Wake (2004)

27% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(700 ratings)

Marking the writing and directorial debut of Henry LeRoy Finch, Wake revolves around four estranged brothers whose reunion, through no conscious effort of their own, takes place on the eve of their mother's death. Shot entirely on location in Bath, ME, Wake is told from the perspective of Sebastian… More Marking the writing and directorial debut of Henry LeRoy Finch, Wake revolves around four estranged brothers whose reunion, through no conscious effort of their own, takes place on the eve of their mother's death. Shot entirely on location in Bath, ME, Wake is told from the perspective of Sebastian (Martin Landau), a struggling writer who has been burdened with the care of his rapidly deteriorating mother. Through flashbacks, Sebastian recounts the odd night from beginning to end. There's also Raymond (Blake Gibbons), fresh out of prison and equipped with a mean streak from hell; Kyle (Gale Harold), whose alcoholism resurfaces within hours of being in contact with Raymond; and Jack (John Winthrop Philbrick), who, after being laid off from his job as a security guard is celebrating the best way he knows how: with lots of alcohol and sleazy women. While the party rages downstairs, Sebastian and Kyle sit upstairs fretting over the state of their mother. Ultimately, they reveal a series of secrets that perhaps oughtn't have been shared and the night ends with devastating results. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Roy Finch
Written By: Henry Leroy Finch
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: May 28, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Mar 11, 2008
Studio: Wildwell Films

Critic Reviews

Ronnie Scheib, Variety
Strong thesping and solid staging, atmospherically accompanied by disorienting, darkly folksy Ramsay Midwood songs make Wake surprisingly watchable.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
Feels like a stagy adaptation of an already contrived play.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Strictly straight-to-video fodder.
, New York Daily News
A self-conscious exercise in indie-minded pretension.
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
A hackneyed gothic tale invoking those traditional American family values of secrets and lies, the film fails to transcend its derivative literary aspirations.
Dave Kehr, New York Times
Roy Finch's shrill, derivative independent film is largely a one-set affair that seems to have been transplanted from its natural home somewhere Off-Off-Off Broadway.
Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
A sour piece of work without a stitch of humor, taking itself too seriously... dramatic aspirations dead on arrival.
Stina Chyn, Film Threat
Each brother fulfills a different purpose in the plot, and because they don't allow you to get too emotionally close, they're not as predictable. They're more real.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
If you're already asking, 'Why don't these alcoholic losers just stop picking at their mental scabs and grow up?' this is not the movie for you.
Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
As maddening as this clan is, one feels sympathy for the ensemble, which, absent full-bodied characters to inhabit, mug furiously, as if big gestures conjure big themes.

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Cast

Gale Harold
as Kyle
Blake Gibbons
as Raymond
Dihlon McManne
as Sebastian

See full cast

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