Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Bruce Willis starrerDie Hardremains one of the most influential films in pop culture even after more than three decades since its release. For the majority of the calendar year, the action thriller grabs attention for its gritty action sequences and John McClane’s bravado in the face of a life-and-death situation, but come December, it manages to sneak into everyone’s Christmas watchlist.
The story which takes place on Christmas Eve brilliantly combines action with humor and makes everyone root for family man McClane to make a miracle happen at Christmastime. However, during this festive period, fans should change their watchlist and perhaps give a chance to Sandra Bullock’s forgotten romantic comedy which is a better Christmas movie thanDie Hard.
Read more:“Aggressive” Buddy Comedies Made ‘Bridesmaids’ Director Take on Sandra Bullock Film to Prove a Point
Why Sandra Bullock’s 1995 Film Is a Better Christmas Movie Than Die Hard
Movies likeDie Hardare often an easy choice for Christmas due to their tried-and-tested trope of a hero (John McClane) defeating a monstrous figure (Hans Gruber) to save the day. However,Sandra Bullock‘sWhile You Were Sleepingdoes a lot more justice to Christmas by highlighting several other values that aptly embody the spirit of the day without exaggerated bloodshed.
The 1995 story which opens before Christmas and runs nearly until New Year’s Eve sees Lucy (Sandra Bullock), a transit token collector, save Peter’s life. In the hospital, she is mistaken for his fiancee by his family. As Peter remains in a coma, things spiral out of Lucy’s hands and lead to a romantic connection between her and Peter’s brother (Bill Pullman).
The feel-good romantic comedy does a brilliant job of lifting its viewer’s spirits by showing how Lucy, who’s all alone in the world, finds a home among total strangers all because of her good-intentioned nature. In today’s time, where everyone is lost in their phones,While You Were Sleepingencourages its audience to open their eyes and look around themselves to find human connections, especially when the holidays knock on the doors.
There’s a Christmas miracle in the story as well, as Bullock’s character has been hoping for a perfect relationship all her life while working as a transit worker and unexpectedly crosses paths with Peter’s brother, Jack. Unlike many shallow romantic tales, the film departs from bringing the two most good-looking individuals in the scene together and instead highlights how there’s more to an individual than their appearance.While You Were Sleepingstarts with showing Peter as Lucy’s crush but she eventually learns how Jack is a person she has been dreaming about all her life.
There’s nothing more important than family during the holidays, and even on that front, the Jon Turteltaub-directed film does a brilliant job of emphasizing the importance of family values by depicting how Lucy falls in love with Jack’s entire family and not just for him.
Read more:“I did learn a lot about myself”: Sandra Bullock Dispelled a Few Rumors About Herself at a Heavy Cost of Googling Herself
How Sandra Bullock Landed Her Role in While You Were Sleeping
Interestingly, despite resonating so well with the Christmas season,While You Were Sleepingwasn’t originally planned as a Christmas movie. As perIMDb, it developed into one because the studio wanted it set during the holidays in their hopes of selling it better.
Further, Bullock, who did a brilliant job of bringing Lucy’s dreams and fantasies in the face of loneliness, wasn’t the first choice for the role. It was instead written forDemi Moore. TheStripteasestar couldn’t agree on a contract for the project and things eventually fell apart.
Bullock grasped the opportunity with both hands, particularly because she could relate to the role, having just broken up from a four-year relationship. It seems akin to on-screen events, miracles and twists happened behind the scenes as well and everything fell into the right place for a perfect Christmas movie to happen.
Vishal Singh
Articles Published :513
Vishal Singh is a Content Writer at FandomWire. Having spent more than half a decade in the digital media space, Vishal specializes in crafting engaging entertainment- and sports-focused stories. He graduated from university with an honors degree in English Literature.
