Day 27: Sliding Doors

Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) is sacked from her job at a PR firm and is heading home. She tries to catch the tube but she just misses it. But what if she had caught it? The rest of the film follows the parallel lives of Helen, one where she missed the train and one where she caught it.

The Helen who misses her train then gets mugged and has to go to hospital. Because of this she misses out on catching her boyfriend (who will only be known as Cheating Bastard) cheating on her. He goes into loving boyfriend mode when he sees she’s hurt and he tries to comfort her by taking her out to enjoy herself. Because the Cheating Bastard is writing a book, he can’t work so she has to pay for everything. And because she just lost her job it means she has to get a job as a waitress. While he doesn’t seem happy about what he’s putting her through, he’s also not ending the affair or coming clean to her. To quote my notes: “Cheating Bastard, you are such a bastard.”

The Helen who catches the train gets to experience John Hannah at his amusing best. Although he is a bit of a pest he does make an impression. She catches the Cheating Bastard shagging his ex and storms out, gets plastered (bumps into John Hannah again), then ends up at her friend’s house. Helen and James (John Hannah) strike up quite a bond and he gives her the courage she needs to start up her own business. She moves on from Gerry and is happy with James.

Tying the timelines together again, both Helens have accidents. One falls down the stairs and another is hit by a van. Both were pregnant at the time and both lose their babies as a result of their injuries. The Helen that was with James dies and it is awful. I can’t take sad John Hannah (be it here or when he’s quoting W.H. Auden) and he just breaks my wee heart. The other Helen survives, leaves Gerry, then meets the James from her timeline in the lift. I like to pretend they are happy together. It’s really the only comfort at the end of the film.

I really love the idea that a whole parallel timeline can splinter off based upon a direction you chose to not go down. If I’d gone to uni when I first applied, how different would my life be now? I’d not have met the people I did at uni, and I wouldn’t work where I work now so I wouldn’t have met any of those people either. That’s so strange to think about; all those people that I see/speak to regularly I might never have even known existed. And to look at it another way, there are so many people I would’ve met had I gone to uni back then that I don’t know exist. I really wish I could see the consequences of any action (or inaction, even) rather than just imagining all the possible consequences myself. It would make it a lot easier to do things. Rather than what I do now, which is to worry myself into paralysis.

“It’s Helen, actually. We met once. I interrupted you faking your orgasm. Sorry I can’t be more specific.”

8/10