Coma Patients & Sandy’s Start

I spent this last week preparing for fall. New York has been going through a cold snap, the leaves are changing and I am ready for it. Not only have I been appreciating the beginning of fall weather in New York, but I have been thinking of Christmas. Don’t you worry – I am a firm believer in waiting until after Thanksgiving to celebrate Christmas. But during my fall break trip, I visited not one but two Christmas shops. I obviously purchased ornaments in each store, but these stores got me thinking about the Christmas holiday. The build-up, drinking hot chocolate by the fire with loved ones, the food (I could go on). The coziness of a month of excitement and love is one I am looking forward to (67 days until Christmas!).

So, for this week’s trip down rom-com memory lane, I thought I would visit a Christmas movie that is just slightly Christmas-themed. While it does occur around the holidays, I’m not sure it would be labeled as a Christmas movie. But I am open to your opinions! I bring you: While You Were Sleeping (1995).

What’s Going On?

Lucy Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) is a down-on-her-luck fare token collector for the Chicago Transit Authority. She is extremely lonely, having lost her mother as a child and her father recently. She lives alone (with her cat), dreaming of the day she finds someone to fall in love with. Every day, she sees a mysterious, handsome man (Peter Gallagher) who takes the transit. One could call it love at first sight. Unfortunately, the two have never interacted. Until Lucy saves the mysterious man’s life when he falls from the transit platform on Christmas. He remains in a coma and Lucy waits for him to wake, only for his family to mistake her for his fianceé. With a large and goofy family that rivals National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), Lucy grows close to them, the mysterious man (who Lucy learns is called Peter) unable to set the story straight. In getting to know Peter’s family, she meets Jack (Bill Pullman), Peter’s brother. She begins to find that Jack is kind and sensitive, funny and handsome. Will Peter wake up? Will Lucy be able to confess the truth? Is love at first sight enough?

Intrusive Thoughts

I really love this movie. I feel like this is one of those rom-coms that is a staple to the genre, yet was not deemed to be “timeless.” I’m not sure how, as it checked all my boxes for a good rom-com: it was funny, the chemistry was off the charts and it had a phenomenal supporting cast. I knew I’d love it when the first song that began playing was “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole. You may not know this song from its title, but you may recognize it from The Parent Trap (1998), A Cinderella Story (2004) or Bride Wars (2009). Each of these movies are some of my favorites, so I knew this movie would be good from the first notes of the song.

There’s something about Sandra Bullock being painted as “homely” or “secretly attractive” that is always hilarious to me. Obviously Sandra Bullock is gorgeous, yet multiple movies have attempted to paint her as a woman whose beauty needs to be discovered. The same idea is done in Miss Congeniality (2000). It’s this idea that because she is funny, Bullock’s characters can’t be attractive as well. We have since moved past this, but it’s an interesting concept to be acknowledged.

You may be wondering, what makes this movie so good? What puts it on the same level as other romantic comedies like When Harry Met Sally (1989) or Pretty Woman (1990)? The answer is two-fold: the supporting characters and the romantic chemistry. First off, the supporting characters in this film are hilarious, yet they make you want the best for them. Peter’s family, the Callaghans, are full of lovable and goofy. We are introduced to Peter’s mom, dad, little sister, grandmother and godfather and immediately make note of how crazy they can be. They quickly believe the story that Lucy is engaged to Peter, welcoming her into their family. They love big and hug tight, a stereotypical all-American family. The most interesting character in the family is easily Saul, Mr. Callaghan’s best friend and Peter’s godfather. He was once embraced and considered part of the family when he needed it, just like Lucy. Make note of the parallels between Saul and Lucy, their scenes together were some of my favorites.

Outside of the Callaghan clan, we are introduced to Lucy’s landlord, Mr. Fusco and his son, Joe Jr. Joe Jr. (Michael Rispoli) is your stereotypical Italian boy, white tank top, slicked back hair and all. He has a massive crush on Lucy, continually asking her out and getting in the way of Lucy’s relationship with the Callaghans, with Peter and with Jack. He is our main source of slapstick comedy, always getting into trouble. All of these supporting characters create just the right amount of chaos for Lucy and Jack’s budding relationship.

Speaking of Lucy and Jack, one of the many high points of this movie is the romantic chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. Bullock and Pullman develop this “will they or won’t they?” energy that makes viewers (myself included) dying to see Jack confess his feelings for Lucy, even as she loves Peter. There is so much tension, so much build-up, I was ready to throw a fit if I didn’t see them end up together.

Overall, I would recommend While You Were Sleeping to any rom-com fam, any fan of Sandra Bullock and anyone looking for a good romance during the holiday season. It is messy, there are a lot of moving parts, but I still think this should be a go-to movie if you have not seen it yet. If you love National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for the comedy and the crazy family and you love The Proposal (2009) for Sandra Bullock and the chemistry between her and Ryan Reynolds, this movie was made for you.

Favorite Scene

It was very hard to find my favorite scene for this one. There were so many options! But I finally settled on a scene that encompasses all of my favorite pieces of this movie: the supporting cast, the romantic chemistry, Sandra Bullock, etc. This scene is called, “Leaning.” Lucy and Jack are leaving a New Year’s Eve party, talking through the many misunderstandings they have gotten mixed up together. Jack shares his theory about Lucy’s relationship with Joe Jr., whereas Lucy is clueless to this suggestion. Add in the appearance of Joe Jr. himself and you get the perfect scene to encompass While You Were Sleeping.

Sandy’s Start

While many know the name Sandra Bullock now, there once was a time where she was not a household name. Bullock began her movie career a few years prior to her foray into rom-coms, with several direct-to-video films. Her big break came in the form of Speed (1994), starring alongside Keanu Reeves. Immediately following the boom and excitement from Speed, Bullock was cast in While You Were Sleeping. She beat out well-known rom-com stars such as Demi Moore and Julia Roberts.

Sandra Bullock’s fame shot up exponentially after the release of While You Were Sleeping, after Bullock scored a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. Following the acclaim of While You Were Sleeping, Bullock scored roles in a variety of genres, but she was still known for romantic comedies. She went on to star in Forces of Nature (1999), Miss Congeniality (2000), Two Weeks Notice (2002) and The Proposal (2009). As Bullock’s star continued to rise, she lost the sparkle and the appeal of romantic comedies, focusing on more serious films, garnering her multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards.

Prior to the release of her most recent romantic comedy-esque film The Lost City (2022), many reporters were left to ask Bullock why big-budget romantic comedies don’t seem to exist anymore and why she isn’t starring in the few that are made. Bullock claimed that films were devalued by terms such as “chick flick.” Films geared toward women have grown popular then fallen in favor, following a pendulum-like swing.

It will be interesting to see if we ever see Sandra Bullock on the big screen again in a true romantic comedy role. I think everyone will rejoice when that day arrives. Nevertheless, Bullock solidified her place in Hollywood history due to her role in romantic comedies. She helped create the genre we know today, even if major theater releases for rom-coms are scarce. Thank you Sandy, for being the girl who majestically turns beautiful and makes us laugh no matter what.

Playlist

Here is my playlist to listen to as you follow along and read this blog! I featured some old-school songs, some songs for the holidays and some recent songs that I think encompass the vibes of this movie.

Where to Watch

While You Were Sleeping is available to stream on Disney+ and is available for purchase on YouTube, Amazon Prime or wherever you purchase movies.