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:

boy | boys' school | school | nun | christianity | 

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Taglines:

A comedy that will raise your spirits and keep you laughing.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and thematic elements

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

During the girls' ceremony, Hope's rose changes from one more fully open and blush colored, to a more tightly closed, whiter bud.

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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

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse/The Last Airbender/Grown Ups (2010)

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Soundtracks

I DON'T KNOW
Performed by The Winebottles
Written by Doug Murray
Produced by The Gods Publishing/Doug Murray
Courtesy of Red Garage Records

User Reviews

Very sweet and emotional look at belief

Shyamalan's second feature is a very sweet, good natured and funny look at belief during trying times. It focuses on a young boy Joshua Beal (Joseph Cross) a student at a catholic school, who goes on a spiritual journey to find God after his grandfather dies. There is an incredibly close relationship between him and his grandfather played by Robert Loggia and this is the emotional centre of the story; both performances really shine particularly in these tender moments shown between them and you genuinely believe in their characters, making the impending passing very sad to watch. Cross is the stand out in the film who at such a young age naturally manages to convey all kinds of emotions just through facial features; particularly confusion! There is a lovely appearance also by Rosie O Donnell as Joshua's teacher Sister Terry who is of course very funny but also portrays a sensitive and understanding role model very well. My only reservations about the film are it's soundtrack and the ending. Both of these do over egg the sentimental aspect of the film which does slightly tip over the edge making it a bit too sickly sweet to watch at points. Nevertheless, it's still a nice gentle watch and I'd recommend seeking it out if you fancy something to watch that you can just relax and enjoy

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wide Awake

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$95,875, 22 March 1998

Gross USA:

$282,175

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$282,175

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Woods Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1