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Thursday, December 8, 2011

'While You Were Sleeping' Open Thread






   What did you think?









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8 comments:

  1. James NicholasDecember 8, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    I love the Jack Warden character in this. And Bill Pullman is great. Some people say the movie doesn't even start till Jack Callaghan's truck pulls to a stop in front of the Callaghan home. This is gonna be fun!

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  2. Matthew ConiamDecember 8, 2011 at 11:43 PM

    And Glynis Johns too!
    This came out when I was at university and we actually went to see it twice - a very unusual thing indeed.
    I haven't seen it since but I remember enjoying it a lot. It's very sweet and warm, but also has a central comic premise that you could imagine Preston Sturges coming up with. I also thought, as I still do, that Sandra Bullock, who at the time I knew only from that silly film about the bus, was a rare talent.

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  3. cathyDecember 9, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    Oh noes! I can't keep up!

    ;)

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  4. cathyDecember 14, 2011 at 7:58 AM

    Please don't wait for me -- I'm staying at my folks' again. (Nothing disastrous, just... disruptive.)

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  5. James NicholasDecember 14, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    That's pretty sad. I'll leave it to Joe Junior to sum it up:

    "You stood me up!"

    "No I didn't."

    "We had a date."

    "No we didn't."

    "Yes we did."

    "No, we didn't."

    "Yes we DID!"

    "Didn't!!"

    : )

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  6. DarrellDecember 24, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    Nice little screwball romantic comedy, with a top-to-bottom engaging cast.

    But just as Daryl Zero's comment about being surprised that the rain stopped that annoyed James, as a life-long Chicagoan, I have some bones to pick about the movie. Mustard-only on a hot dog? Really? Well, maybe at Comiskey Park when hotdogs were two for a buck or less and you were lucky to even find mustard on those stands they had by the food counter. But everyone eats a dog that is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish [often a dyed neon-green variety(piccalilli)], a kosher dill pickle spear [quartered Gherkin], tomato wedges, pickled small sport peppers [always 2], and a dash of celery salt--all on a poppy seed bun. Anyone that doesn't like that can pick or go back to where they came from. And I never saw anyone doing anything other than steaming them until some National big names tried to come to town around the 1980s. Most were sent packing. besides from the hot dog controversy, Joe jr. must have come from New York. Also Chicagoans know to walk in the snow when there is ice on the sidewalks. We see it enough.

    Beside from only feeding the cat once and not giving it water and cleaning its litter box, the movie was perfect. Did anyone else cry when Ally Walker was concerned about losing her nose?
    Just kidding. A fun movie all around.

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  7. cathyJanuary 19, 2012 at 3:17 PM

    Well, I won't go so far as to say that I'm "catching up" -- on anything (sigh) -- but I did finally watch this. And I liked it so much! Definitely goes on the Official Christmas Movie List.

    I thought the set-up for the misunderstanding was actually reasonably believable (not that a dash of unbelievability would ever deter a confirmed romantic from a Sandra Bullock comedy). The chance comment, repeated and embellished; the overwhelming response from the Callaghan family when they learn of Lucy's saving Peter; the indecisiveness resolved by Saul's asking her not to disappoint them.

    And the chance to be part of a family for Christmas... I loved watching Lucy, embraced by the Callaghans, just happy to be taking in the cross-talk and good-natured confusion that swirled around her.

    Even Lucy's attachment to a man with whom she has never spoken is credible; she's not the first person to sustain herself, in spite of losses and loneliness, with the comfort a fantasy can offer.

    Lucy is such an endearing character -- quiet, dreamy, but nobody's pushover (I loved her telling Joe Jr. to buzz off -- and what a sweet surprise that goofy friendship turned out to be!) And Jack is a good guy -- I liked the parallel of his not being true to himself because he doesn't want to disappoint this loving family.

    I got such a kick out of Lucy's determination to prove Jack's suspicions wrong -- even though he would have been the perfect ally if he hadn't been suspicious of her to begin with. And Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman have such a lovely naturalness between them, especially in those moments of shared laughter.

    Lucy and Peter having a hospital wedding was a bit over the top -- although Lucy's desire to stay a part of this new family makes at least as much sense as Peter's decision to make a lifetime commitment to figuring out what was so special about Lucy. (I actually liked Peter for about five minutes there.) And Saul really did seem to think -- although he seemed to be having second thoughts -- that getting them together was the best thing that could happen. (Yes -- I loved Jack Warden.)

    But the ending was wonderful -- and I particularly loved the entire family showing up with Jack to propose to Lucy!

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  8. James NicholasJanuary 19, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Oh, I am so glad you saw this! Lucy smacking Joe Jr on the back of the head when he says a word out of line was perfect. And Jack telling Peter what's so amazing about Lucy, while Peter listens, then dismisses it out of hand "No, that's not it. But its gotta be something." Peter, totally missing the intangible qualities that are so appealing.... the putz. And the wedding! You had to love it when Lucy fesses up to being in love with their son, but not this one in the rented tux... the other one, standing right over there - and she points around Peter in the general direction of where Jack was standing. Too funny! I'm glad. A Christmas movie, yes, it definitely qualifies in my book... and a fun one to boot. I'm glad you all enjoyed it!

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