While You Were Sleeping
 

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writers: Daniel G. Sullivan, Fredric LeBow
Cast:

• Sandra Bullock — Lucy Moderatz
• Bill Pullman — Jack Callaghan
• Peter Gallagher — Peter Callaghan
• Peter Boyle — Ox Callaghan
• Jack Warden — Saul
• Michael Rispoli — Joe Fusco Jr.
• Jason Bernard — Jerry Wallace
• Ally Walker — Ashley Bacon

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1988

Sandra Bullock is a lonely young woman in Chicago, working a fare window at an Elevated Railway station, wishing she could find someone to love. Christmas is at hand but the season's family togetherness and warmth for many people is gong to pass her by just as the stream of people passing her ticket window: no family of her own, no loving man to share the holidays. Her daydreams focus particularly on a fellow (played by Peter Gallagher) who passes by her window every day, a stranger with no overt contact other than a daily fare token and a nod.

When Gallagher is knocked unconscious, falling onto the El tracks, Sandra Bullock rescues him. And while he remains in a coma in hospital — While You Were Sleeping — she finds herself entangled in his family life, drawn into the Christmas holidays of the family. She is uncomfortable about joining in with these people who really are strangers, but it is a mutual desire hard to resist.

Bill Pullman is the comatose man's brother who develops a pointed skepticism about Sandra's version of events. He, along with gruff Peter Boyle as the brothers' father, and wise Jack Warden as an old family friend, anchor the homey Callaghan family life that so attracts Sandra. Michael Rispoli is excellent as Sandra's landlord's oafishly romantic son. Jason Bernard is Sandra's boss at the El, good for practical advice. And Ally Walker is the sleeping Gallagher's luckily absent girlfriend.
  

While You Were Sleeping is an easy, light, and quite enjoyable movie. It is much smoother and happier than Sandra Bullock's earlier Love Potion #9, which has a fantasy (or science fiction) theme of biological emotional control which is way too substantial for the erratic treatment there.

Since While You Were Sleeping has no danger and plotting and derring-do such as she handles along with romance and comedy in her later Miss Congeniality, it is a purer romance. There is plenty of humor as well as romantic suspense.

As usual Sandra Bullock's range of facial expressiveness is very good, providing the heroine with a considerable part of her charm.

© 2005 Robert Wilfred Franson