-experimentation and different.
and I suppose the Comedy referred to in the classification is meant to be "Human Comedy"The cast is excellent, the editing is very good - considering the scenario.I dont care for the ending but sometimes life takes those turns.Guys..
When Helen gets home, she sees her boyfriend, Gerry (John Lynch) in bed with his ex-girlfriend, Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Helen quickly ends her relationship with Gerry and forms a new, loving one with James.The other possibility is that, Helen misses the train, gets robbed and a nasty cut, goes to hospital and by the time she arrives at home Gerry is already in the shower.
And will you end up in the same place if you take a different road?This is what this movie makes you think about.It is an excellent concept, followed through with great direction and acting.It has incredible acting and it was nice to see someone who could actually pull off a credible English accent and do it as well as Gwyneth Paltrow did.Definitely worth watching at least once and just as charming when you watch it the second time..
In the beginning of the movie I felt a bit sorry for Helens ex-boyfriend but in the end I despited him and almost hated him-excellent acting!
("Gimme a Happy Ending" proves once again a way to win my heart!)Jeanne Tripplehorn plays her normal annoying character to the hilt...you LOVED to hate her as always!
If you don't over-analyze the plot and just enjoy it like a good Star Trek episode, accepting the premise, it's excellent and can hold one's attention until the very end...and beyond.Truly excellent "best friend" supporting roles are played by Turner and McFerran.
I was impressed with the casting, Paltrow was excellent as were the two leading males, and it appeared that a great deal of thought went into all aspects of the film, unlike so many over-billed blockbusters.
(I am watching the movie for the second time in a day just because I like how light-hearted it is without being disgusting..
Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah give great performances, although I didn't think that highly of John Lynch.
You can say this is well done romantic comedy abouta woman named Helen fighting through her life, but you can also say that this film is about destiny - You can not change it.
It was a good story with some stupid English jokes.But the story shows the influence of the coincidence.It was an original story and a movie you let your thinking about the life.Maybe 2 or 3 times is enough to see this movie because there are not interesting details.Its all about the whole movie and about the whole story.You cant miss 1 minute because you need every minute in order to understand the story and the movie.In fact its a producer with a beautiful mind who made this movie.He must have a great fantasy and a great view on the life.I cant compare this movie with others movies.Its the only movie I have seen about the coincidence.Its all about coincidence, but coincidence cares.Coincidence makes every situation of your life and every success or bad luck..
The idea is fresh, but slightly self-defeating: we never know "what if", in life, there are no second chances, and so Paltrow's character is hard to truly care for; like Lara Croft, she is rendered invulnerable (and hence slightly inhuman) through the curse of having too many lives.
Most of it is standard faire: London girl Helen (Paltrow) has to choose between puppy-eyed loser Gerry (John Lynch) and Good Guy James (John Hannah).
Yes, I love this movie and I think actress Gwyneth Paltrow and actor John Hannah were made for each other.
This is a good movie, with an ingenious plot, that is surprisingly easy to follow (that the "two" Gwyneth has different hair styles help a lot in this regard).
Paltrow and Hannah are very charming, and without them the movie would not have been nearly as good.
Now I'm glad I didn't fork out the 10 bucks or so when it was in theatres.Perhaps it's because I don't belong in the target demographic for this film, but I found it to be so awful that I couldn't watch it beyond the first 20 minutes or so, and I love movies - have since childhood.The script was trite, Paltrow's accent was painful, and obviously a mish-mash of several locations, Hannah looked embarrassed (and well he should be), and what was John Lynch doing in a turkey like this?
An engaging premise, gently witty script, well filmed and very well played.The one fly in the ointment is a truly irritating performance by Gwyneth Paltrow.
"Sliding Doors" is a mess of a film, but it gets points for attempting to be good.
Basically Gwyneth Paltrow (after "getting the sack") either makes her train or doesn't, and then either catches her boyfriend "shagging" an old flame or arrives home just after the other woman has left the premises.
Gwyneth Paltrow's performance is spot-on as a British businesswoman who misses a train on her way home from work, thereby not arriving home in time to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman.
After seeing this movie, I had to go and look up how tall Gwyneth Paltrow is, because it's the first time I've watched a film and thought "my God, this girl is bigger than *both* her boyfriends".
Not that there's anything particularly terrible about that; the trouble is, the problems don't end there.Which is a pity, since it had a good idea and a hell of a cast; just not the right one, unfortunately.Take Gwyneth Paltrow's accent: For an American, she does a damn good job of "English"; the thing is, an English actress would have done so much better.
Fun, delightful, and never dull, Sliding Doors follows the life of a woman who misses ( and takes) a train to work.
Sliding Door's story is cleverly devised with the "If only" scenario, where Londoner Helen (Gwyneth who's really good in this) who's been having a sh.t of a day, after she's fired.
Flynn as the cheating arsehole, and ex boyfriend, Nick, is really good like his co-stars, playing a rather pathetic, yet funny great character.
Both paths are very interesting, and the movie does a great job of seamlessly letting you know which path you are watching at any point in time.
SLIDING DOORSThis was better than I expected.The film is about a girl who gets fired from her job and on the way home as she is walking down to the tube to catch her train a little girl makes her late and she misses her train but we also see what would happen if she caught the train.
There are the odd cheesy moment, but nowhere near as much as most romantic movies have.Sliding Doors stars a young Gwyneth Paltrow.
It is funny to think that the guy from the classic TV show Bread, Peter Howitt, wrote and directed this.I will give this film 7 out of 10."I could never love a Baywatch fan"For more reviews, please like my Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl.
The thing that impressed me the most was the clear sensation that the film created a little place i can visit and hide for a little, like if i was visiting the possible reality the sliding doors created for Gwyneth.
Then came "Sliding doors." It's catching enough to actually watch and care about Gwyneth Paltrow's life as Helen.
I personally thought Sliding Doors was an extremely good film.
Boring, pretentious, stars Gwyneth Paltrow, who I am liking less and less after each movie.
A movie that girls will enjoy if they like romantic and hopeful type of films about love and the big question of what if...
Sliding Doors is one of those films that has a very clever concept you don't come across very often - so watch it.
The acting is definitely above average, Gwyneth Paltrow gives a great performance, making the audience feel sorry for her didn't-catch-the-train character, and then thinking, "go girl!" for her character that DID catch the train.
This was a film that was funny, realistic, tender and warming.Helen (Paltrow)and James (Hannah) are portrayed as very real people living in modern London.
I had no advance idea what this film was about, so sat down to watch it with an open mind, and with a tendency to like Gwyneth Paltrow.
It's a film of two stories; in one Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets fired, meets a man, goes home and finds her boyfriend shagging another.
plot 2: Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets fired, misses the underground, comes home later, doesn't find boyfriend with another, so stays with him and continues boring life, until she finds out he's having this affair.
The interesting part about the film is the ending; where the the two stories become one and we are again at one of the first scenes.