While You Were Sleeping (DVD)

...TITLE: While You Were Sleeping >>>>>

<<<<< RATING: ****½ >>>>>

<<<<< CAST: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns, Jack Warden, Micole Mercurio, Jason Bernard, Michael Rispoli, Ally Walker, Monica Keena, Ruth Rudnick, Marcia Wright, Dick Cusack, Thomas Q. Morris, Bernie Landis, Krista Lally, Joel Hatch. >>>>>
...WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING is, to put it simply and bluntly, just a genuinely sweet movie that many people love. Yes, it is a romantic comedy, so yes; the plot is rather predictable and unbelievable. However, since romantic comedies have always been the most difficult for me to review, I’ve realized that they will all be predictable, because love is so predictable anyway, though there are several exceptions; another movie I will be reviewing on this ... more

<<<<< TITLE: While You Were Sleeping >>>>>

<<<<< RATING: ****½ >>>>>

<<<<< CAST: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns, Jack Warden, Micole Mercurio, Jason Bernard, Michael Rispoli, Ally Walker, Monica Keena, Ruth Rudnick, Marcia Wright, Dick Cusack, Thomas Q. Morris, Bernie Landis, Krista Lally, Joel Hatch. >>>>>

<<<<< DIRECTOR: John Turtletaub >>>>>

<<<<< STUDIO: Hollywood Pictures & Caravan Entertainment >>>>>

<<<<< RUNNING TIME: 103 MIN. >>>>>

<<<<< RATED: PG (UK & US) >>>>>

<<<<< Introduction To The Valentine Movie Series >>>>>

Being an avid film writer on Ciao, for those of you that don’t know, I’ve decided to dedicate this week to “ideal” movies in celebration of Valentines Day on Saturday, February 14th. I carefully chose five movies that I think would not only appeal to both males and females, but also be great choices for Valentine’s Day movie gifts…in case all you out there are sick of roses and chocolates, lol. It was quite difficult to choose five movies for this series, mostly because I’ve already reviewed on several favorites of mine, such as OVERBOARD, THE CUTTING EDGE, and BEFORE SUNRISE. However, I also didn’t want to go for overly popular films like PRETTY WOMAN, NOTTING HILL and WHEN HARRY MET SALLY…most people have those on video and DVD anyway. I hope you enjoy reading these reviews, and like I said a new one will be posted every morning until Friday. For the first entry in this series, I’m choosing a movie from 1995 which most people remember, even if they have never seen it or not.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING is, to put it simply and bluntly, just a genuinely sweet movie that many people love. Yes, it is a romantic comedy, so yes; the plot is rather predictable and unbelievable. However, since romantic comedies have always been the most difficult for me to review, I’ve realized that they will all be predictable, because love is so predictable anyway, though there are several exceptions; another movie I will be reviewing on this week will exemplify that. This will also be the only movie in this series to be released in the 1990s, so it will probably be the one most recently remembered. As most of you know, this is the film that made a star of Sandra Bullock, and while I won’t say that she “made” the film, I will discuss more about her and her downfall after this film following the plot synopsis. So, sit back, get out your valentine candy hearts, and start reading my first review in the Valentine’s Day Film Series.

<<<<< A Story About Love At Second Sight >>>>>

Lucy Moderatz is a lonely Chicago transit worker that just lost her father very recently, and her life feels empty with no more family…well, aside from her pet cat in her plain apartment. It’s not that she isn’t happy, but she just wants a wonderful man to walk into her life…like most young ladies wish for. One day, she sets her eyes on a gorgeous, rich and successful man named Peter Callaghan, though he hardly even notices her, let alone say a word to her. As luck (or fate, depending on one’s personal view of course) would have it, muggers attack her dream man, and he gets pushed on to the train tracks. Lucy manages to save his life, though he falls into a coma, though not before looking in her eyes only once. She follows him to the hospital, and because of a somewhat nosy nurse, his family suspects that she is Peter’s fiancée!!! Soon, she finds herself not only warmly greeted, but also even welcomed into Peter’s home over the holidays.

While she is sincere and innocent in this situation, she also realizes that she must tell the truth to Peter’s loving family eventually. One member, Saul, who was welcomed into the home just like Lucy, discovers the truth behind Lucy’s involvement, but lets her know that it would not be a good idea to let them know…considering Peter’s grandmother is suffering from a poor heart, and that she might even die if the news are spilled (ridiculous plot twist I know, but then again there wouldn’t be a movie, lol). Enter Peter’s brother Jack, who is not nearly as successful, though has a hard working job and is content with his single, stable life. Lucy finds herself growing attached to Jack in more ways than one, even during the entire time that Peter is sleeping in the hospital. It is the small twists in the story, with Lucy trying to figure out how to get out of her predicament, that makes this film less predictable and more enjoyable. While it is quite obvious, even for those who haven’t seen the film, who she is going to end up with, the film manages to exhibit warmth and delight from the word go, leading to an audience-pleasing finale.

<<<<< Arguably Sandra’s Finest And Most Wonderful Performance >>>>>

Now, I’ve decided to devote a special section of this review to Miss Sandra Bullock. I don’t know if I have some kind of connection to this actress, despite the fact that she was born in Arlington, Virginia, literally a stone throw away from Fairfax, which is where I was born in 1979. She graduated from Washington-Lee High School, which is only 20 miles from my high school, Park View. Her mother died on my birthday in the year 2000, and her sister Gesine, is the exact same age as my own sister, Sandra. Despite those facts, I’ve always considered Miss Bullock bad at choosing movie roles ever since SPEED and WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING. When I first saw her in this film, I fell in love with her, as the film was very suited to her friendly, girl-next-door persona. However, I was shocked at how far down she went after her starring debut here. Granted, it is my opinion, but this is how I’ve felt with her following film roles:

1995: THE NET…I found this film unsuspenseful, predictable, and all wrong for Sandra…and this was only the first one she made after SLEEPING.

1996: TWO IF BY SEA / A TIME TO KILL / IN LOVE AND WAR…while I thought KILL was an ok film, I didn’t like her character in it, and as for SEA and WAR, I thought blah…I almost walked out of WAR several times, as I thought it was so syrupy and poorly made and acted.

1997: SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL…what is shocking is that Keanu Reeves had the good sense not to appear in the sequel. This one was the pits!

1998: PRACTICAL MAGIC / FORCES OF NATURE…while MAGIC was slightly better than most of her efforts, it was really Nicole that made that film worthwhile. And, NATURE is by far my vote for her WORST film…simply unbearable!!!

2000: GUN SHY / 28 DAYS…this was her try at dramatic roles, and it never worked.

So, to be honest with you, dear Ciao readers, it wasn’t until 2001’s MISS CONGENIALITY that she had won my respect back. After five years of choosing mostly terrible films (which may have been more her agents fault, admittedly), I had fallen in love with her all over again, though I’m so sure she will never top off her irresistible performance as Lucy in WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING. While a charismatic and strong supporting cast aided her, she almost managed to carry the film single-handedly on her charm and quirky personality alone. Ironically, she played another character named Lucy in TWO WEEKS NOTICE with Hugh Grant, and I liked it, though it still can’t hold a candle to her starring debut here. In case any of you are interested, she is currently making MISS CONGINIALITY 2…what do you think, lol??? The bottom line is that I loved her as Lucy in this film, and I think that the director made a wise move to replace Demi Moore with her…can you imagine this film being sweet and having Demi in it? I thought so!

<<<<< A Family To Fall In Love With >>>>>

The Callaghan family in WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING features some classic stars, as well as some up-and-coming ones, though every single member of the family managed to create a character all their own. To start, there is Bill Pullman as Jack; after great supporting roles in RUTHLESS PEOPLE and SPACEBALLS, he became a great romantic leading man with this film. Pullman and Peter Gallagher (who played Peter with earnestness) worked together on a 1993 film with Nicole Kidman called MALICE, which explains how they come off so well as brothers in this film. Peter Boyle, whose most famous role will always be as The Monster in Mel Brooks’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, plays the father of the family…and he still has no hair!!! Oh, yes, for those of you who love MARY POPPINS, we also have Glynis Johns onboard who played Mrs. Banks in that classic film, and appears here as the sweet old grandmother who loves to take pictures. Jack Warden is superb as Saul, the Godfather of Peter, and a very young Monica Keena (who was only 15 at the time) made her feature film debut here as Mary; she later became a regular on the tv show “Dawson’s Creek,” and recently starred in the hit films ORANGE COUNTY and last year’s FREDDY VS. JASON.

My favorite actor in the piece has to be Michael Rispoli, however. He plays Lucy’s slightly overweight, obnoxious neighbor Joey Fusco (aka Joe Junior) who has been hitting on her ever since she moved in. We soon discover he has a most unusual fetish…trying on Lucy’s shoes!!! Oh, well, the whole cast in this film is well chosen and terrific to watch, which is an essential ingredient for a romantic comedy to work, second only to the onscreen chemistry between the two leads. Pullman and Bullock work miracles in their attachment in this film, though many people might find it shocking that he is 12 years older than her! Kudos to director Jon Turteltaub for bringing together an exceptional cast and believable---and certainly likeable---couple.

<<<<< First Time Screenwriters And A Great Director >>>>>

Turteltaub was born the same year as Bullock, and he has only made a handful of films up until this point. After scoring box-office success with 3 NINJAS and COOL RUNNINGS, Turteltaub hit his stride with this film, and I really couldn’t imagine anyone else that could have made it as superb as he has…not even Rob Reiner, for that matter. The story is simple, short and sweet, and I think that Turteltaub pulled it off with his tender and heartfelt direction, as he made his characters utterly loveable and never allowed them to slide into cliché…or slapstick nonsense for that matter, which would have ruined the entire picture. I also want to give credit to the screenwriters Daniel G. Sullivan and Frederic LeBow who, shockingly, have not written another film since then!!! Either way, the collaboration between them and Turteltaub certainly worked and it shows onscreen. What I respect the scribes the most is that they never side-stepped into crude territory (which, unfortunately, many rom coms tend to do these days), but remain faithful to the sweet source material. Forgive me if I’m using the word “sweet” too many times in this review, but that is really all WHILE YOU ARE SLEEPING is.

<<<<< Have You Ever Heard Of A Love Story Without Romantic Music? >>>>>

As you would expect from a film like this, the soundtrack is peppered with some romantic favorites, starting with “This Will Be An Everlasting Love” by Natalie Cole, which is played over the opening credits…though I actually preferred the song played over the END credits, which was “Wherever Would I Be,” written by Diane Warren and performed Dusty Springfield and Daryl Hall. The majority of the other songs consist of classic Christmas tunes, though the majority of the music is dedicated to Randy Edelman’s wholly romantic, if typically “feel good” score, which is played at key points throughout of the film. He isn’t one of my favorite composers, though his score for WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING was perfect, and fit like a warm glove, you could say. Believe it or not, but this is his only romantic score to date, as he only does action films and comedies like XXX and MY COUSIN VINNEY. You can obtain the soundtrack from www.amazon.co.uk for only 13 quid.

<<<<< I Need To Ask You A Question… >>>>>

While some people may find that WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING suffers from anemia, I think the cast, writing, and direction compensate for that. Bullock gives her best performance, and the film gave me a smile on my face at the end, which I guess is all that matters. However, I think the best thing about this film is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than itself. So, if you are one of the few who hasn’t seen this film, you think you would like it? Try to see it this week! Rated PG for slight amounts of profanity, and the movie is available on both PAL VHS and DVD for 15 quid. Thanks for reading, and my next review will be posted tomorrow morning around this time. Enjoy and I look forward to all your comments! Chris xxxxx

<<<<< Romantic Quote List One >>>>>

1) “You suck!” --- Bill Pullman “What, I suck or the outfit sucks?” --- Peter Gallagher “It’s a tossup!” --- Bill Pullman

2) “Hello, Mister…are you breathing? Oh, God, you smell you so good!!!” --- Sandra Bullock

3) “Can I come in there, please?” --- Bill Pullman “I can’t…not without a token!” --- Sandra Bullock

4) “I always wanted him to find a nice girl! I’m so glad he found you!!!” --- Micole Mercurio
 

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