While You Were Sleeping
While You Were Sleeping Image
Metascore
67 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.8 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Sandra Bullock
  • Summary: A lonely subway worker (Bullock) becomes smitten with a handsome stranger (Gallagher). But when she saves his life after he's been mugged and fallen into a coma, his hilariously offbeat family mistakes her for his fiancée. The mix-ups escalate as Lucy fabricates a life between herself and a man she's never met. And when Lucy falls for his charming brother (Pullman) the situation really gets complicated as she is forced to make a choice between the two. (BV Entertainment)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Christopher Harris
    100
    But Turteltaub surprises us. He has the kind of unerring comic touch - easily able to carry his audience from smart dialogue to heart-tugging emotion to something awfully close to slapstick - that should serve the movie world well.
  2. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: Jeff Giles
    80
    The film delivers the warm fuzzies without apology, and you find yourself giving in.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Staff(not credited)
    80
    Bullock is a delight, disarmingly kooky, pleasing to look at, and - as she has previously proved - a gifted comedic actress.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    60
    It's a movie about the warm feeling you get when you belong to a family, and, throughout, the thermostat is turned up high.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. AmberM.
    10
    This movie has comedy and romance. It is also one of those movies I would call a "feel good" movie.
  2. CatherineO.
    10
    I love this movie! It's a classic romantic comedy.
  3. EmmeS.
    10
    Strangely enough, my favorite holiday movie. coma-guys quirky family (headed by Peter Boyle) are unforgettable as a solid family unit. I mean that literally too...they seem to always move about as one unit. Perfect chemistry between Sandra and Bill, and I would kill for a chance to actually live out the slippery ice scene.… Expand
  4. Lopez17
    10
    Jon Turteltaub's "While you were sleeping" has all the trappings and familiar ingredients that make up a standard romantic dramedy it has the all too familiar set up. The girl is in love with the person but he does not notice her or she does not make herself know, something happens and she either is thrust into his life or ends up lying to be close to him. In this case, Lucy Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) lies to the object of her affection (Peter Gallagher) family in order to get close to him and be near when he wakes up. You see Lucy saved Peter Callaghan(the first object of her affection) after he fell on the tracks and is subsequently knocked into a coma they take him to the hospital with her in tow and the case of mistaken identity ensues his family thinking he is Peter's fiancée. If you think this sounds conventional and familiar well then you are wrong the only thing conventional about this picture is the set up to this touching and very deep romance story. At the very center of this film "While you were Sleeping" is the rare romantic dramedy that takes you by surprises not by the fact that you can see what's coming a mile away but by the fact that you did not see it coming makes all the difference. Jon Turtltaub's "While you Were Sleeping" is a film at first I did not expect to like at all it seemed like nothing more than a standard, run of the mill romantic dramedy that would do nothing more than just provide the usual story of a lonely love struck girl getting the man of her dreams. However, after seeing this picture my opinion of this film completely changed I started seeing it for what it is an extremely charming, touching, heartfelt and funny film that is far beyond the standards of Romantic comedy flair. "While you Were Sleeping" is intelligent and daring it is not afraid to show its human side to show how vulnerable its characters as regular people can be. How they easily are hurt, you see in a typical romantic comedy the characters insult each other like there is no tomorrow they hurt one another repeatedly until they finally concludes that this is not how love works in fact it is the exact opposite its called hatred. The characters in this film do not overtly insult each other sure there are moments where they tease one another but for the most part they are a caring bunch of people the most caring would have to be 0x Callaghan(Peter Boyle) who is one of the few Callaghan's that embraces Lucy from the get go. Boyle's character is a sweet yet feisty fellow who is not afraid to defend the ones he loves when needed, that is the key to this films excellence that is what makes it so real, so human, so warm and loving it is the vibrant characters. Without theses colorful cast of characters this film would sink into the low standards the sub genre is recognized. "While You were Sleeping" is a film that can not be missed or ignored it is just too good to be true and to funny and sweet to resist and even though I knew this film was going to have a happy ending, even though I saw where it was headed I still found myself enjoying and loving every single minute of this beautifully drawn film. This film is built from familiar ingredients but this film has such charm and such spirit that no matter how much this film comes off as another rom-com dished out. You will love every single frame and every single minute of this film, the only other thing that saves this film is the magnificent performance from the ever-lovely Sandra Bullock. It is her performance that elevates this film that and the skill of director Jon Turteltaub and his team together they create a film that works better than it should and plays out far better than you could ever expect. The filmmakers do what seldom few directors do in theses films they put a human soul into it, they put real emotions and real feelings into this film that not only affects the mood of the movie but also affects the mood of the audience. If the characters are, arguing and fighting all the time than the audience can become agitated by this and turn there backs on the film. That however, is not the case with this film you feel for the characters you sympathize with the characters you even grow with them as they find there sense o belonging in this world , or in the case of Lucy Moderatz, her sense of belonging. That is what makes a good romantic dramedy and that is why others fail they do not capture the heart and soul the trials ad tribulations that come with the feelings of love. "While you Were Sleeping" hits all the right notes.… Expand

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