History Film / SlidingDoors

* YourCheatingHeart: A major plot point, as Helen's life changes dramatically based on whether making a train allows her to catch her boyfriend with another woman.

* CreatorsCultureCarryover: A small case but Helen and Anna reference ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', an American game show which does air on some channels in the UK but is unlikely to be talked about casually by two British women.
* DeadpanSnarker: Helen has her moments. For example, in timeline in which she catches her boyfriend cheating, there's this zinger:

* DeadpanSnarker: Helen has her moments. For example, in timeline in which she catches her boyfriend cheating, there's this zinger:\\
-> "I had a most dreadful day. I got sacked. So did you, it would seem."

* DeadpanSnarker: Helen has her moments. For example, in timeline in which she catches her boyfriend cheating, there's this zinger:

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: A small case but Helen and Anna reference ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', an American game show which does air on some channels in the UK but is unlikely to be talked about casually by two British women.

* ForeignRemake: The storyline recycles in a LighterAndFluffier way the plot of an earlier film, ''Film/BlindChance''.

* LoveTranscendsSpaceTime: Two timelines, two lives, one romance.

* UsefulNotes/TheLondonUnderground: The plot diverges at the main character catching / missing her train at Embankment station, setting off events for the rest of the film (which shows us two parallel lives from that point on). The actual scenes underground were filmed on the Waterloo and City Line.

* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Without the difference in haircut, it would be hard to tell the two timelines apart.

[[AlternateSelf The Helen who got on the tube]] meets an interesting guy on the tube, and when she gets home she catches her boyfriend cheating. She breaks up and gets an ImportantHaircut, turning blonde.

* ImportantHaircut: The change in hairstyle signifies a change in lifestyle.

* SplitTimelinesPlot: The TropeCodifier - the two timelines split depending on whether Helen makes it to the Tube or not.
* StrangelySpecificHoroscope: Played with. When Helen claims to be over her boyfriend Gerry (whom she recently dumped after she came home early from work and caught him cheating), Helen's best friend Anna calls her out for lying, noting that Helen is still counting the days since the breakup, and is still reading Gerry's horoscope in the hopes that it will say that something terrible will happen to him. Later Anna pretends that the horoscope does in fact say that something terrible will happen to Gerry in a way that would make the horoscope specific to Gerry.

--->'''James:''' No, I mean, don't think that I have not called you. I haven't not called you. I mean, I don't...I don't mean I haven't not called you, because that's a double negative, so as to say that I have called you.
'''Helen:''' When did you call?

-->'''Russell:''' You've been talking to yourself in the mirror again, haven't you?

-->'''James''': No, I mean, don't think that I have not called you. I haven't not called you. I mean, I don't...I don't mean I haven't not called you, because that's a double negative, so as to say that I have called you.
-->'''Helen''': When did you call?
-->'''James''': Well, I didn't. But I... I didn't not call you in the way that you might think I didn't call you. Oh, dear.

-->'''Helen''': Is that a will pick me up or a haven't, not, didn't, might?

-->'''Gerry''' [looking in the mirror]: You have two head problems. One, that was close, very close. Put in layman's terms, she nearly caught you. Two, and this is far more worrying than the first one, you're talking to yourself in the mirror again. Really bad sign.

-->'''Russell''': You've been talking to yourself in the mirror again, haven't you?

-->'''Anna:''' You're still counting how long you've been apart in days - and probably hours and minutes - but the big-flashing-red-light way of telling you're not really over someone is when you're still reading their horoscope in the hope that they're going to get wiped out in some freak napalming incident. [''Later Anna looks at the horoscope''] What is he?
-->'''Helen:''' A wanker. [{{beat}}] Oh. Aries.
-->'''Anna:''' Aries... Aries... well, just shows how much I know. [''pretends to read''] "With Mars your ruler in the ascendancy, you will get wiped out in a freak napalming incident and Helen says bollocks to you." This guy's very good.

* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler:Falling down the stairs is less fatal than getting hit by a car]].

--->'''Russell''': You've been talking to yourself in the mirror again, haven't you?

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Helen uses this for effect when she walks in on Gerry with Lydia. The first thing she remarks on is not [[YourCheatingHeart the fact he's in bed with another woman]], but instead [[SkewedPriorities the fact that she didn't think he liked]] Music/EltonJohn.

* YourCheatingHeart: Gerry cheats on Helen with Lydia. In the timeline where Helen caught the train, she walks in on them and breaks up with Gerry. In the timeline where Helen missed the train, she doesn't walk in on them and stays with him for longer, but eventually Lydia leaves him, but soon returns to him [[spoiler: to tell him she's pregnant and to discuss whether or not she will keep the baby. However, Helen finds out about this, leading to her falling and miscarrying her own baby. When she recovers, [[InSpiteOfANail she breaks up with Gerry]]]].

* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Without the difference in haircut, it would be hard to tell the two time lines apart.

* InSpiteOfANail: [[spoiler: Helen met James. Helen lost her unborn child. Gerry has impregnated Lydia. Helen has found out about Gerry and Lydia and has left Gerry. Which time line are we talking about here?]] It's worth noting that all of those things come true in very different ways and at different times, however.
* IronicEcho: In the first time line when James and Helen meet he says "Cheer up, you know what the Creator/MontyPython boys say", and Helen replies "Always look on the bright side of life?" James then corrects her with "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." When they meet again in the next time line he says the same thing and Helen responds with the latter line this time.

* LifeWillKillYou: [[spoiler:[[AlternateSelf One of the main characters]] is just standing there, having what would have perhaps been the most important conversation in a long and happy life. Suddenly a car runs over her. DownerEnding in one time line, but it is indicated that the trauma of her own death [[FlashSideways helps her]] to get a happy ending in the other time line.]]
* LoveTranscendsSpaceTime: Two time lines, two lives, one romance.

* StrangelySpecificHoroscope: Played with in ''Film/SlidingDoors''. When Helen claims to be over her boyfriend Gerry, (who she recently dumped after [[BedroomAdulteryScene she came home early from work and caught him cheating]]) Helen's best friend Anna calls her out for lying, noting that Helen is still counting the days since the breakup, and is still reading Gerry's horoscope in the hopes that it will say that something terrible will happen to him. Later Anna pretends that the horoscope does in fact say that something terrible will happen to Gerry in a way that would make the horoscope specific to Gerry.

* InSpiteOfANail: [[spoiler: Helen met James. Helen lost her unborn child. Gerry has impregnated Lydia. Helen has found out about Gerry and Lydia and has left Gerry. Which time line am I talking about?]] It's worth noting that all of those things come true in very different ways and at different times, however.

* AlternateTimeline: Two time lines - one where Helen got to the tube and one where she didn't.

* {{Flatline}}: Used to show when one of the characters dies in one of the timelines.