Waking the Dead (2000)

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

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers:

Scott Spencer (novel), Robert Dillon (screenplay)

Stars:

Billy Crudup, Bill Haugland, Nelson Landrieu

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Fielding Pierce lives the life of an aspiring politician - in 1972 he's serving in the Coast Guard (trying to avoid Vietnam in the most honorable way), and by 1973 he has entered law school. Along the way he falls in love with Sarah, a fiercely idealistic woman who devotes her life to helping others - unfortunately she's killed in an explosion while assisting members of the Chilean resistance. Nine years later, in the middle of a congressional election, Fielding is suddenly flooded with thoughts and visions of his lost love.

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Plot Keywords:

love | law school | election | law | chilean | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes love has a life of its own.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 March 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor Maior que a Vida

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$150,422 (USA) (24 March 2000)

Gross:

$327,418 (USA) (7 April 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Egg Pictures, Gramercy Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally financed by Warner Brothers, who later backed out.

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Goofs

During an argument in his new apartment, Fielding's (Billy Crudup) new girlfriend calls him "Billy".

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Quotes

Danny Pierce: Remember what Sarah used to say? Sarah Williams. You do remember Sarah, don't you?
Fielding Pierce: Go fuck yourself.
Danny Pierce: I know you do. She'd see some junkie on the street and people just walking by, nobody even noticing, but she'd see him and she'd say, "How do you know that's not Jesus?"

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Connections

References Obsession (1976)

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Soundtracks

"A Case Of You"
Written and Performed by Joni Mitchell
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

'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.