Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Jean Tripplehorn
Year: 1998
Running Time: 99 minutes
I'm currently watching the last season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. In the episode titled "Sliding Van Doors", we get a glimpse at how Kimmy's life could have turned out if she hadn't got into the evil reverend's van and decided to stick to her plan of watching a screening of Sliding Doors instead. The plot of the episode therefore mirrors that of the 1998 film (it's crazy to think that the film is 22 years old!). It's no secret that I'm a Gwyneth fan (vagina-scented candles and Shallow Hal aside) so I don't need much convincing to watch (or re-watch) anything she's in.
The film starts with a mousy-looking Helen (Paltrow) rushing to get to work, only to discover that she has been fired (for "borrowing" a few bottles of vodka from the office supply). Meanwhile, her sneaky boyfriend, Jerry (John Lynch), gets soaped up for a visit from his secret lover, Lydia (Jean Tripplehorn). Helen heads home, understandably feeling down about her job, and as she enters the tube station, she experiences something we're all familiar with: the sound of the train arriving and the rush of trying to make it down the stairs in time. But the doors close as she reaches the train - at least they do in 1 reality. In another, she gets onto the train and sits next to James (John Hannah), a self-confessed annoying chatty bloke.
The first Helen's day is about to get worse: she's assaulted while trying to hail a cab. This means she doesn't get home to find Lydia and Jerry in bed. Helen who made it onto the train, however, catches them in the act - and subsequently makes a lame "getting sacked" pun. On the plus side, a much-needed makeover is on the horizon for this Helen (set to On My Own by Peach) which includes a haircut and colour, ditching the clunky Ally McBeal shoes and later starting her own PR company.
In the first reality, Jerry is still a wanker and still cheating on Helen, who grows increasingly suspicious about Jerry's behaviour and the events that unfolded on the day she was almost mugged. Jerry is a deadbeat coward who is sponging off Helen so he's hardly what one would call a catch. Plus his floppy Hugh Grant hair was overdue for a restyle. Meanwhile, blonde Helen gets closer to James and, predictably, falls in love with him. Though if I had witnessed his Month Python impersonation I would have run a mile. Both Helens face more heartache and tragedy before the film's dénouement.
The film boasts a fantastic 90s soundtrack (which I own) featuring Aqua, Dido, Jamiroquai, Aimee Mann and Olive. It also makes one ponder a very important question: What would have happened if Gwyneth and Brad hadn't broken up? Okay, maybe two important questions, the other one being "What if one split second sent your life in two completely different directions?". I think the film is successful in encouraging the viewer to think about fate or destiny and the interconnectedness of seemingly insignificant events in our lives, suggesting that we always end up where we should in the end.
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