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November 14, 2005

Wide Awake - 7

This is M. Night Shyamalan first major Hollywood produced film. The story is about a fifth grader who goes to a private catholic school and goes on a search to find God after his grandfather dies. It is both a funny film with good characters and school pranks, as well as a serious film that is trying to ask good questions about death and suffering in the world and what the answers and signs might be that we are living in a world that has many realities, not all of them that we are fully awake to. Although less intricate and complex than Night's later films, it is still in line with a lot of the same themes. The setting is in eastern Pennsylvania, just like his other films, and deals with religious themes (Signs, The Village), and the main character's grandfather played football (Unbreakable). Not my favorite of his films but good and I'd recommend it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good call on seeing this. Jeff dug it incredibly, although I'd lean more toward a 5 or 6. The film ended just a little too early for me, because I wanted to see how his new understanding either problematizes or eases the strain in his life a little more clearly.

I'm just happy other people, even if it's only a few, are discovering that Shyamalan did make a film before Sixth Sense...

Paul

Jason said...

I've known about this film for a while, but couldn't find it anywhere. I wish more people would realize he's not just a "trick ending" director.