While you were Sleeping (1995)
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A lonely transit worker becomes entangled in a web of lies after she is mistaken for the fiancée of a man she saved from a train track accident.
The story
Lucy Moderatz, a Chicago Transit Authority token collector, is secretly infatuated with a regular commuter named Peter. On Christmas Day, she saves Peter from being struck by a train, but when she takes him to the hospital, she is mistaken for his fiancée. To avoid upsetting his family—who are overjoyed by the news—Lucy remains silent about the mistake. As she spends the holidays with the quirky Callaghan family, she finds herself caught in a complicated web of secrets and growing feelings for Peter's brother, Jack, while the truth of her situation remains hidden from everyone involved.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After saving Peter from a train accident, Lucy is mistaken for his fiancée by his family. She stays silent to avoid upsetting them, especially his grandmother. She eventually confides her secret to his godfather, Saul, who agrees to keep it. During the holidays, she falls in love with Peter's brother, Jack. When Peter awakens, he initially believes he has amnesia, and the family assumes Lucy is just clarifying she isn't pregnant. Saul eventually encourages Peter to pursue a relationship with Lucy, while Jack and Lucy's bond deepens. After a series of misunderstandings and a tense New Year's Eve, Peter recovers his memory and decides to marry Lucy. However, at the wedding, Lucy realizes she loves Jack and objects to the ceremony. After a chaotic confrontation involving Peter's ex-girlfriend, Lucy and Jack eventually marry and head to Italy for their honeymoon.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jon Turteltaub
- Writers
- Daniel G. Sullivan · writer; Fredric Lebow · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sandra Bullock · Lucy; Bill Pullman · Jack; Peter Gallagher · Peter; Peter Boyle · Ox Callaghan; Glynis Johns · Elsie; Jack Warden · Saul Tuttle; Micole Mercurio · Midge Callaghan; Jason Bernard · Jerry Wallace
- Genres
- romantic comedy
- Themes
- Identity; Sacrifice; Loneliness; Family
- Tone and mood
- Feel-good; Warm; Good-hearted
- Setting
- Chicago during the Christmas and New Year's seasons.
- Premise and plot tags
- Romantic Comedy; Mistaken Identity; Christmas Romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original screenplay entitled Coma Guy
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, praised for its heart and Sandra Bullock's performance.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A to F
- Production trivia
- The original title was Coma Guy.; Demi Moore and Julia Roberts were offered the role of Lucy.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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