Sliding Doors

Sliding Doors (1998)

Plot summary

(6 votes)

Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow) is fired from her PR job, in the elevator a man, James (John Hannah) picks up her dropped earring, and she arrives to catch the tube. A little girl with a doll gets in her way making her a few seconds late and the doors close on her, time rewinds and we see what would have happened if the little girl is pulled away from Helen's path and she catches the train.

Helen who missed the train goes outside for a taxi and a mugger tries to run off with her handbag, she falls and hits her head, so the taxi driver takes her to Casualty. Meanwhile Helen who caught the train is being annoyed by the man sitting next to her, James. She eventually starts to talk to him, and apologises for being rude and heads home to find her boyfriend, Gerry, in bed with another woman. Helen storms out to a bar and gets drunk.

Helen who missed the train arrives home and doesn't catch her boyfriend in bed, so has to get two jobs to pay for her bills, whilst being certain her boyfriend is having an affair. Helen who caught the train goes to live with her best friend, gets her hair cut short and blonde (thus making her Blonde Helen), starts to date James and starts her own business whilst her boyfriend tries to win her back.

The movie is about how catching or missing the train affects Helen's life in very different ways.

Continuity mistake: In one scene when Helen has short hair, she is talking to Gerry. As the camera cuts between her and Gerry, her fringe alternates from being behind her ear to hanging down her face. (01:04:05)

More mistakes in Sliding Doors

Lydia: Gerry, I'm a woman! We don't say what we want! But we reserve the right to get pissed off if we don't get it. That's what makes us so fascinating! And not a little bit scary.

More quotes from Sliding Doors

Trivia: The scene with Helen and James on the boat where he describes losing his 8 yr old girlfriend to Gary Glitter has a certain unplanned tastelessness to it now since Mr Glitter was convicted of possessing child porn a few years later.

tw_stuart

More trivia for Sliding Doors

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