Awake (2007)

Director:

Joby Harold

Writer:

Joby Harold (written by)

Release Date:

30 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Every year, one in 700 people wake up during surgery. When they planned her husband's murder, they never thought he'd be the one.

Plot:

The story focuses on a man who suffers "anesthetic awareness" and finds himself awake and aware, but paralyzed, during heart surgery. His mother must wrestle with her own demons as a drama unfolds around them, while trying to unfold the story hidden behind her son's young wife.

Plot Keywords:

Newlywed | Alcoholic Doctor | Medication | Hypodermic Needle | Heart Surgery

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Hayden Christensen	...	Clay Beresford
Jessica Alba	...	Sam Lockwood
Terrence Howard	...	Dr. Jack Harper
Lena Olin	...	Lilith Beresford
Christopher McDonald	...	Dr. Larry Lupin
Sam Robards	...	Clayton Beresford - Sr.
Arliss Howard	...	Dr. Jonathan Neyer
Fisher Stevens	...	Dr. Puttnam
Georgina Chapman	...	Penny Carver
David Harbour	...	Dracula
Steven Hinkle	...	Young Clay (as Stephen Hinkle)
Denis O'Hare	...	Financial News Analyst
Charlie Hewson	...	Brian the Orderly
Court Young	...	Officer Doherty
Joseph Costa	...	Dr. Elbogen

MPAA:

Rated R for language, an intense disturbing situation, and brief drug use.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-13 | USA:R (certificate #43173) | Argentina:16 | Taiwan:R-12 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16 | Malaysia:U | Ireland:15A | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Bellevue Hospital - 550 First Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

GreeneStreet Films

Trivia:

Not screened in advance for critics.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The new surgeon states they used Adriamycin to 'spike' the new heart. Adriamycin is a chemotherapeutic agent that is red in color. The syringe that Sam hands to Jack is filled with a clear and colorless liquid.

Quotes:

Clay Beresford: Am I supposed to still hear you?

Soundtrack:

Golden Touch

Old Fashioned Entertainment: Awesome!

I keep thinking about this movie. There are all these "awards" movies out there, and some of them (think JUNO) are really great, but others are just pedigree films that we "should" see but we don't actually really want to see or enjoy seeing. Then there is AWAKE. This is a movie with a capital M. This is a movie where you just have a roller coaster great time. Leave your inner critic at home and just sit back and enjoy the riveting entertainment. It has amazing twists that even the lame critics who said "they didn't like this film", sheepishly admit was incredibly well done. I did notice that Roger Ebert didn't follow the crowd and said it was great. Because it is. Awesome.