The Awakening (2011/I)

Director:

Nick Murphy

Writers:

Stephen Volk (screenplay) and
Nick Murphy (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 November 2011 (Ireland)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

All the children are gone... except one.

Plot:

In 1921, England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she believes unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves.

Plot Keywords:

School | Boarding School | Ghost | Boy | England

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Rebecca Hall	...	Florence Cathcart
Dominic West	...	Robert Mallory
Imelda Staunton	...	Maud Hill
Lucy Cohu	...	Constance Strickland
John Shrapnel	...	Reverend Hugh Purslow
Diana Kent	...	Harriet Cathcart
Richard Durden	...	Alexander Cathcart
Alfie Field	...	Victor Parry
Tilly Vosburgh	...	Vera Flood
Ian Hanmore	...	Albert Flood
Cal Macaninch	...	Freddie Strickland
Isaac Hempstead Wright	...	Tom Hill
Anastasia Hille	...	Dorothy Vandermeer
Andrew Havill	...	George Vandermeer
Joseph Mawle	...	Edward Judd
Shaun Dooley	...	Malcolm McNair
Nicholas Amer	...	Edgar Hirstwit
Steven Cree	...	Sergeant Paul Evans
Ben Greaves-Neil	...	Child Impostor
Sidney Johnston	...	John Franklin
Charlie Callaghan	...	Chris Hartley
Spike White	...	Alistair Howell
James Kirkham	...	William Ramsbottom
Felix Soper	...	Julian Dowden
Daniel Pirrie	...	Captain Mills
Ewan Andrew Walker	...	Richard McGorian (as Ewan Walker)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Katie Hart	...	Katie Forbes
Joseph M. Jenkins	...	Child Ghost
Molly Lewis	...	Child Florence
Nick Murphy	...	Teacher
Adam Thomas Wright	...	Max Tebbitts
Neil Broome	...	School Master (uncredited)
Andy Callaghan	...	Arresting Police Officer (uncredited)
Andrew Foster	...	Removal Man (uncredited)
Terry Swoffer	...	The gardener (uncredited)
Sarah Weldon	...	Passerby (uncredited)

Directed by
Nick Murphy

Writing credits
Stephen Volk		(screenplay) and
Nick Murphy		(screenplay)

Produced by
Joanie Blaikie	....	co-producer
Jenny Borgars	....	executive producer
Will Clarke	....	executive producer
Olivier Courson	....	executive producer
Sarah Curtis	....	producer
Robin Guise	....	executive producer: LipSync
Peter Hampden	....	executive producer: LipSync
Norman Merry	....	executive producer
Joe Oppenheimer	....	executive producer
Peter Raven	....	executive producer: LipSync
Ed Rubin	....	associate producer
Carole Sheridan	....	executive producer
Julia Stannard	....	producer
David M. Thompson	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniel Pemberton

Cinematography by
Eduard Grau

Film Editing by
Victoria Boydell

Casting by
Shaheen Baig

Production Design by
Jon Henson

Art Direction by
Fiona Gavin
Nicki McCallum		(supervising art director) (as Nicola McCallum)

Set Decoration by
Robert Wischhusen-Hayes

Costume Design by
Caroline Harris

Makeup Department
Anita Anderson	....	crowd hair/makeup artist: dailies
Julie Dorrat-Keenan	....	makeup artist
Olivia Jones	....	crowd makeup artist
Daniel Phillips	....	makeup & hair designer
Tapio Salmi	....	make up & hair supervisor
Melissa van Tongeren	....	hair stylist
Caroline Greenough	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jane Hawley	....	production executive
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Danny Perkins	....	chief executive: Optimum (as Daniel Perkins)
Emma Pike	....	production manager
Suzie Shearer	....	production manager: reshoot
Lesley Stewart	....	head of physical production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Toby Ford	....	first assistant director
Alison Goring	....	second assistant director
Sarah Mooney	....	third assistant director: reshoots
Christian Otty	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Helen Allingham	....	art department assistant
David Berry	....	stand-by rigger
Mark Billingham	....	dressing props
Brian Boyne	....	carpenter
Catherine Carruthers	....	graphics
Chris Chandler	....	prop master: London
Craig Cheeseman	....	property master
Susan Collin	....	graphics
Paul Curren	....	supervising painter
Sam Curren	....	painter
Fiona Dickson	....	draughtswoman
Jim Elliott	....	prop master: Scotland
Colin H. Fraser	....	charge hand
Derek Fraser	....	construction manager
Iain Geddes	....	painter
Alan Harley	....	property hand
Allan Henderson	....	stand-by props
Peter Knotts	....	carpenter
Colin Macinnes	....	stand-by carpenter
Neil Maguire	....	storyboard artist
Gary Martin	....	dressing props
Jamie McCallum	....	carpenter (as James McCallum)
George McKay	....	painter
Paul McNamara	....	property hand
Matt Mooney	....	stand-by props
Danny Oji	....	plasterer (as Daniel Oji)
Claire Pidgeon	....	production buyer
Kara Ramsay	....	standby art director
David Richmond	....	carpenter
Tom Walker	....	standby carpenter
Robert Ward	....	props driver
Mark White	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Mark Appleby	....	adr mixer
Laurent Boudaud	....	sound mixer
Ben Brazier	....	foley editor
Robert Brazier	....	foley recordist
Paul Cotterell	....	adr mixer
Paul Cotterell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Garry Davis	....	sound trainee
Colin Gregory	....	sound maintenance engineer
Sue Harding	....	foley artist
James Harrison	....	sound effects designer
Colin Nicolson	....	sound mixer
Ben Tat	....	assistant adr mixer
Andy Walsh	....	sound trainee
Ian Wilkinson	....	dialogue and adr editor
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist
Yanti Windrich	....	assistant adr mixer

Special Effects by
Neal Champion	....	special effects
Kristyan Mallett	....	prosthetics supplier

Visual Effects by
Peter Anderson	....	main title sequence and end credits
Stefan Drury	....	head of visual effects
James Elster	....	digital compositor
Sean Farrow	....	executive visual effects supervisor
Matt Foster	....	matte painter: LipSync Post
Scott Goulding	....	online editor
Lisa Jordan	....	senior post producer
Simon Leech	....	digital compositor
Abigail McKenzie	....	digital lab operator
Emelie Nilsson	....	digital compositor
Antonio Rodríguez Díaz	....	digital compositor
David Sjodin	....	digital compositor
Daniel Spain	....	systems engineer
Angela Stanley	....	digital compositor (as Angela Rose)
Jon Stanley	....	senior systems engineer
Lucy Tanner	....	visual effects coordinator
Daniel Tomlinson	....	senior DI operator
Diana Vasquez	....	digital lab operator

Stunts
Abbi Collins	....	stunt coordinator
Susan Horton	....	stunt double: Mishael Morgan
Rob Jarman	....	stunt double (as Robert Jarman)
Belinda McGinley	....	stunt double
Daz Parker	....	stunt double
William Willoughby	....	stunt double (as Will Willoughby)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Alasdair Boyce	....	video assist
Ray Brown	....	electrician
Perry Costello	....	rigger
Robert Dibble	....	first assistant camera
Andrew Duncan	....	lighting gaffer
Paul Edwards	....	Steadicam operator
Pau Esteve Birba	....	camera operator
Pau Esteve Birba	....	second unit director of photography
Robert Etherson	....	grip
Claire Louise Fraser	....	camera trainee (as Claire Fraser)
Jamie Gavin	....	rushes runner
Olivia Gifford	....	rushes runner
Eduard Grau	....	camera operator
Chris Hayden	....	camera trainee
Keith Hunt	....	best boy
Tracey Larcombe	....	epk
Rupert Lloyd-Parry	....	key grip
Alfredo Matallana	....	rushes runner
Dave McKay	....	aerial camera operator
Grant McPhee	....	clapper loader: b camera
Tom Miller	....	period still photographer
Mark Morley	....	co-key grip
Martin Palmer	....	electrician
Kevin Robertson	....	electrician
Peter Robertson	....	Steadicam operator
Tony Sankey	....	grip
Mike Scott	....	steadicam operator
Maite Sánchez	....	second assistant camera (as Maite Sanchez Astiz)
David Tyler	....	lighting gaffer

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Aisha Walters	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harriet Edmonds	....	standby costume
Louise Egan	....	costume daily
Graham Hunter	....	assistant costume designer
Anna Lau	....	costume supervisor
John Laurie	....	standby costume
Lyndie MacIntyre	....	costume construction
Elizabeth Pittok	....	costume trainee
Molly Rae Withers	....	costume trainee

Editorial Department
Rob Ackerman	....	technical support
Chris Bentley	....	d-lab operator
Linden Brownbill	....	post production engineer
Alberto Buron	....	digital restoration technician
James Clarke	....	digital intermediate supervisor
Ritchie Ferguson	....	technical support
Stuart Fyvie	....	digital colourist
Scott Goulding	....	on-line editor
Ruth Halliday	....	negative checker
Scott Macbeth	....	technical support
Lea Morement	....	assistant editor
Daniel Tomlinson	....	senior d-lab operator
Diana Vasquez	....	d-lab operator
Rick White	....	technical support

Music Department
Jennifer Bern	....	soloist: soprano
Gordon Davidson	....	music assistant
Andrew Dudman	....	music mixer
Andrew Dudman	....	score recordist
Stephanie Gonley	....	leader: music
Gareth Griffiths	....	music coordinator
Phil Hope	....	music executive producer
Helen Kaminga	....	soloist: viola
Daniel Pemberton	....	score producer
Andrew Skeet	....	conductor
Andrew Skeet	....	orchestrator
Hilary Skewes	....	orchestra contractor
David Temple	....	choir director
Alison Wright	....	music supervisor
Aled Jenkins	....	assistant score engineer (uncredited)

Other crew
Reno Antoniades	....	legal services
Willie Bennie	....	action cars coordinator
Nicola Blacker	....	senior production executive
Mary Brehony	....	legal services
David Broder	....	location manager
James Buckler	....	production and delivery coordinator
Neil Calder	....	completion guarantor
Chris Cameron	....	unit manager: Scotland (as Christopher Cameron)
Lucy Cargill	....	assistant to director
Charlie Cobb	....	fine art painter
Joseph Courtney	....	stand-in: child ghost
Rob Darnell	....	runner
Peter Eardley	....	production accountant
Lorraine Edwards	....	pre-production assistant
Jim Elliott	....	armourer
Tina Ellis	....	post-production assistant accountant
Lucy Enfield	....	script supervisor
Leslie Finlay	....	development executive
James Forde	....	chief financial officer
Katie Goodson	....	senior production executive (as Katie Goodson-Thomas)
Clare Hardwick	....	completion guarantor
Tarn Harper	....	post-production accountant
Glynn Henderson	....	health and safety advisor
Robyn Henderson	....	floor runner
Stuart Hendry	....	assistant stills photographer
Billy Hinshelwood	....	legal services
Ruth Hodgson	....	completion guarantor
Steve Joberns	....	auditor (as Stephen Joberns)
Ian Johnson	....	unit publicist
Helene Lenszner	....	location manager: England
Zander Levy	....	development executive
Alison Macdonald	....	unit nurse
Dan MacRae	....	head of development
Jacqui McBride	....	assistant accountant (as Jacqueline McBride)
Linda McClure	....	business affairs
Alex McEwan	....	production assistant: reshoots
Ashley McFarlane	....	floor runner
Zach Mitchell	....	stand-in: child ghost
Alexandra Montgomery	....	post-production delivery
Steven Moore	....	production runner
Paul Mortimer	....	unit nurse
Suzanne Noble	....	head of press: and publicity
Neeral Patel	....	production assistant: Origin Pictures
Linda Pather	....	completion guarantor
Ruth Price	....	floor runner: dailies (as Ruth Howard)
Peter Raven	....	production executive: Lip Sync Productions
Livy Sandler	....	legal & business affairs: manager
Hugh Spearing	....	head of theatrical: marketing
Andy Surry	....	assistant production coordinator (as Andrew Surry)
Cindy Thomson	....	location manager: Scotland
Michael D. Walsh	....	assistant production coordinator
Kevin Westley	....	unit manager: England
Ed Wethered	....	development editor
Jenny Williams	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Kenny Dalglish	....	special thanks
Catherine Remy	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• StudioCanal (as Studio Canal Features) (presents)
• BBC Films (presents)
• Creative Scotland (in association with)
• Lipsync Productions (as Lip Sync Productions) (in association with)
• Origin Pictures
• Eagle Pictures (in association with)
• Scottish Screen

Distributors

• Playarte Pictures (2012) (Brazil) (all media)
• Bir Film (2012) (Turkey) (all media)
• Cinematográfica Blancica (CB) (2013) (Venezuela) (theatrical)
• E1 Films Canada (2012) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Epcott (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2013) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Nettai Museum (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2012) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cohen Media Group (2012) (USA) (all media)
• DeA Planeta Home Entertainment (2012) (Spain) (all media)
• Eagle Pictures (2011) (Italy) (all media)
• Long Shong Entertainment Multimedia Company (2012) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (all media)
• Panasia Films (2012) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Vicol Entertainment (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Vicol Entertainment (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Zon Audiovisuais (2013) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Lip Sync Post (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at
• Cool Music  orchestra contracting
• Edinburgh Film Focus  special thanks
• HireWorks  HD Avid equipment rental
• MovieScore Media  soundtrack
• Panalux  lighting equipment by
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Peter Anderson Studio  titles and opticals
• Sapex Scripts  post production script services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and sexuality/nudity

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | Hong Kong:IIB | UK:15 | Malaysia:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Mexico:B15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Berwickshire, Scotland, UK

Company:

StudioCanal

Trivia:

(at around 20 mins) When Miss Cathcart is investigating the classroom where many of the ghost sightings occurred, for a brief moment on the chalkboard behind her there is a quotation that says: "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old." This is a line from the poem "For the Fallen" by British poet Laurence Binyon. Published in 1914, it was meant as an ode to the British soldiers dying in the First World War. This hints, among other things, at connections to the boys who were shown earlier in the film in the school photos, many of whom presumably died during the War.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Florence is sitting in the kitchen talking to the boy, the blanket she is wrapped in moves up and down between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Vera Flood:[answering the door] Miss Simpson? Are you prepared?
Florence Cathcart:[yes] I brought this.
[shows envelope]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Big Picture: November 2011 (#2.6)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Finlandia Hymn - Be Still My Soul

A ghost story for grown-ups

Between 1914 and 1919, one million people lost their lives to influenza. Society was more ignorant back then. Science and rational thinking were not then the forces they are today. People were open to anything, including the possibility of ghosts.

Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) stands out in the London of the twenties for being a free-thinker and a debunker of the supernatural. A boarding school teacher (Dominic West) implores her to visit his school following the death of a pupil, where unexplained sightings are being reported.

Florence isn't a total sceptic. She leaves some room for belief, which caused me to note she is agnostic towards ghosts. Essentially, there are two stories. One is concerning the death of the pupil. The other is more interesting and distinguishes it from a deluge of other horror films which have vanished from my mind as quickly as the ghostly apparitions in them. It focuses on Florence herself, and I shall say no more as I will not spoil it for you.

This is not a scary film; there are several portents but few frights. What there is plenty of, however, is suspense. Nick Murphy, in his feature-length debut, also manages to sustain a melancholy mood, crucial for his story.

It's no surprise that Rebecca is the daughter of Peter Hall, founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. She commands the screen in a way which would cause many of her peers to blush with envy. Her character is a difficult one to personify.

Dominic West, he with the simian countenance from the groundbreaking crime series 'The Wire', is very good as the guilt-ridden soldier-turned-teacher. Imelda Staunton is effective as the school matron. She has that look in her eye which is trying to tell us something.

I'm calling this a grown-up film because the spiritual element becomes auxiliary. Guilt and loneliness take over as leading themes. Murphy has the acuity to drop the ghost story – because otherwise it would be a simulacrum of other period chillers – and focuses on a story of locked emotion. The denouement is clever and original. The penultimate revelation would have been a superb ending on its own, so having a double-twist is all the more impressive.

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