Wide Awake (1998)

A 10-year-old boy goes on a search for God after his grandfather dies.

Director:

M. Night Shyamalan

Writer:

M. Night Shyamalan

Stars:

Joseph Cross, Timothy Reifsnyder, Dana Delany

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Cross	...	Joshua Beal
Timothy Reifsnyder	...	Dave O'Hara
Dana Delany	...	Mrs. Beal
Denis Leary	...	Mr. Beal
Robert Loggia	...	Grandpa Beal
Rosie O'Donnell	...	Sister Terry
Camryn Manheim	...	Sister Sophia
Vicki Giunta	...	Sister Beatrice
Julia Stiles	...	Neena Beal
Heather Casler	...	Hope
Dan Lauria	...	Father Peters
Stefan Niemczyk	...	Frank Benton
Michael Pacienza	...	Freddie Waltman
Michael Shulman	...	Robert Brickman
Jaret Ross Barron	...	Dan

Storyline

A fifth grader goes on a search for God after his grandfather dies. Along the way he gets into tons of trouble at Waldron Academy an all-boys school. Also he is aided on his search by a sports-loving nun.

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Plot Keywords:

television news | television weather show | watching television | boy | boys' school | 

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Taglines:

First kisses. Outrageous pranks. A teacher with a killer fastball. To survive this year, Joshua Beal will have to stay...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Más astuto que nunca

Filming Locations:

Bryn Mawr College - 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$95,875, 22 March 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$258,212, 5 April 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Woods Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The extras in the race scene of the film were students and their families of the schools where the movie was shot.

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Goofs

Robert Loggia's character is listed as Grandpa Beal, but during the picture the character Joshua A. Beal explains that "Grandpa was my mom's dad" and that would most likely mean that Beal is not Grandpa's last name, since it is his mother's married name.

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Quotes

Mr. Beal: Joshua, the pope is not God.
Joshua A. Beal: I know that, but he's his best friend.
Mr. Beal: We're not going to Rome.

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Connections

References X-Men: The Animated Series (1992)

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Soundtracks

JUNE LIGHT
Courtesy of DeWolfe Music Publishing

User Reviews

This film changed my life! 11 out of 10

Before I saw this film I knew exactly what I was going to do when I grew up, I had my whole life planned out. I knew what job I was going to have and I didn't think anything could change that, alas, I was wrong. I thought I would always be an author, use my imagination for a career and write books. But ‘Wide Awake', this film has made me realise there are jobs very much like a writer, author, job which can actually make my stories come to life, so they don't have to just be inside somebody's head they can be created with so much realism as in a book as well, as in the wonderful movie which changed the way I see my life in the future, When I was watching that film, it really deepened my look upon movies, it was one of the best films I have ever seen, and although it was not full of action, romance, and that much comical feature (in my opinion) it was a heart-warming very dramatically movie in which portrayed excellent acting, especially from the lovely ‘Joseph Cross' and also such beautiful scenes, so meaningful and heart-warming, to me every scene seemed absolutely perfect, some people may not see the utter deep effect it has and may think it is boring, but that is them, if your only interest is in action flicks with meaningless plots other than to blow up things then this film isn't for you, but for everyone else, everyone who thinks of such a movie as more than just a movie then maybe this film will change your life too, I know it has mine, and I know what I HAVE to be when I grow older and choose what I am going to do for a living, I will be a director. And I am sorry if I have not told you much about the film, but I don't know much more to say other than it is a beautiful emotional journey of one boy (Joseph Cross) who tries to look for god, and some things happen which attack his belief in god, but in the end things happen which save it, many different issues are brought up along the way, but the overall message is passed along very nicely which is in my opinion that we all need something to believe in, and that eventually faith should pay off, I know I believe that I finally have something to believe in, in this lifetime, I will make it as a director, and I know I will make a film one day as meaningful as this, and maybe I will change someone's life too. Maybe one day I will make you laugh, make you cry, make you happy, and make you sad, but I know this I will never forget the film which changed my life ‘Wide Awake', and as one of the dramatic and so meaningful lines goes in the movie, I am ‘Wide Awake' now too.

11 out of 10

Francesca Orr

14 years old

Animal lover