Awakenings

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2:44

Awakenings

PG-13

Released Dec 20, 1990

2h 1m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

The story of a doctor's extraordinary work in the Sixties with a group of catatonic patients he finds languishing in a Bronx hospital. Speculating that their rigidity may be akin to an extreme form of Parkinsonism, he seeks permission from his skeptical superiors to treat them with L-dopa, a drug that was used to treat Parkinson's disease at the time.

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Critics Consensus

Elevated by some of Robin Williams' finest non-comedic work and a strong performance from Robert De Niro, Awakenings skirts the edges of melodrama, then soars above it.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

Williams gives his best "straight" performance, shorn of all his marvelous manic vaudeville. The man he plays here is not a performer, which he was even in Dead Poets Society, but simply a man.

Aug 15, 2014

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Nonfunny Robin Williams role in moving story.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 22, 2010

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

If Awakenings is a cure for Hollywood’s sexism, then it is, unfortunately, a cure which was painfully limited.

Apr 22, 2024

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Though the film is directed with elegant reticence by the gifted Penny Marshall, it's diminished somewhat by Zaillian's tissue-thin adaptation which relies heavily on formulaic comedy, on cliches of character and plot.

Rated: 2/4

May 9, 2023

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Awakenings suffers from false optimism and, in the end, is inconsolably sad. [Full review in Spanish]

Jan 20, 2023

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21 - Priyan B

A heartwarming drama. Rating: 7.9/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/06/25

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Belle P

The acting is amazing. I can't believe this is based on a true story. The ending was extremely sad, but a great movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/25

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Michael F

Williams compresses his own special gift of a comic view of life to permit a view that might have become maudlin but saves itself from becoming too much drama . The movie’s theme that I recognized was the immutable reality that positive outcomes are often doomed to transience. As Leonard’s initial awakening begins to revert to the inevitable, the influence of even transient hope in recovery affects lives believable inside and out of the treatment center. Notable, I thought were the Dance with Paul and Leonard’s awakened understanding that our lives depend on the redemption we bring back from our sickness - mental and physical. Worth seeing for me at least once a year for reinforcement of

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/28/25

Full Review

Steven N

Beautiful movie that shows how much one doctor can change someone’s lives. Great acting and really makes you think about how we take life for granite. 7/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/04/25

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Phillip D

A must watch. And an absolute master class in acting. Just remind yourself this is how stories were told back then. Suspend disbelief. Let it soak in. Enjoy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

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Horror fan 4

Williams and de Niro give great performances and the direction is superb. An absolute masterpiece. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/25

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Penny Marshall

Director

Robert De Niro

Leonard Lowe

Robin Williams

Dr. Malcolm Sayer

Julie Kavner

Eleanor Costello

Ruth Nelson

Mrs. Lowe

John Heard

Dr. Kaufman

Awakenings: Official Clip - The Drug Isn't Working

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Awakenings: Official Clip - The Will of the Ball

2:18

Awakenings: Official Clip - Remind Them How Good It Is

1:47

Awakenings: Official Clip - The Simplest Things

3:22

Awakenings: Official Clip - I Won't See You Anymore

2:29

Awakenings: Official Clip - You Woke A Person

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Awakenings: Official Clip - The Strangest Dream

2:09

Awakenings: Official Clip - We're Talking About Money

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Awakenings: Official Clip - You're Awake

2:29

Awakenings: Official Clip - Don't Give Up on Me

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Awakenings: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The story of a doctor's extraordinary work in the Sixties with a group of catatonic patients he finds languishing in a Bronx hospital. Speculating that their rigidity may be akin to an extreme form of Parkinsonism, he seeks permission from his skeptical superiors to treat them with L-dopa, a drug that was used to treat Parkinson's disease at the time.

Director: Penny Marshall
Producer: Walter F. Parkes, Lawrence Lasker
Screenwriter: Steven Zaillian
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $49.4M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Surround

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