Waking the Dead

Plot synopsis:
The first scene of the movie introduces Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) as he is watching news footage showing that Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) has been killed in a suspected car bombing. The reporter indicates that Sarah was an activist from Chicago involved in helping refugees from the Chilean government and that her death may cast new light on the movement. Fielding is completely distraught over hearing this news and the movie begins.The first 3/4 of the movie unfolds on parallel timelines in the 70s and early 80s: the progression of Fielding & Sarah's complicated, volatile relationship and Fielding's ascension into power as an upcoming politician dealing with the recent loss (and haunting memories) of Sarah.Fielding meets Sarah as he is returning, in uniform, from duty in the Coast Guard and meeting up with his brother, who is a editor. The brother, Fielding and Sarah all go to lunch where Fielding is very ouspoken in his political ideals about current events. Sarah and Fielding are both immediately intrigued by each other, Fielding's attraction being more sexual and blatant and Sarah's attraction more of curiousity and intrigue. A few dates quickly lead to a sexual relationship despite an obvious difference in political thinking between the two. Sarah asks why Fielding wants to be a senator and his very serious reply is that he doesn't- he wants to be president. Sarah is later quoted as saying "Ambition is the ice in the lake of emotion." And when Fielding tries to comfort Sarah's fear of his Coast Guard duty leading to a Vietnam tour, she replies "but if you go over there, you'll be shooting at the guys that I want to win." Their intense love outweighs their differences, though, and their relationship quickly becomes serious.Meanwhile Fielding is a young politician being groomed to be congressman by the current govenor because of a scandal involving Jerry Carmichael 's (Ed Harris in a cameo role) resignation due to his homosexuality. Fielding seems ambivalent about the offer to be put on the ticket, perhaps because of the nature of the resignation- as he indicates- or pehaps because of the impact of Sarah's influence on his current ambitions. Either way, the governor and his top advisor Isaac (Hal Holbrook) are not comfortable with this lack of enthusiasm and do not offer much hand holding. This confrontation sets the tone for the later timeline in Fielding's life as his insecurities and haunting memories of Sarah eventually lead to hallucinations and his emotional breakdown. Fielding is now dating Isaac's daughter, but their relationship is clearly not as intense as his past relationship with Sarah. Conversations with his sister Caroline (Janet McTeer) and visits with his dad quickly lead to discussions about Sarah and how is haunting memories are leading to him seeing Sarah again. His family is supportive without offering any helpful advice other than to focus more on the political path ahead of him.Sarah and Fielding's relationship takes them to Chicago where they share an apartment as he continues law school and she begins missionary work for a local church led by Father Steven (John Carrol Lynch). Fielding's involvement with Isaac soon begins, and Sarah's aversion to the whole political process becomes more threatening. After a uncomfortable encounter with Sarah at one of Fielding's political events, where her disdain for the situation leads to a verbal attack on one of the attendees, they attempt to reconcile on the subway afterwards. They cannot reach an agreement and she proclaims "It is so infuriating loving you!" Fielding chuckes and says that the feeling is mutual. Sarah's long hours away from home, spent working at the church, lead Fielding to foolishly suspect Sarah is having an affair with Father Steven. Their intense bond holds them together through their disagreements and insecurities.Fielding starts the campaign trail even as his memories of Sarah convince him that she may still be alive and is watching him. He even chases someone he believes to be her through town and eventually ending at a church. But his search is fruitless and only further shows his descent into emotional breakdown. His relationship with Molly becomes troubled as he emotionally withdraws from her also. When she tries to reach to him, he does not offer any recognition of her or his feelings.Sarah's missionary work leads to activist work in Chile where her and Father Steven bring back political refugees of the government. At one uncomfortable dinner at the church with Fielding. The refugees are appalled to hear that Fielding is hoping to enter politics, an american institution they feel is overrun with corruption. Fielding tries to convince them he is not entering politics to become corrupt but to affect change. They are not conducive to this idea. He chastises their hypocrisy by observing that as awful as they try to hint his government is, he can't help but to notice when they needed help they ran to this country for freedom. When he turns to Sarah for help, she offers "You are alone in this conversation." Fielding then replies he is alone in this whole room and he is "choking on the collective sense of superiority." Fielding and Sarah's political difference and growing distance is shown at its worst, as no make up scene follows. Soon after Sarah leaves for her fatal trip in Milwauke.

Tags: anti war, dramatic, murder, flashback

Review:
A small film that only enjoyed limited release in theaters and isn't getting much attention on DVD either, is Keith Gordon's latest, `Waking the Dead'.
His world is turned upside-down when he meets Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly), who just wants to feel like she `lives on the planet'.
Anyone who has every loved another will know that you see that love wherever you go; and the lead actor's portrayal of that emotion is at genius level.The most emotionally charged scene is at the restaurant of the election results are known, and I for one cannot recall any movie where a particular scene is so intensely sensitive or almost uncomfortably realistic.For quiet and justifiably restrained but wonderful adult entertainment, this is the best film I have seen in years.
What made this film so hauntingly beautiful was that fact that the ghost being chased wasn't just Sarah - it was who they both were in their youth, and the overwhelming emotion and honesty that is first love.
I thought Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly both did amazing jobs - the intensity of their performances is what really drove the story.
Following in the big footsteps of "The Chocolate War", "A Midnight Clear" and "Mother Night", Waking the Dead" is perhaps the most cohesive and satisfying film by Keith Gordon to date.
He meets Sarah (played by the always lovely Jennifer Connelly), a free-thinking social activist, and they begin a whirlwind romance.
In the midst of dealing with the loss/reincarnation of Sarah, Fielding is forced into making hard choices about what kind of man he is going to be; a member of the political machine or a true servant of the people.
Based on initial assumptions, this could easily be taken for the usual chick-flick weeper, and dismissed for that reason and because it does not follow the usual rules of narrative, but jumps before and after the key romance: but don't be fooled--while not intellectually complex, this is a film of some suspense and a good deal of character development, a film about how love could upend our expectations and about our reactions to sudden and permanent loss.Waking The Dead is so crammed with genuine performances from the ensemble that if you allow yourself an immersion in Billy Crudup's confusion, you cannot help but think about those who perhaps you have lost and what they mean to you now; both Crudup and Connelly exude dedication, and one key scene stands out as an exemplar of acting technique coupled with intuitive choices; in his director's commentary, Keith Gordon reveals himself to be the sort of guy you'd like to know, not only for his direct honesty, but simply because he's fun to listen to.
Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly are Fielding and Sarah; he the idealistic politician and she the faithful revolutionary.
When the actors are already front row centre, the director should get out of their way.What grabbed me about 'Waking The Dead' was that both Fielding and Sarah are trying to make the world a better giant rock.
I LOVED IT!Yes, the story of an up and coming politician falling in love with a beautiful, left-wing activist is a bit trite but no more so than the 70's in which they shared their life together were naive, idealistic and a necessary part of the evolution of American social conscience.I thought the performance by Jennifer Connelly as 'Sara' was astounding.
If you're not in love with Sara by the end of this movie, you should check into the Emergency ward of your local hospital because there's no heart in your chest or warm blood flowing in your veins.Billy Crudup's performance as 'Fielding' could be interpreted as "flat" only to those who would say that life imitates art and not the other way around.
Case in point, during his celebration dinner with family after winning the election, his declaration of his burgeoning insanity is extremely convincing and frightful.Aside of great individual performances, the overall chemistry between Sara and Fielding was tangible, necessary and believable, as this is a story about love and why true love is endless.
To top it off, the haunting presence that was Sara after she was presumably killed, lends an element of mystery and hope in a metaphysical and real way, to a movie that could have been just another, too sweet love story in the hands of lesser director.Though Waking The Dead has its flaws, they're too few to dwell on.
Most of us that have been through similar experiences , always expect to identify ourselves with characters in motion pictures but in most cases, we kind of feel frustrated that movie plots don't generally allow the performer to go all the way, cutting their role immersions short Billy Cudrup didn't let that happen and this time we fared better.
Basically, Billy's character follows a political career path and Jennifer's heart is more into helping people(no matter if the'yre on the right side or the wrong side according to society.)  This causes a conflict in their relationship and Jennifer leaves Billy, but Billy still loves her and sees visions of her as he continues upward in his career.
This is the sort of movie a 14-year-old girl wanting an adult love story might like; it displays precisely that sort of idealized emotional maturity.
WAKING THE DEAD (2 outta 5 stars)Writer/director Keith Gordon has made some really fantastic movies that most people never see or hear about (A Midnight Clear, Mother Night) so I was very excited about seeing this one.
After watching it just now, I am emotionally exhausted, and my mind is in overdrive analyzing every perfect piece of this well thought out puzzle, and reeling trying to process and deal with the raw sadness and electric, haunting nature of the mystery that encases the story like a chilling road map of the two main characters emotions.
It starts as a simple romantic movie between Fielding Pierce ( Billy Crudup ) and Sarah Williams ( Jennifer Connelly ) then moves on smoothly into the complexities of politics ( domestic and international )..
The political aspect of the film is dull and drags quite a bit, but every time Jennifer is re-introduced into Crudup's life it draws you back in.
Other actors make a fine supporting cast and I especially enjoyed Fielding's interaction with his father, it was important for the whole story and the film.This is about giving up the ghost, accepting the truth that the one you loved is gone from your life and can never return.
The movie surely gives something for the viewers to think about.Excellent performance from Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly.
I think everyone who has seen this film will agree with that.Overall, I recommend this movie to those who has a deep yearning to feel the touch of unconditional love,those who have great ambitions about doing good to society, and anyone...anyone at all who like to watch a movie that is not shallow.Oh, by the way, love the song at the end of the film.
the best part about it is how the viewers have to decide, for themselves, whether sarah really did come back, or if fielding is just imagining it.i don't know what it was about this movie.
Waking the Dead is a unique love story in that the end is not necessarily a happy one, yet you feel a real sense of satisfaction and closure.
I must admit I am a sucker for small movies, because they really bring out the best in the makers and performers.Waking the Dead is a tale of the spirit, hidden behind the issues of politics and love.
The story takes place in the early 70' and early 80's jumping into flashbacks throughout the film.Fielding(Crudup)is an ambitious young man destined to be on the top America's political system.
Now that he senses her, or thinks he does, will that re-kindle his old ambitions, his hope of actually doing good and helping people?Waking the dead has left me with a haunted feeling for days after each viewing.
And as intrigued as I was by the love story, the true gem of this movie was the nervous breakdown suffered by Fielding Pierce.
Billy Crudup played the role beautifully, actually sending chills down my spine as I saw him slipping away from reality and questioning his own existence."I just want to be good," Fielding tells his dad as he's on the verge of tears.
Fielding's ambition, pureness, and especially his lost love (Jennifer Connelly was near perfect as Sarah Williams) make him such a loveable character, that his breakdown really has an effect on the viewer.
He's always been interesting to watch, in whatever I've seen him in, but because this film is so infuriating in so many ways I found myself more appreciative than ever of the skill of this man.A story of undying love should be a wonderful and moving thing, but for me the great flaw of this film is that I didn't for a moment believe that these two people would want to be together longer than to share a cup of coffee -- and even then not without the direct intervention of some satanic power.Since they have nothing in common and no shared points of view or interests, the fact that the film simply steps over this problem as if it isn't even there asks too much of the viewer.The character of Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is so committed to her views of political-social right and wrong that she trashes her lovers career hopes over and over without the slightest concern for the ramifications for him.
The acting, the editing, and the too-loud background music leave much to be desired.I have not read the book, but the hints of a deeper story makes me think that this might have done better as a slightly longer 2-part TV movie.
Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) watches a TV report of a bombing in Minneapolis killing his activist love Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) along with Chilean dissidents.
An aspiring politician (Billy Crudup) falls in love with an activist (Jennifer Connelly) in "Waking the Dead" from 2001, directed by Keith Gordon and adapted from the eponymous novel by Robert Dillon.When Fielding Pierce meets his brother's assistant Sarah in 1972, the two fall in love with one another.
It affects his campaign work, to the consternation of those trying to get him elected.This is a movie that's almost painful to watch, because Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly pour such passion and emotion into their love affair, that you feel his pain when she's gone.
I think the love story was the most compelling element of this film - though these two people want to do good in the world, they approach it in different ways, and that separates them.One of the last scenes is deliberately ambiguous when it really shouldn't be -- if you look at the message board you will see a description of a deleted scene and what is in the book.It's a lovely story.One other thing - a lot of people did not like Sarah.
(There are Spoilers) Trying to put his long deceased lover Sarah Williams, Jenniffer Connelly, out of his mind up and coming Chicago politician Fielding Pierce, Billy Crudup, is hunted by her throughout the movie "Walking the Dead" as if Sarah was his guilty consciences.Sarah had been killed in a car bombing some ten year's earlier in her being involved with an organization that protest the conditions in Chile.
Which may be due to his guilt ridden conscious or the result of a combination of sleep deprivation and prescription drugs, as well as alcohol, in his non-stop 24 hour around the clock campaign to get himself elected?***SPOILER ALERT*** The movie makes it's point in a very confusing way where we in the audience as well as the confused and befuddled Fielding don't really know if the supposed long dead Sarah Williams is really alive or the product of Fielding very fertile imagination.
Maybe a movie that really touch my taciturn and melancholic emotions.A movie with a single lightness and full of allusions to our deepest desires of loving somebody unconditionally.At the same time this work shows the impossibility to annul ourselves or to annul the "other"in a affection relationship.Sarah Willians; character of Jenifer Conelly; is attired with an almost mystic aura.Your silhouette of sweet little girl , your simple beauty in the middle of a Gothic fog, is the great piece that feed this movie, that is just a very common story, about two common people.I confess that t I din't know her(Jenifer Connelly) before to watch this movie.
The shock of Sarah Willians caused in me is inexplicable.The great merit of the director Keith Gordon(besides this amazing character)was trying to demystify, even of a soft way, the romantic love, that accepted only the unconditional pleasure between two people.Sarah Willians and Filding pierce,were not what we could say "twin souls" .
I enjoyed this movie, thought it was a touching love story about two people living in very different worlds.
I thought Connelly and Crudup were great, and very touching.Many times, romantic movies focus on how bright and happy the couple is, how they fit so well together.
The story goes like this: Fielding Pierce, is a pollitican that is still haunted by his dead lover, Sarah.
I just ran "Waking the Dead." I've also read a few of the comments here on the site.The point of the film is not the love story, nor is it insanity.
Billy Crudup and the lovely Jennifer Connelly (co-stars of "Inventing The Abbotts") give wonderful performances as the young couple in question...every one of their scenes are realistic and delicately portrayed.
The realistic sex scenes and arguments between Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly make it easy to forget that you are watching fictional characters.
If I was him, I'd be more screwed up then ever if she did that to me.Nonetheless, Waking the Dead remains one of the most beautiful, even handed and intelligent movies I have ever seen.If you're in love with someone, if you used to be, or if you just wish you were - watch it, you might learn something..
A strange but effective feel good and sad love story about a congressional candidate (Billy Crudup) who is in a very tight special election race, has the memories of a girl (Jennifer Connelly) whom he had loved and was supposedly killed in a horrific car bombing.
With WAKING THE DEAD he's crafted his best film to date, a movie that's simultaneously a powerhouse romance, a moving ghost story, and a thoughtful piece of political commentary on the decline of genuine liberalism in America.
Most impressive are the performances by Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly, which in their depth and authenticity are reminiscent of the best acting in John Cassavetes' films.
Keith Gordon, the director, has the patience to unfold his story with a steady hand and uses the cutting back from past and present to mine deeper into the emotion of Crudup's woe.I don't think I've seen a film capture the true hardship and pain associated with the conflict of love versus ideals.
Fielding Pierce, played by Billy Crudup, is running for Congress in the 1980's while being haunted by his love with the lovely Sarah Williams, played by Jennifer Connely.
The movie jumps around in time, but each scene is clearly captioned so that the viewer always knows exactly the time frame.The romance is top notch, the chemistry between Crudup and Connelly is very good, and their both lovely to look at.
Not only does Keith Gordon have a bright future, but the extraordinary Billy Crudup is one of the best young actors in film today.
The movie is about how falling in love for the first time irrevocably affects the lives of not only the couple, but everyone around them.It hurts to watch handsome Billy Crudup & beautiful Jennifer Connolly fall in love.
Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly are aptly paired in this unusual love story.
The earlier periods are essentially the story of the romance between Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) and Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly), young people of similar leftist ideology, but very different views of how to achieve political goals.
It's fine for a film to be a mix, but Waking the Dead feels like it's working too hard.I'm not really sure where the currency is in this story that drew Gordon to it.
Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly are good actors, but their chemistry doesn't work very much.
I tried, but just didn't enjoy the movie like they did, though I have to admit that the film was creative and had an interesting style.The story involves a young man named Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) and his obsession with a girlfriend (Jennifer Connelly) who was apparently killed in Chile during the time of the Pinochet coup.
There's a real chemistry between leads Billy Crudup, who plays the politically aspiring Fielding Pierce, and Jennifer Connelly, who plays his politically radical girlfriend Sarah Williams, but their dialogue is so pat and forced, even they have a hard time rising above it.
The movie begins by picking up the story in 1974, with a news report of the death of one Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly), then flashes back to 1972, when Sarah and Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) first met.
1982; Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup, 'Big Fish') is a young man who is striving to become a Senator, but he begins seeing and hearing the love of his life, Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly, 'A Beautiful Mind'), who died in 1974 in a terrorist bombing, along with two Chilean political refugees...
I love this film so much and its as close to perfect as can be...Keith Gordon is one of the most underrated directors working (watch "A midnight clear" for further proof)...Billy Crudup should be in way more movies...Everyone should watch "Waking the dead" as soon as they can..