Wide Awake

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Audience Member I had read in an article that M. Night Shyamalan was kind of disappointed with this movie... I think he should re-consider that thought. He stated that he wanted people to be touched by it and identify with the work he produces, yet this movie provides exactly that! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Wide Awake is about a child who is searching for God. The reason for his search relates to the death of his grandfather, but the movie doesn’t do the best job of explaining what he wants out of God if his search is successful. The boy, played by Joseph Cross, is kind of obnoxious. I think they were aiming for precocious, but his antics are so naïve and misguided it comes across as annoying. He damages his relationship with everyone around him in pursuit of this selfish journey, and it takes until late in the third act for him to finally start being nice to someone. I kept waiting for one of these people he was mistreating to turn out to be a physical representation of God to teach him the moral of the story (who knew how close I was.) The shift from being selfish to selfless comes too late in the film, and I never fully got the impression that he understood why things got better for him when he was good to others. It doesn’t help that everyone around him enables him, including the nuns and priests who are ridiculously liberal and accepting. All that being said...I cried watching Wide Awake. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but the emotions of loss that the kid is going through, and the powerful scenes between him and Robert Loggia were enough to push me over the edge. Despite all the ridiculous things that happen and all the frustrating things the main character does, when it comes to losing loved ones I can relate. There is an underlying heart in Wide Awake that worked better than anything else the movie was doing, and I wish they tapped into it more. They should have abandoned the comedy, because it was never funny for even one second. Rosie O’Donnell and Camryn Manheim in this movie as nuns trying to get some laughs, but they struck out every time. I don’t know if we’re expected to laugh at the main character exploring other religions as a path to God, but if we are then the writing failed at that. If they steered more into the emotion, and explored this kid’s need to let go of his grief, I think Wide Awake could have been a winner. As it stands, it’s not the worst film, but it is forgettable. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/18/18 Full Review Audience Member This being M. Night Shyamalan's debut, he described it as "a comedy that he hoped would also make people cry." Thanks to glacial storytelling, a terrible soundtrack, and overbearing narration that manages to guy nearing all the emotion from the story, it does neither. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member It was good. It touched a subject that we don't think about very often and the fact that we see the story through a kid's eyes makes it interesting. However, I don't think that all of these are enough to make an impact as they should Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Sincere, moving, unsentimental. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member An innocent film about a child trying to find God. Great movie for the family to watch together. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Wide Awake

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