Waking the Dead (2000)

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers (WGA):

Scott Spencer (novel)
Robert Dillon (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | 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:

Obsessed With The Dead | Social Activism | Refugee | Human Rights | 1970s

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Billy Crudup	...	Fielding Pierce
Jennifer Connelly	...	Sarah Williams
Molly Parker	...	Juliet Beck
Janet McTeer	...	Caroline Pierce
Paul Hipp	...	Danny Pierce
Sandra Oh	...	Kim
Hal Holbrook	...	Isaac Green
Nelson Landrieu	...	Francisco Higgens
Ivonne Coll	...	Gisela Higgens
Lawrence Dane	...	Governor Kinosis
Ed Harris	...	Jerry Charmichael
Larry Marshall	...	Angelo Bertelli
Stanley Anderson	...	Fielding's Father
Patricia Gage	...	Fielding's Mother
John Carroll Lynch	...	Father Mileski
Bruce Dinsmore	...	Tony Dayton
Mimi Kuzyk	...	Adele Green
Tony Calabretta	...	Sonny Marchi
Walter Massey	...	Otto Ellis
Maxine Guess	...	Danny's Receptionist
Bill Haughland	...	TV Newsman at Bombing
Robert Harding	...	TV Newsman #2
Don Jordan	...	Minister with Bertelli on TV
Caroline Sabourin	...	Little Sarah Lookalike
Norris Domingue	...	Congressman at Isaac's Party
Dean Hagopian	...	Politician at Isaac's Party
Bernard Behrens	...	Father Stanton
Philip Williams	...	Al
Sharon Washington	...	Kelly
Ranee Lee	...	Woman from Fielding's Campaign
Zoé Sakellaropoulo	...	Sarah in Caroline's Flashback (as Zoë Sakellaroupoulo)
Scott Spencer	...	Man with Sarah in Flashback
Alan Fawcett	...	Reporter at Restaurant
Leah Pinsent	...	Reporter from Fielding's Past
Karina Iraola	...	Seny
Marco Ledezma	...	Gustavo
Walt MacPherson	...	Sarah's Father
Father John Walsh	...	Protest Leader Outside Sarah's Funeral
Vlasta Vrana	...	Priest at Sarah's Funeral
Pascal Petardi	...	Kid Mugging Fielding
Leonardo Fuica	...	Kid Mugging Fielding
Qariy Hendrickson	...	Kid Mugging Fielding
Sandra Caldwell	...	Concerned Mom from Letter
Justin Bradley	...	Adopted Kid from Letter
Richard Hicks	...	Young Man from Letter
Ed Cambridge	...	Old Man from Letter

Directed by
Keith Gordon

Writing credits (WGA)
Scott Spencer		(novel)
Robert Dillon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jodie Foster	....	executive producer
Keith Gordon	....	producer
Stuart Kleinman	....	producer
Irene Litinsky	....	co-producer
Linda Reisman	....	producer

Original Music by
tomandandy

Cinematography by
Tom Richmond

Film Editing by
Jeff Wishengrad

Casting by
Richard Hicks
Ronnie Yeskel

Production Design by
Zoé Sakellaropoulo		(as Zoë Sakellaropoulo)

Set Decoration by
Simon La Haye		(as Simon Lahaye)
Joëlle Turenne

Costume Design by
Renée April

Makeup Department
Béatrice de Lempdes	....	makeup artist: extras (as Béatrice DeLempdes)
Martin Lapointe	....	hair stylist: extras
Lizane La Salle	....	makeup artist (as Lizanne La Salle)
Martine Léveillé	....	hair stylist: extras
Johanne Paiement	....	key hair stylist
Josée Pellerin	....	makeup artist: extras
Pina Rizzi	....	hair stylist
Diane Simard	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Daniel Auclair	....	unit manager
Robert Hoffman	....	post-production supervisor
Irene Litinsky	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Erik Ajduk	....	trainee assistant director
Marie-José Bourassa	....	second assistant director
Pedro Gandol	....	first assistant director
Dandy Thibaudeau	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Carole Arpin	....	assistant property master
Anthony Bourgouin	....	swing gang (as Anthony Bourgoin)
Alain Brochu	....	construction supervisor
Andre Brochu	....	head carpenter (as André Brochu)
Eric Brunet	....	swing gang (as Eric Gabriel Brunet)
Frederic Chamoro	....	swing gang (as Frederic Chamorro)
Marc Desjardins	....	painter
Marc Desjardins	....	scenic artist
Johanne Dumoulin	....	painter
Johanne Dumoulin	....	scenic artist
Anne Galéa	....	head decorator
Martin Gendron	....	assistant art director
Eric Lafrance	....	carpenter
Bruno Lahaye	....	property master
Carl Lessard	....	graphic designer
Jean Morin	....	assistant art director
David Nichols	....	pre-production design consultant
Lyne Rancourt	....	assistant decorator
Eric Turenne	....	swing gang
Marcus von Holtzendorff	....	art department runner

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Leslie Bloom	....	foley artist (as Leslie Bloome)
Frank Canonica	....	machine room supervisor
Frank Canonica	....	supervising sound recordist: mix stage
Yin Cantor	....	sound effects recordist
Yann Cleary	....	sound trainee
Kyrsten Mate Comoglio	....	sound effects editor
Ben Conrad	....	foley mixer
Tobin Davis	....	assistant sound editor (as Tobin John DeLacca Davis)
Patrick Dodd	....	dialogue editor
Denis Dupont	....	boom operator
Malcolm Fife	....	foley editor
Grant Foerster	....	sound recordist
Anna Geyer	....	transfer room operator
James Lebrecht	....	sound effects designer
John Nutt	....	supervising sound editor
Dan Olmsted	....	sound recordist
Margie O'Malley	....	foley artist
David Parker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Pasque	....	foley recordist (as James Pasque)
Frank Rinella	....	foley mixer
Patrick Rousseau	....	sound mixer
Daniel Sperry	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Dan Sperry)
Mary Works	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
André Laforest	....	special effects technician
Eric-André Paquin	....	special effects technician
Pierre 'Bill' Rivard	....	special effects coordinator (as Bill Rivard)
Sebastien Roussel	....	special effects technician
Martin Williams	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tom Williamson	....	visual effects supervisor
Jeff Barnes	....	executive producer: Computercafe (uncredited)
Christopher Dusendschon	....	in-show optical compositor: THDX (uncredited)

Stunts
Nathalie Girard	....	stunt double
Stéphane Lefebvre	....	stunts
David McKeown	....	stunt coordinator (as Dave McKeown)

Camera and Electrical Department
Kim Alepin	....	camera trainee
Jocelyn Bertrand	....	grip
Mikey Bertrand	....	key grip
Jean-François Chapadeau	....	rigging electrician
François Daignault	....	steadicam operator
Mathieu Décary	....	first assistant camera: dailies
Eames Gagnon	....	rigging best boy
Michel Girard	....	focus puller
John Harris	....	electrician
Maxime Imbeau	....	grip
Pierric Jouvante	....	electrician
Keith Kerr	....	grip
Jean Levasseur	....	electrician
John Lewin	....	rigging gaffer
Kenneth MacKenzie	....	best boy grip
Martin Protat	....	clapper loader
Raymond Rivard	....	grip
Jeff Scott	....	rigging electrician
Takashi Seida	....	still photographer
Normand Viau	....	gaffer
Paul Viau	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
Julie Breton	....	casting assistant
Ross Clydesdale	....	casting: Toronto
Jennifer Levy	....	casting assistant
Lucie Robitaille	....	casting: Montreal
Juli-Ann Kay	....	casting assistant: Toronto (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Johanne Baril	....	wardrobe technician (as Joanne Baril)
Sophie Beasse	....	head dresser (as Sophie Béasse)
Mureille Blouin	....	breakdown/specialized wardrobe technician (as Murielle Blouin)
Blanche-Danielle Boileau	....	costume supervisor (as Blanche Danielle Boileau)
Josée Boisvert	....	wardrobe mistress extras
Sylvie Dagenais	....	dresser
Sylvie Gagnon	....	extras dresser
Jennifer Lys Grenier	....	extras dresser (as Jennifer-Lys Grenier)
Caroline Poirier	....	assistant to costume designer
Dominique Theriault	....	assistant wardrobe: extras (as Dominique Thériault)

Editorial Department
Claudette Duff	....	first assistant editor: Montreal
Bob Fredrickson	....	color timer
Michael Gay	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles (as Michael D. Gay)
Jeremy Milton	....	first assistant film editor: Los Angeles
Michel Proulx	....	cutter
Sarah Shetter	....	post-production assistant: Mr. Gordon

Music Department
Steve Mac	....	score engineer
Chris McGeary	....	music editor
Kristina Misiunas	....	score producer
Joni Mitchell	....	composer: songs "A Case of You"
Frankie Pine	....	music supervisor: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Dawn Soler	....	music supervisor: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (as Dawn Solér)
Mark Jan Wlodarkiewicz	....	additional music editor

Transportation Department
Réjean Bouchard	....	transportation coordinator
Michel Brouillette	....	picture car coordinator
Donal MacCormack	....	driver (as Donal MaCormack)
Ted Wilson	....	driver (as Teddy Wilson)

Other crew
Ilinca Cynthia Balaban	....	assistant accountant
Alana Cymerman	....	assistant location manager
Marc-André Goyer	....	production assistant
Andrew Hill	....	production accountant
Leah Holmes	....	post-production accountant
Lorraine Jamison	....	unit publicist
Rick Kahn	....	transfer room operator
Annika Krausz	....	assistant: Ms. Reisman
Patrick Legault	....	production assistant
Bruce Miller	....	first assistant accountant
Lili Partheniou	....	production accountant (as Lily Partheniou)
Nathalie Picard	....	script supervisor
Nathalie Poulin	....	location assistant
Judy Sharinger	....	credits secretary
Michèle St-Arnaud	....	location manager
Jeff Whittle	....	transfer room supervisor
Marianne Wisenthal	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon

Production Companies

• Egg Pictures
• Gramercy Pictures
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Distributors

• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Lolistar (France)
• USA Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• USA Films (2000) (USA)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Other Companies

• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound post-production services
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | France:U | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Egg Pictures

Trivia:

Originally financed by Warner Brothers, who later backed out.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Sarah Williams: It is so infuriating loving you sometimes!
Fielding Pierce: Well, the feeling's mutual.

Movie Connections:

References Vertigo (1958)

Soundtrack:

Sunset Serenade

Politics Vs. Activism

You'll have to choose sides in 'Waking The Dead'. Are you going to be an obedient politician or a liberal activist? Those opposing viewpoints cause a tug-of-war, with eternal love playing the ever-tightening knot in the middle. Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly are Fielding and Sarah; he the idealistic politician and she the faithful revolutionary. We know from the start that she dies via car bomb while raging against the machine. The movie's chronology is all over the place (which is occasionally confusing) and we see them when they're blissfully happy and otherwise. But after she's gone, the upstanding young man fears for his marbles after he starts to see & hear his dead lover everywhere. Is she actually alive or is he just too insane for public office?

Seeing ghosts is tricky. It can turn into unintentional humour without the proper direction. Director Keith Gordon doesn't pull it off as well as he should, but at least the heat between them seems real. Crudup and Connelly make a great romantic match. She's sandpaper to his block of wood, but she's also his conscience. The phrase "Jiminy Cricket" is actually used, and he succeeds politically only as he's failing emotionally. He clearly needs her whispering in his ear, even if he wouldn't agree with what she would have to say. It's clear that she wouldn't approve of what he's become and he knows it. So I guess that makes her the ghost of Jiminy Cricket too.

The movie would be a turd without strong performances. While no one in the supporting cast has lingered in my memory, the talented leads have. They're both good in almost everything they do, so I expected them to be an excellent duo here too. Connelly has since won an Oscar and Crudup probably will too. Some of Gordon's directorial choices undercut what his actors are doing. His style of editing and use of too many arty shots don't work. When the actors are already front row centre, the director should get out of their way.

What grabbed me about 'Waking The Dead' was that both Fielding and Sarah are trying to make the world a better giant rock. She's counterculture and he's as mainstream as it gets. Since the story boils down to politics versus religion, it's no wonder the film didn't find an audience. Most people have opinions on those matters, yet political correctness demands you not share them. But you ARE allowed to discuss love. The movie knows how to get that right...the ache, the irritation, the yearning, and the loss of true love.