Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Waking Life

  • 2001
  • R
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
66K
YOUR RATING
Waking Life (2001)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Play trailer1:03
9 Videos
99+ Photos
AnimationDramaFantasy

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

  • Director
    • Richard Linklater
  • Writer
    • Richard Linklater
  • Stars
    • Ethan Hawke
    • Trevor Jack Brooks
    • Lorelei Linklater
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    66K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Linklater
    • Writer
      • Richard Linklater
    • Stars
      • Ethan Hawke
      • Trevor Jack Brooks
      • Lorelei Linklater
    • 531User reviews
    • 136Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 21 nominations

    Videos9

    Waking Life
    Trailer 1:03
    Watch Waking Life
    Waking Life: Lucid Dreams
    Clip 1:53
    Watch Waking Life: Lucid Dreams
    Waking Life: I Don't Want To Be An Ant
    Clip 1:01
    Watch Waking Life: I Don't Want To Be An Ant
    Waking Life: Boat Car
    Clip 1:14
    Watch Waking Life: Boat Car
    Waking Life: Speed Levitch
    Clip 1:49
    Watch Waking Life: Speed Levitch
    Waking Life: Awaking Life
    Clip 1:21
    Watch Waking Life: Awaking Life
    Waking Life: Tango Dancing
    Clip 1:27
    Watch Waking Life: Tango Dancing
    Waking Life: B-Roll
    Featurette 6:18
    Watch Waking Life: B-Roll
    Waking Life Featurette
    Featurette 4:24
    Watch Waking Life Featurette

    Photos101

    Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater at an event for Waking Life (2001)
    Ethan Hawke at an event for Waking Life (2001)
    Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater at an event for Waking Life (2001)
    Ethan Hawke at an event for Waking Life (2001)
    Ethan Hawke at an event for Waking Life (2001)
    Richard Linklater at an event for Waking Life (2001)
    Waking Life (2001)
    Waking Life (2001)
    Waking Life (2001)
    Waking Life (2001)
    Waking Life (2001)
    Waking Life (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ethan Hawke
    Ethan Hawke
    • Jesse
    Trevor Jack Brooks
    • Young Boy Playing Paper Game
    Lorelei Linklater
    Lorelei Linklater
    • Young Girl Playing Paper Game
    Wiley Wiggins
    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
    Bill Wise
    • Boat Car Guy
    Robert C. Solomon
    • Philosophy Professor
    Kim Krizan
    Kim Krizan
    • Self
    Eamonn Healy
    • Shape-Shifting Man
    J.C. Shakespeare
    • Burning Man
    Julie Delpy
    Julie Delpy
    • Celine
    Charles Gunning
    • Angry Man in Jail
    • Director
      • Richard Linklater
    • Writer
      • Richard Linklater
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    A Scanner Darkly
    7.0
    A Scanner Darkly
    Slacker
    7.0
    Slacker
    Tape
    7.2
    Tape
    SubUrbia
    6.7
    SubUrbia
    Before Midnight
    7.9
    Before Midnight
    Boyhood
    7.9
    Boyhood
    Me and Orson Welles
    6.7
    Me and Orson Welles
    Everybody Wants Some!!
    6.9
    Everybody Wants Some!!
    Before Sunset
    8.1
    Before Sunset
    Dazed and Confused
    7.6
    Dazed and Confused
    Before Sunrise
    8.1
    Before Sunrise
    The Newton Boys
    6.1
    The Newton Boys

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie took 3 weeks to shoot and another 3 weeks to edit using Final Cut Pro. It also took 15 months to animate.
    • Quotes

      Speed Levitch: On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion.

    • Crazy credits
      Because almost none of the characters are named, a clip from their appearance is shown during the credits.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Million Dollar Hotel/The Invisible Circus/Head Over Heels (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Mi Otra Mitad de Naranja
      Performed by Tosca Tango Orchestra (as TOSCA)

      Written by Glover Gill

      Courtesy of Nois Records

    User reviews531

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    A film for passionate thinkers.
    This is one of the most thought provoking films I've ever seen. It's also visually stunning and perfectly acted: every single one of these people seem to be just giving their own opinions as if you were overhearing/having a meaningful conversation with them.

    We can chalk this up to the genius of Linklater who over the years has shown not only the pretentiously humorous coffee house crowd cliches but also the searching, often deeply insightful side of our generation that the media overlooked when we were dubbed slackers. In films he has written: "Slacker" and "Before Sunrise" and in his films of stage plays Bogosian's brilliant, Chekhovian "SubUrbia" and the faintly melodramatic "Tape", Linklater has always been fascinated with the question of what we should doing with our lives. Our responsibility is to contribute something lasting and meaningful to our society. But what exactly is that? Where and when should I do it? Who with? How do I know if I've really found it? Why is it so important again, anyway?

    I saw this movie for the first time late last night and 5 minutes before it started I had fallen asleep and was hoping I'd be able to make it all the way through the film. From the first frame I was riveted and completely awake and remained so even after it was over; contemplating all the myriad viewpoints the film had thrown at me.

    This movie is so exciting and bursting with ideas that I'm going to buy the DVD as soon as I possibly can and watch it over and over trying to absorb it all.

    See this film. It will remind you of how thrilling it is to be an active thinking, feeling member of the human race.
    helpful•216
    50
    • Spamlet
    • Mar 19, 2003

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 7, 2002 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Đánh Thức Cuộc Đời
    • Filming locations
      • San Antonio, Texas, USA
    • Production companies
      • Searchlight Pictures
      • Independent Film Channel (IFC)
      • Thousand Words
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,901,447
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $88,977
      • Oct 21, 2001
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,176,880
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Waking Life (2001)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Waking Life (2001) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.