Waking Life (2001)

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writer (WGA):

Richard Linklater (written by)

Release Date:

7 March 2002 (Australia)

Genre:

Animation | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Plot:

A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Philosophy | Tango Music | Dream Sequence | Surrealism

Awards:

5 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Trevor Jack Brooks	...	Young Boy Playing Paper Game
Lorelei Linklater	...	Young Girl Playing Paper Game
Wiley Wiggins	...	Main Character
Glover Gill	...	Accordion Player
Lara Hicks	...	Violin Player
Ames Asbell	...	Viola Player
Leigh Mahoney	...	Viola Player
Sara Nelson	...	Cello Player
Jeanine Attaway	...	Piano Player
Erik Grostic	...	Bass Player
Bill Wise	...	Boat Car Guy
Robert C. Solomon	...	Philosophy Professor
Kim Krizan	...	Herself
Eamonn Healy	...	Shape-Shifting Man
J.C. Shakespeare	...	Burning Man

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violent images.

Runtime:

99 min | Argentina:100 min | Australia:101 min | Germany:100 min | Spain:101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R (No. 38276) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:Livre | Italy:T | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Finland:K-7 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

The pinball machine in the last scene is a Bally Fireball from 1971. In the film, the brand name "Bally" has been changed to "Rally", and while the name "Fireball" appears in some shots, in others it is changed to something else. The game is also shown in the film with 5 digit score displays while the real game has 4 digit displays. The Player 2 and Player 3 scores are both shown with a score of 11111, which means the player is playing a 3 or 4 player game all by himself and has a very unlikely score, or the machine in the dream is broken. Also, any real pinball machine with 5-digit scoring would have the rightmost digit fixed at "0".

Quotes:

Guy Forsyth: The worst mistake that you can make is to think you're alive when really you're asleep in life's waiting room.

Movie Connections:

References Myst (1993) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Ballade 3

Fantastic Work of Film Art

Waking Life has broken new ground surrounding the idea of animation. Filming people, then having artists with different styles "animate" the recorded scenes was brilliant. The visuals are constantly changing, providing an aurora of sights that you can not take your eyes off of. Trippy? Yes, Burnt Out? No- This movie can not only be appreciated for the wild images, but for the story-line as well... On second thought-story-line might not be the right word. The actual "plot" of this movie can be seen as an hour and a half of the most interesting philosophy course one can find. The characters and conversations are deep, fascinating, and thought-provoking. You must see this movie more than once because it is almost impossible to absorb what you see and be able to fully appreciate the genius of the script. I've seen it about 5 times and there are still some scenes I have yet to fully grasp. Sit back and treat your eyes and mind to the most stimulating film of the year.