|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
Wide Awake | Year: 1998 Classification: Comedy Directed: - M. Night Shyamalan Actors/Actresses: - Joseph Cross - Timothy Reifsnyder Uplifting! EVERYONE did great! I first saw this movie advertised while watching the movie previews on another tape I own. I looked at it. Then, I looked at it again, and again, and again. Then I thought "Maybe I'm onto something here." So, I got out my debit card and went to Amazon.com. I purchased the movie brand new for the price of a used video tape. The movie really struck a cord with me because I have one grandparent who I am very close to. The movie talks a lot about finding God, but I didn't feel that religion was forced down my throat. This movie made me cry during several scenes. But at the same time, it made me feel better as a person for having watched it. Joseph Cross (Joshua Beal) and Robert Loggia (Josh's grandfather) were my two favorite characters in the movie. The friendship displayed on screen between these two characters seems very genuine. Timothy Reifsnyder was fantastic as Josh's best friend. It's hard for me to believe that this was a film debut for either Joseph or Tim.. They both seemed like veteran actors. Especially Joseph. I will be looking to see what other movies these two show up in. I would like to publicly acknowledge the hard work put in by everyone involved with making this movie. And I would also like to thank Amazon.com for having the best movie prices I've ever seen. I look forward to buying many other items from Amazon.com as time passes. God Bless America, and the rest of the world as well. DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, SIMPLE ANSWERS: ENCHANTING FILM You know when you catch a late night movie on a film channel and it hooks you on, then you keep watching it, laugh, cry and just purely enjoy it and feel good that you flicked on the channel at the right time? This is one of those movies. I am not sure why some reviewers lament that it's a pretentious theme. Sure, it's not anything that'd be seen rocking boxoffice records or winning grand prizes, it even has some necessary contrivances. But it moved me, impelled me to think, and impressed me with a number of brilliant moments that are sensitive and engaging without becoming cloying. Shyamalan is now a familiar name, so I approached his debut effort with high expectations, and while it could be sappy in bits for some people, I'm guilty of having clung on until the very last shot. The writing is taut and the production values are all-round immaculate. I was not disappointed one bit! If you have kids, this is a fantastic movie to watch because of the sweet yet universal messages it couches. Plus, the kids in the movie are not freckled 10-year old brats, they have thoughts deeper than what you and I give them credit for. The script is by no stretch of imagination an overly ambitious one, but I highly recommend this underrated gem for its thoughtful dialogue and crisp direction. "I'm wide awake now," M. Night Shyamalan directed this comedic effort. Who knew? What a far cry from his popular and critically acclaimed SIXTH SENSE! Or perhaps not. The two films may seem drastically different, but look closely. Shyamalan is quite adept when it comes to seeing through the eyes of a child. This skill certainly materialized when THE SIXTH SENSE introduced us to young Cole Sear. Now, in WIDE AWAKE, we see the same sort of materialization with young Joshua (Joseph Cross). Joshua, despite being a mere 10 years old, is amidst a faith crisis shortly after the death of his beloved grandfather. Throughout the movie, we see many flashbacks of the time spent between Joseph and his grandfather prior to his death, so Shyamalan allows his audience to come to understand how strong their relationship truly is. Unfortunately, his grandfather's death has affected Joseph in negative ways. He's confused over the existence of God and he's searching for his faith. Also, he's lost much of his independence. We see this every morning when he wakes up and goes to his private school - he can't get up on his own and brush his teeth and dress himself - his parents must help him. Joshua just wants to contact God to see how his grandfather is faring up in heaven, yet prayer and the Cardinal have been to no avail. During his religious search, we are introduced to Waldron Academy, his all-boys private school. To some of the public school population, this might seem like a different world. "Kids in uniforms don't smile much," Joshua says. He narrates the film from beginning to end. Waldron Academy was an actual school. Now, it is known as Waldron Mercy Academy and has since gone coed. How do I know? I graduated there in the year 2002. Shyamalan is another alumni - he attended when it was all-boys. So, I thought, perhaps some of Joshua's experiences were derived from his own. When filming took place, many Waldron students received the opportunity to be cast as extras. Some people are surprised this movie didn't do as well in the box office. But you've got to consider the fact that WIDE AWAKE is an independent film - it was released only in certain theatres, very few, actually. I received tickets through my school to see it at the Ritz in downtown Philadelphia. Joseph Cross does indeed deliver a strong performance, but WIDE AWAKE also has a strong supporting cast. Julia Stiles, then unknown, plays his older sister. Rosie O'Donnell gives a nice, 3-dimensional comedic performance as a nun school teacher at Waldron. Dana Delaney plays his mother, Mrs. Beal. She seems the ideal candidate for that particular role. WIDE AWAKE is an independent gem. And, unlike some films, it is the type of movie that gets better after each watch, not tedious. It finds the perfect balance between comedy and all-out seriousness during a young boy's journey in the world of faith. He comes out more self-aware, more mature, than the boy he was in the beginning. Audien Buy Wide Awake at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Wide Awake Search with the Priority Search Engine on Wide Awake This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
