SLIDING DOORS

GB / US
1998
1hr 39mins
Dir: Peter Howitt
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah

When a high-flying executive misses an Underground train, we see how life would have unfolded had she caught it

This very successful romantic drama has its pivotal scene on the Waterloo & City Line, but not all is what it first appears to be as Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be somewhat lost! On her way to work, the actress is first seen leaving a train at the southbound platform of the Waterloo & City Line at Waterloo, only to then leave via the southern façade of Embankment station! After losing her job, she’s seen exiting the Waterloo & City Line platforms at Bank, into the passageway that leads to the Northern and Central Line platforms, only then to be seen going down the travolator to the same platforms she has just left! There is then a shot of Waterloo & City Line 1992-built stock coming into the westbound arrivals platform at Waterloo whilst she is still on the travolator at Bank before we get the next shot of her coming down one of the staircases from the National Rail station at Waterloo with the train still arriving. Then on the westbound W&C Line platform John Hannah boards the train, which is an interesting mistake because it is heading into the depot to reverse! In the scenario where Gwyneth Paltrow catches the train, there is a shot of 1992-built stock leaving the eastbound platform heading for Bank, which is in fact where her and John Hannah then arrive, only for the pair of them to walk out of an unidentified District Line station (said to be Fulham Broadway). And all these mistakes for a very simple scenario that lasts all of five minutes in the movie!! With thanks to Nick Cooper for the information on how this scene ‘panned out’. The screen shots bear witness to this.

This is the southern façade to Embankment Underground station
Though Gwyneth Paltrow is captured here leaving the Waterloo & City Line platforms at Bank
A 1992 stock train arrives into the westbound platform at Waterloo. This is platform 26 of the main line station and is in actual fact the arrivals platform. Platform 25, on the opposite side of the wall, is for departures only.
This is one of the staircases down from the National Rail station at Waterloo to the Underground
John Hannah boards the empty train at Waterloo. Note that the rolling stock is still in a variant of Network SouthEast livery, and is in as built condition. Although the line became a part of the London Underground from 1994, it would not be until 2006 that the trains finally received the corporate LUL livery after the line underwent a major refurbishment programme.
Gwyneth Paltrow on the eastbound ‘departures’ platform at Waterloo
With a shot of a train departing for Bank
which is actually where it arrives! This is platform 7 at Bank.
Despite arriving into Bank, we next see Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah climbing the stairs of an as yet undisclosed District Line station. The sign on the wall behind the pair can not be read.
This is the view outside the station, and it has been suggested that this could be Fulham Broadway. The problem now is that the station has undergone radical redevelopment and the scene above has changed.