Editor’s note: While You Were Sleeping is my favourite holiday rom-com – no ifs or buts about it. I watch it every year, whether it’s the holidays or not. There’s such a sense of cosy cheer to it, a film that not only uses its setting to great effect, but also has a magnetic cast that bring the laughs and the tears. So, it’s a travesty that George has yet to watch this, and this needed to be rectified immediately.
Thanks to Noah Kahan’s irritatingly catchy tune, most of us now know what ‘Stick Season’ is. For those that don’t, though, it’s that period when autumn transitions into winter, when the leaves have fallen and colder days are on the horizon; not quite Christmastime, but certainly the precursor to the festive season.
And, in many ways, Stick Season is also Snuggly Film Season – too soon for out-and-out festive favourites like The Holiday and Love Actually, perhaps, but a time for cosy, heartwarming tales of finding love against all the odds.
In this way, upon my first watch, it quickly became clear that While You Were Sleeping makes for the ultimate Stick Season viewing.
Of course, anyone who’s seen the film will know that it is, in fact, Christmastime in Jon Turteltaub’s 1995 rom-com. There are tinsel-dressed trees, twinkly lights and the unwrapping of presents by the fireplace. On the surface, it shares many similarities with those ‘festive favourites’ we might be trying to avoid for another month or so.
For the most part, though, the Yuletide festivities are in the background, with Turteltaub choosing not to beat you over the head with Mariah Carey or the ‘magic of Christmas’ in the way that directors of the more… let’s say enthusiastic Xmas movies do.
Even in the height of Christmas hysteria, when you’re full to the brim on roast dinner and Ferrero Rochers, the most over-the-top festive flicks can feel overwhelming. There are only so many times you can watch a grouchy character discover the real meaning of the holidays as they rush to make amends with their loved ones just before Santa plonks them on the naughty list.
Here, though, there’s none of that. There are Christmassy moments, sure, but they feel grounded and real (the reveal that Peter’s family have made Lucy a makeshift stocking is a genuine tearjerker, for example). There are hints of cliches throughout, but they’re often subverted, like the ‘objecting to the wedding at the last minute’ scene. And it may be approaching Christmas Day at the start of the film, but the big event itself is done and dusted half an hour into the runtime.
Instead of your usual festive fodder, what is present is a cosiness that is welcome at this time of year, a wintery scene that feels perfect to soak in as you snuggle up on the sofa and avoid the howling winds outside, all without sleigh bells and flying reindeer.
The charming Chicago setting is elevated by Phedon Papamichael’s phenomenal cinematography, with the grainy aesthetic bringing an almost otherworldly nature to Lucy’s story. Each snowy scene is dripping in a romanticism that is a far cry from the cold reality of this season in the real world. It’s transportive, emotive, idealist.
And while Lucy’s narrative is clearly over-the-top, bordering on ridiculous, it is led by a disarming performance from Sandra Bullock that subtly draws you in. One user on Letterboxd notes in their review that they have “never believed that a character deserves so much happiness like Lucy”, and it’s hard to disagree – the down-on-her-luck token collector is delightful, and you can’t help but root for her success.
Ultimately, Lucy’s story is one of wanting to belong, of the need for family. There’s a reason the aforementioned stocking scene hits so hard – it suggests that our loveable main character has finally found what she’s looking for. As summer turns to winter, as sunshine and warmth are replaced by grey skies and frost, Stick Season is for many a time of reflection and introspection, and this movie provides a chance to sit and think about our own families, urging us to show gratitude for the joy that they bring.
For all that there’s a focus on family, though, this is still a rom-com, and central to the film’s success is the coming together of Bullock’s Lucy and Bill Pullman’s Jack, who share an electric chemistry that has stood the test of time. Considering the messed-up nature of this movie’s premise, there’s really no way that the audience should want these two to end up together, but the connection they share quickly pushes logic to the back of our minds.
What’s so special about this connection, though, is that it’s not built upon lust, but companionship. In Jack, Lucy finds someone who challenges her to be her, to push past her insecurities and recognise that she herself is enough. And in Lucy, Jack is finally encouraged to step out of his father’s shadow, to follow his dreams and strive for more beyond the everyday. It’s a dynamic that delves deeper than meet cutes and funny moments, instead diving into each other’s psyche – again bringing a sense of introspection that works so well.
All of this is scored by the wonderful tunes of Randy Edelman, whose piano work enhances the dreamlike escapism of Lucy’s fairytale journey. It’s not filled with jingle bells or whiny vocals, but instead brings a feeling of cosy class that soothes the mind and lifts the spirits.
So, if you’re feeling wintery but not quite ready for full-on festiveness, While You Were Sleeping is the perfect watch this Stick Season. Its central storyline is emotionally captivating, and with sweet performances from its cast, gorgeous cinematography and an enchanting score, it’s a genuinely top quality film. As the days get darker, this hit of happiness is sure to lighten the mood.
