Wide Awake
Encyclopedia
Wide Awake is a 1998 comedy-drama
film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan
and produced by Bob Weinstein
, Harvey Weinstein
, Cary Woods
and Cathy Konrad
. The film stars Joseph Cross, Timothy Reifsnyder
, Dana Delaney, Denis Leary
, Robert Loggia
and Rosie O'Donnell
. Wide Awake also features Julia Stiles
in one of her earliest roles as the main character's teenage sister, Neena.
Although it was made in 1995, the film was not released until 1998. The script was written in 1991. It was nominated for "Best Family Feature — Drama" and "Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actor" at the 1999 Young Artist Award
s. It is the only Shyamalan-directed film in which the director does not make a cameo appearance
. Shyamalan has described Wide Awake as a comedy that he hoped would also make people cry.
of his beloved grandfather (Robert Loggia
).
Josh is a fifth grader at Waldron Mercy Academy, a private Catholic
boy
s' school (in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia suburb, where Shyamalan attended and where much of the movie is filmed). The adults in his world have not been able to convince him that his grandfather is in good hands, so he sets out on a personal mission to find God
. In their varying ways he is guided on his metaphorical journey by his best friend Dave (Timothy Reifsnyder) and a baseball-loving nun (Rosie O'Donnell
), who teaches at his school. The film depicts Josh's doubts about his religion as he questions if God truly exists, particularly when Dave is diagnosed with epilepsy
and the moments as Josh experiences his first crush. As his academic year comes to end he finds his answer in an unexpected way.
, grossing just over $1,288,000 on a $6 million production budget.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
and produced by Bob Weinstein
Bob Weinstein
Robert "Bob" Weinstein is an American film and theatre producer, the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films, and current head, with his brother Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company.-Career:...
, Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
, Cary Woods
Cary Woods
Cary Woods is a film producer. He produced the first films by Alexander Payne, M Night Shyamalan, Doug Liman, Harmony Korine, Kevin Williamson. Woods helped to fuel the rise of the independent films...
and Cathy Konrad
Cathy Konrad
Cathy Konrad is an award winning American film producer. She has produced several successful films including the Scream trilogy, Girl, Interrupted, and, most recently, 3:10 to Yuma.-Producer:* Men in Trees...
. The film stars Joseph Cross, Timothy Reifsnyder
Timothy Reifsnyder
Timothy Reifsnyder is an American actor.-Filmography:-External links:...
, Dana Delaney, Denis Leary
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
, Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
and Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
. Wide Awake also features Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles
Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress.After beginning her career in small parts in a New York City theatre troupe, she has moved on to leading roles in plays by writers as diverse as William Shakespeare and David Mamet...
in one of her earliest roles as the main character's teenage sister, Neena.
Although it was made in 1995, the film was not released until 1998. The script was written in 1991. It was nominated for "Best Family Feature — Drama" and "Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actor" at the 1999 Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
s. It is the only Shyamalan-directed film in which the director does not make a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
. Shyamalan has described Wide Awake as a comedy that he hoped would also make people cry.
Plot
The film revolves around the themes of family, growing up, and finding truth through personal endeavour. The story is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Joshua Beal (Joseph Cross) who during the course of his year in the fifth grade, begins his personal search mission to find answers about truths about life and death, a journey triggered by the deathDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
of his beloved grandfather (Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
).
Josh is a fifth grader at Waldron Mercy Academy, a private Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
boy
Boy
A boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...
s' school (in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia suburb, where Shyamalan attended and where much of the movie is filmed). The adults in his world have not been able to convince him that his grandfather is in good hands, so he sets out on a personal mission to find God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. In their varying ways he is guided on his metaphorical journey by his best friend Dave (Timothy Reifsnyder) and a baseball-loving nun (Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
), who teaches at his school. The film depicts Josh's doubts about his religion as he questions if God truly exists, particularly when Dave is diagnosed with epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
and the moments as Josh experiences his first crush. As his academic year comes to end he finds his answer in an unexpected way.
Cast
- Joseph Cross as Joshua A. Beal
- Timothy ReifsnyderTimothy ReifsnyderTimothy Reifsnyder is an American actor.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Dave O'Hara - Dana DelanyDana DelanyDana Welles Delany is an American film, stage, and television actress, producer, host and health activist.After various roles in the early career, Delany garnered her first leading role in 1987 in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sweet Surrender and achieved wider fame in 1988–1991 as Colleen McMurphy...
as Mrs. Beal - Denis LearyDenis LearyDenis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
as Mr. Beal - Robert LoggiaRobert LoggiaRobert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
as Grandpa Beal - Rosie O'DonnellRosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
as Sister Terry - Camryn ManheimCamryn ManheimCamryn Manheim is an American actress known primarily for her roles as attorney Ellenor Frutt on ABC's The Practice and Delia Banks on CBS's Ghost Whisperer and as Elvis's mother, Gladys Presley in the 2005 mini-series Elvis....
as Sister Sophia - Vicki Giunta as Sister Beatrice
- Julia StilesJulia StilesJulia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress.After beginning her career in small parts in a New York City theatre troupe, she has moved on to leading roles in plays by writers as diverse as William Shakespeare and David Mamet...
as Neena Beal - Michael Pacienza as Freddie Waltman
- Dan LauriaDan LauriaDaniel Joseph "Dan" Lauria is an American television and film actor.-Early life:Lauria, an Italian-American, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Carmela and Joseph J. Lauria. He also lived in Lindenhurst, New York...
as Father Peters
Box office result
The film was a major box office bombBox office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
, grossing just over $1,288,000 on a $6 million production budget.
External links
- Official site
- Wide Awake at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...