Awakenings (1990)

The victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago have been catatonic ever since, but now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writers:

Oliver Sacks (book) (as Oliver Sacks M.D.), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Leonard Lowe
Robin Williams	...	Dr. Malcolm Sayer
Julie Kavner	...	Eleanor Costello
Ruth Nelson	...	Mrs. Lowe
John Heard	...	Dr. Kaufman
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Paula
Alice Drummond	...	Lucy
Judith Malina	...	Rose
Barton Heyman	...	Bert
George Martin	...	Frank
Anne Meara	...	Miriam
Richard Libertini	...	Sidney
Laura Esterman	...	Lolly
Dexter Gordon	...	Rolando
Jayne Haynes	...	Frances

Storyline

1969. Dr. Malcolm Sayer is hired as a clinical physician at a psychiatric hospital in the Bronx, despite he only having a research background. The job is not ideal on his side as he has difficulties relating to people which is the reason he has focused on research projects not involving human subjects, while the hospital hires him somewhat out of desperation in not finding anyone else with the qualifications who wants the job. Most of his patients are in a semi-catatonic state and are housed in what some of the orderlies coin the "garden" ward, where all they can do for the patients is water and feed them. He notices that some of the patients, despite their generally catatonic state, respond in unusual ways to certain stimuli. In doing some research, he also finds that some common bonds between these patients are that they suffered from encephalitis in the 1920s or 1930s, and that their physical states are like they have Parkinson's disease frozen in time. As such, he is able to ...

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatric hospital | drug testing | catatonia | encephalitis lethargica | year 1969 | 

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Taglines:

There is no such thing as a simple miracle.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 January 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Despertares

Filming Locations:

Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$417,076, 25 December 1990

Gross USA:

$52,096,475

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$52,096,475

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Parkes/Lasker productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Libertini and Robin Williams previously appeared in Popeye (1980).

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Goofs

In the parking lot scene just before Eleanor tells Dr. Sayer she believes his theory, Dr. Sayer gets in his 1964 Dodge Polara that has a pushbutton transmission control. When the car is shown from the outside, it has a column mounted shifter used only on 1965 and later Dodge cars. Also, to shift from park into reverse, the shifter should have been moved down instead of up.

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Quotes

Dr. Sayer: I'm not very good with people. I like them. I wish I could say I had more than a rudimentary understanding of them. Maybe if they were less unpredictable...

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Connections

Referenced in House: Son of Coma Guy (2006)

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Soundtracks

You Made Me Love You
Written by Joseph McCarthy and James V. Monaco

User Reviews

What An Incredible Story!!

Here's a good example of how you can still make a great modern-day movie without profanity, violence or sex.

This is an amazing story, based on fact, about about a doctor who makes great progress fighting an illness that heretofore was considered incurable. These were patients in catatonic states, and the good doctor uses an experimental drug to snap these people back to reality and to a normal life as they once had. The patients, and how they react, both before and after the medications, is really fascinating.

Robert De Niro is outstanding as one of the patients, but that's not a surprise knowing all the fine acting performances he's done over the years. Robin Williams, relatively new to dramatic acting when this came out, was also excellent in a very low-key role. Penelope Ann Miller is extremely sweet and appealing. I wish both she and Williams would do more roles like that.

With multiple viewings, I came to appreciate the minor characters in here a lot more, such as De Niro's mother, played by Ruth Nelson, whom I fondly remember in the 1945 film "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn." What a treat is was to see her again and this was just two years before she died. Also, Alice Drummund as the patient known as "Lucy" was notable.

Language-wise, i's almost stunning to watch a movie which has De Niro, Williams, Miller and John Heard and not hear one profane word uttered! (The film isn't perfect, however, as some idiot decided to insert one f-word, and in a totally unnecessary circumstance.)

This is a memorable story and one I guarantee you won't forget because the subject matter is so different.