WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING 30 YEARS LATER! (WHY WE STILL LOVE THIS ONE!)

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Heartwarming and memorable, While You Were Sleeping is a film that is universally loved. It’s one of those movies that tugs at heartstrings and allows scenes that feel “natural” rather than cringe inducing. The movie is considered a classic of its era and genre and this month, it hits a milestone. This is why we’re going to share a little reasons we love While You Were Sleeping 30 years later feature because, yes, some movies just deserve this.

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We’ve probably all seen this 1995 film, some of us only once and others, well, dozens of times. Sandra Bullock stars as Lucy, a woman who develops a crush on Peter, a daily commuter on the line she takes tokens for. She has dreams and ambitions and sharing a conversation with Peter is one of them. Then fate steps in and after he is pushed onto the tracks, Lucy saves him and while he’s in a comma, a nurse overhears Lucy say, “I was going to marry him,” which she takes as the truth. This fantasy gets shared with the family. Of course now Lucy is in an awkward position as she is thrown into a boisterous family who believe Lucy is THE one for their successful son, at least almost everyone. Jack, Peter’s brother, is more than a little suspicious of Lucy…

This film is easy to like (it celebrates its anniversary officially April 21) and it has actors who bring to life this story in a very real kind of way that works. In short, this film is easy to understand the long-standing love for. Let’s talk about the why we love While You Were Sleeping.

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REASONS we love WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING 30 years later

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THE CAST of CHARACTERS

This is a dual reason and is meant to compliment both the characters and the people who play them (which is down to writers and those actors). I love Sandra Bullock in this role and while it may not be considered her most memorable role or her best, I think she makes it memorable and good, and even, yes, one of her best. Additionally, this entire group of characters is fabulous. I love the quirky family which feels kind of like a throwback to families like You Can’t Take it With You and again, this is a compliment to the amazing cast who bring color to their characters.

THE CAT

The whole cat bit is pretty funny. I love how it all plays out and the funny kind of meet-cute (or rather second meet) that it also features. Sandra Bullock plays the scene well and proves how easy it is to remember her characters; she has a presence that makes them so.

LUCY

In many ways, Sandra Bullock’s Lucy is the portrait of relatable girl. She’s representative of so many, even the women in today’s culture. She has goals and dreams, but feels a little “trapped” by circumstances or maybe in the belief that she has to do the same thing for a little bit longer. Or perhaps it’s more about “safety” and being too scared to step out of the comfort zone. She’s someone we can relate to and she’s also just delightful and fun to hang out with.

THE LEAN scene

I’m not sure what it is about this scene, but I think it’s cute and shows off a bit of the flirting between the characters. Additionally, I love the walk in the snow between Lucy and Jack, too. The conversation and moment is full of warmth and is a scene not easily wiped from my cinematic mind.

THE PROPOSAL

It’s not a scene that is grand in the way most proposals go in for or certainly not the type of proposal we may see in a Jane Austen adaptation, but the proposal scene is lovely and again, yes, simple, but I think part of its goal is to be something we relate to while also giving fairy tale, and yes, the right writer can accomplish this. While You Were Sleeping does and the result is memorable still, even 30 years later.

Stream, at publication, on Disney+; or digitally purchase / rent on places like Apple TV+ or Prime Video

Photos: Alamy

What are some of your reasons to love While You Were Sleeping? Have you seen this once (or many) times? What is your favorite thing about the film? Comment all of your thoughts below! Let’s talk all about this delightful little film.

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