Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead (1999)

  • 51% of critics liked it
    (55 reviews)

  • 74% of users liked it
    (4,908 ratings)

A man finds his melancholy turning to madness in this thriller. Young lawyer Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) has just thrown his hat in the ring for an upcoming congressional election. He has also been haunted by the memory of his girlfriend Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), who recently died in a car… More

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R,
Directed By
Written By
Robert Dillon
Genres
Drama, Romance, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Mar 24, 2000 Wide
USA Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

    You can embrace this movie's message, which has less to do with political agendas than basic human decency and the enduring power of love. And if that's not enough to make a film worthwhile, we don't know what is.

  • Stephen Holden, New York Times

    Painfully earnest.

  • Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

    Waking the Dead may put you to sleep.

  • Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

    A powerful story of love and politics.

  • Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    It's a good fit for anyone who loves fine acting.

Read all 13 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Alice S


    I kick myself for actually liking this movie. Billy Crudup is understatedly wonderful. This is how the terrible book should've been paced.

  • Drew S


    I loved the dichotomy of Waking the Dead's story right off the bat - part political flick, part romance, part ghost mystery? Interesting roots, but sadly the movie most often plays to its obvious avenues, and where there should have been atmosphere and melancholy there instead… More

  • Curtis L


    I rented it for Conelly. Ended up hittin the old fast forward button so I could redeem my precious life lost.

  • Laura C


    This film was heavy, that's for sure. I thought the nonlinear storyline was effective. Visually this film won me over. The imagery was starkly beautiful, lighting was used to great effect; sometimes to provide warmth at other times to make a room uncomfortably bright. It… More

  • Andre T


    Directed by Keith Gordon. The screenplay by Robert Dillon is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Scott Spencer.The film flashes back and forth between the 1970s and 1980s and centers on the relationship between Fielding Pierce, a young Coast Guard officer with political… More

Read all 6 featured audience ratings

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