Sliding Doors (1998)

A London woman's love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train. We see it both ways, in parallel.

Director:

Peter Howitt

Writer:

Peter Howitt

Stars:

Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch

6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Helen
John Hannah	...	James
John Lynch	...	Gerry
Jeanne Tripplehorn	...	Lydia
Zara Turner	...	Anna
Douglas McFerran	...	Russell
Paul Brightwell	...	Clive
Nina Young	...	Claudia
Virginia McKenna	...	James's Mother
Kevin McNally	...	Paul
Terry English	...	Kind Cabbie
Paul Stacey	...	Man on Tube
Peter Howitt	...	Cheeky Bloke
Joanna Roth	...	Suspicious Girl
Neil Stuke	...	Defensive Bloke

Storyline

In London, the public relation Helen is fired from her position in a PR company. While returning home, she does not catch the train in the subway. But in another possibility of her life, she catches the train in the subway. The story shows two parallel lives of Helen: in one life, she stays with her boyfriend Gerry, and in the other life, she finds that Gerry cheats her with Lydia and falls in love with James Hammerton.

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Plot Keywords:

multiple outcomes | twist of fate | serendipity | parallel time | destiny | 

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Taglines:

Helen is about to find that romance was never this much fun.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dos vidas en un instante

Filming Locations:

The Corn Exchange, 55 Mark Lane, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$834,817, 26 April 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$11,883,495, 30 August 1998

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$67,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Intermedia Films, Mirage Enterprises, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Howitt: The diner with the long hair and Liverpudlian accent who orders from Helen on her first evening as a waitress.

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Goofs

When Helen is meeting James on the tube after catching the train, her hair alternately tucked behind her ear/down along her face.

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Quotes

Helen: I didn't know you liked Elton John.
Gerry: I-I-I do sometimes.

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Alternate Versions

US version was cut for language by Miramax to secure a PG-13 rating.

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Connections

Referenced in Broad City: Sliding Doors (2017)

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Soundtracks

Thank You
Written by Dido (as Dido Armstrong) & Paul Herman
Performed by Dido
Courtesy of Arrista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Movie fades after promising start

Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets fired from her PR job for taking home all the booze. As she tries to go home, she misses the subway train... then in another storyline, she catches the subway train. The difference leads to two different stories. In one, she goes to the hospital after a purse snatching. She doesn't catch her boyfriend cheating, and her miserable life continues. 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. His style is competent if somewhat uninspired. Gwyneth is talking with a British accent. John Lynch has no screen presence and his character has the personality of a slug. The stories lack any excitement. John Hannah is quite charming, but the happy storyline doesn't really have enough drama. In the end, I don't care about either road traveled. It's a missed opportunity to write something amazing. It needs somebody with that sensibility like a Charlie Kaufman.