While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Lucy Eleanor Moderatz is a lonely single woman in her twenties who works as a fare token collector for the Chicago Transit Authority. When the man she has a crush on, Peter Callaghan, is seriously injured during a mugging and ends up in a coma, Lucy is mistakenly identified as his fiancée. Peter’s unknowing family accepts her as part of their family before she can correct the mistake. However, Lucy becomes overcome with guilt as she begins to enjoy her time with Peter’s family. Her situation becomes even worse when she actually falls in love with a different man, Peter’s younger brother Jack.

‘While You Were Sleeping’ Movie Summary

Lucy Eleanor Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) is a lonely single woman in her twenties who works as a fare token collector for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). Lucy has a secret crush on a handsome commuter, Peter Callaghan (Peter Gallagher), who passes through her gate nearly every day. However, Lucy cannot get the courage to say anything to Peter, who is unaware of Lucy’s existence. On Christmas Day, Peter is attacked on the platform by muggers. The crooks push an unconscious Peter onto the tracks. Lucy sees the whole incident and saves Peter from being run over by a train. Lucy accompanies the unconscious Peter to the hospital. She is prohibited from staying with Peter since she is not family, but she quietly states to herself that she was going to marry him, which is overheard by a nearby nurse. The nurse allows Lucy into the comatose Peter’s hospital room. When Peter’s family arrives and inquires on Lucy’s identity, the nurse informs them that Lucy is Peter’s fiancée and that she is the one who saved him.

Surprised, the family – father Ox Callaghan (Peter Boyle), mother Midge Callaghan (Micole Mercurio), grandmother Elsie Callaghan (Glynis Johns), sister Mary Callaghan (Monica Keena), and Peter’s godfather Saul Tuttle (Jack Warden) – all warmly embrace her and accept her as part of the family. Embarrassed, Lucy continues to feign being Peter’s fiancée, too caught up to explain the truth to them all. As time passes, Lucy fears that the truth might be catastrophic for Elsie who has a heart condition, but the lonely Lucy also falls in love with Peter’s big, loving family. The next night, Lucy visits Peter and confesses her predicament to her unconscious fiancé, unaware that Saul is listening. The godfather eventually confronts her about her deceit but promises to keep her secret because the accident has brought the family closer.

The Callaghans invite Lucy to spend a belated Christmas with them since theirs was interrupted by Peter’s accident. She meets Peter’s younger brother Jack (Bill Pullman), who is supposed to take over his father’s furniture business although he wants to start his own business. Jack is suspicious of Lucy and begins checking on her. Jack believes that Lucy is involved with her neighbor, Joe Fusco Jr. (Michael Rispoli), after the lecherous would-be Lothario falsely implies that he and Lucy have a sexual relationship. Lucy denies the allegations and once again the Callaghans believe her, which further exacerbates Lucy’s guilt. However, Jack soon finds himself falling in love with Lucy as they spend time together over the next several days. The couple discuss their mutual desires to travel and similar senses of humor. Lucy also begins to fall in love with Jack.

If you fit into my pants I will kill myself. Lucy Eleanor Moderatz (Sandra Bullock)

However, Jack and Lucy’s potential relationship is further derailed when the Callaghans misunderstand a sarcastic remark made by Lucy to a friend and mistakenly believe that she is pregnant with Peter’s child. Lucy tells them all that she is not pregnant. However, Peter wakes from his coma on New Year’s Eve. Everyone rushes down to see him. Peter recognizes everyone except for Lucy, which the family assumes is amnesia. Lucy and Peter spend some time together talking in the hospital, but Lucy discovers that she has no real connection with her former crush. Saul promises Lucy that he will fix everything and then persuades Peter to propose to Lucy again, which he does. Lucy reluctantly accepts.

The couple decides to get married in the hospital a few days later. Jack visits Lucy a day before the wedding, and Lucy gives him a chance to change her mind, asking if he can give her a reason not to marry Peter. A sheepish Jack replies that he cannot, leaving her disappointed. At the wedding, Lucy’s guilt finally overwhelms her, and she confesses everything to the Callaghans and Saul, including that she is in love with Jack and not Peter. At that moment, Peter’s real fiancée, who had previously rejected him, Ashley Bartlett Bacon (Ally Walker), arrives and demands that the wedding be stopped. The scene turns into chaos, and everyone begins arguing with each other. Lucy, knowing that she caused the strife, quietly slips out.

Some time later, Lucy is once again working her booth at the Transit Authority. Jack arrives and places an engagement ring in the token tray. Supported by his entire family, except Peter, Jack enters the booth and formally proposes to Lucy, who accepts. Jack and Lucy are married some time later and leave on a CTA train for their honeymoon. Lucy narrates the final scene and informs the audience that she finally fulfilled her dream of going to Florence, Italy. She also explains that when Peter asked her when she fell in love with Jack, she simply replied it was while he was sleeping.