Waking the Dead (2000)

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers (WGA):

Scott Spencer (based upon the novel by)
Robert Dillon (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes love has a life of its own.

Plot:

A congressional candidate questions his sanity after seeing the love of his life, presumed dead, suddenly emerge.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Election | Chilean | Vietnam | Law School

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Billy Crudup	...	Fielding Pierce
Bill Haugland	...	TV Newsman at Bombing
Nelson Landrieu	...	Francisco Higgens
Ivonne Coll	...	Gisela Higgens
Jennifer Connelly	...	Sarah Williams
Maxine Guess	...	Danny's Receptionist
Paul Hipp	...	Danny Pierce
Hal Holbrook	...	Isaac Green
Lawrence Dane	...	Governor Kinosis
Ed Harris	...	Jerry Charmichael
Robert Harding	...	TV Newsman #2
Janet McTeer	...	Caroline Pierce
Molly Parker	...	Juliet Beck
Larry Marshall	...	Angelo Bertelli
Don Jordan	...	Minister with Bertelli on TV

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | France:U | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (No. 36371)

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

Jennifer Connelly's son, Kai was in the film, she was holding him in the scene in which Fielding was at the church.

Goofs:

Factual errors: 23 January 1983, the election day, was on a Sunday.

Quotes:

Fielding Pierce: I never saw Sarah again. I think I've managed to help some people in Congress - do some good. Less than I'd have liked, but more than I feared. To this day I still don't know if Sarah was real that night or just a product of my broken heart. But Sarah, if you are alive, and it was you that night, here for one last moment of sweetness before going back out to try and make things better in the world...

Movie Connections:

References Labyrinth (1986)

Soundtrack:

Snow Come Down

'Waking The Dead' Polarizes Critical Opinion

The ability of 'Waking The Dead' to polarize critical opinion is the best indication of how powerful this film really is. In short, you either love it or hate it. I LOVED IT!

Yes, the story of an up and coming politician falling in love with a beautiful, left-wing activist is a bit trite but no more so than the 70's in which they shared their life together were naive, idealistic and a necessary part of the evolution of American social conscience.

I thought the performance by Jennifer Connelly as 'Sara' was astounding. Her ability to convey the sentiment of her beliefs in anger and love is nothing short of inspiring. If you're not in love with Sara by the end of this movie, you should check into the Emergency ward of your local hospital because there's no heart in your chest or warm blood flowing in your veins.

Billy Crudup's performance as 'Fielding' could be interpreted as "flat" only to those who would say that life imitates art and not the other way around. I found Crudup's acting highly believable for the character he was portraying. I know lots of extremely intense people who hide behind a facade of calm out of necessity. Where he needed to be good, he was exceptional. Case in point, during his celebration dinner with family after winning the election, his declaration of his burgeoning insanity is extremely convincing and frightful.

Aside of great individual performances, the overall chemistry between Sara and Fielding was tangible, necessary and believable, as this is a story about love and why true love is endless. The editing, jumping between the present and the past, helped to make the point that we all have the power to change the world through the people we come into contact with and in this way we're all eternal, all powerful. To top it off, the haunting presence that was Sara after she was presumably killed, lends an element of mystery and hope in a metaphysical and real way, to a movie that could have been just another, too sweet love story in the hands of lesser director.

Though Waking The Dead has its flaws, they're too few to dwell on. I've watched it now three times and every time I appreciate it more than the last. I suggest its detractors do the same before making hasty negative assessments.