1998 was a significant year for Gwyneth Paltrow, as she had several movie releases, including Shakespeare in Love, which would feature her Oscar-winning performance as Viola De Lesseps. She also had Hush, A Perfect Murder and Great Expectations release that year, but none of them holds a place in my heart the way Sliding Doors does. The romantic dramedy, which debuted at Sundance, didn't make much of a splash upon its theatrical release, but it's one of those charming films that has stuck with me over the years.
If you've never watched it, or it's been a while, now's the time to catch it with a Netflix subscription, as it'll be quietly departing the streaming platform later this month (July 26).
What Is Sliding Doors About?
Directed by Peter Howitt, Sliding Doors stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Helen Quilley, a woman who's fired from her job public relations job, after which a series of things happen in her life. The twist to this story, however, is that we watch Helen's life split into two timelines, one in which she catches a tube train on her way home and catches her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) cheating on her, and the other where she misses the train and doesn't catch him.
Her story goes in very different directions from there, as she navigates the aftermath of losing her job and starting over. John Hannah plays James, a man whose path crosses with Helen in both timelines, though he becomes a much bigger part of her story in one of them.
Why Sliding Doors Is A Must Watch
Let's just power through the pros (without spoilers) of this movie:
- Sliding Doors gives us two romantic dramedies in one. It's easy to get invested in both of Helen's timelines, though one seems to propel her further forward than the other.
- The movie is at times funny and sweet, and occasionally dramatic, emotional and tragic.
- John Hannah and Gwyneth Paltrow's chemistry is charming, funny and lovely.
- Helen's bestie Anna (Zara Turner) is a fantastic supporting character.
- The soundtrack is late-'90s quirky goodness.
- John Lynch as Helen's awful boyfriend, and Jeanne Tripplehorn as the other woman are the absolute worst (in a good way).
- It's been nearly 30 years since this movie came out, and I still think about the ending.
Other Things To Watch
After you watch (or rewatch) Sliding Doors, if you're looking for a more recent Gwyneth Paltrow movie, you can catch her in Marty Supreme (the movie she came out of retirement for) with an HBO Max subscription.
Or if you'd rather stick with romantic comedies and dramedies on Netflix, here are a few great titles on the platform, though some are leaving soon too!
- Pretty Woman (leaving Netflix July 31)
- High Fidelity
- Tootsie (leaving Netflix July 31)
- Four Weddings and Funeral.
- Voicemails for Isabelle (grab the tissues for this one, but it's so good!)
- Eat Pray Love
