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Waking the Dead

Play trailer Poster for Waking the Dead R 2000 1h 45m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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51% Tomatometer 55 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) has long been on the road to political candidacy. After the Coast Guard, he enrolls in law school and meets firebrand activist Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly). Taken by her passion and beauty, Fielding pursues her. But their romance is cut short when she is killed doing aid work in Chile. Nearly a decade later, Fielding is closer than ever to his political dreams, but he is haunted by visions, and by a growing feeling that Sarah is alive.
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Waking the Dead

Critics Reviews

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Bruce Westbrook Houston Chronicle 07/21/2005
A-
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. Go to Full Review Stephen Holden New York Times 05/20/2003
Painfully earnest. Go to Full Review Rick Groen Globe and Mail 04/25/2003
2/4
Waking the Dead may put you to sleep. Go to Full Review Scott Nash Three Movie Buffs 08/23/2010
3/4
Crudup and Connelly outperform the material. Go to Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion 12/06/2005
D
Waking the Dead is D.O.A., and none of its manifest good intentions are capable of resuscitating it. Go to Full Review Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily 09/27/2005
2/5
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Audience Reviews

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Ohad R @RT21612627 03/14/2025 The story is about Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) and Fielding (Billy Crudup) who are 20 somethings; passionately in love. Sarah is dedicated to helping Chileans fight their dictatorship (in the 1970's), and Fielding wants to go into US politics. Things unravel when Sarah is killed in a bombing masterminded by Chilean agents. Afterwards, Billy tries to continue his political march, but is haunted by visions of Sarah. Is she really dead? Will he ever see here again? What are all the things he wanted to tell her but never got a chance? For me, this talks to the places where a loved one dies, and you never get the chance to say goodbye. There is no closure, you are forever thinking about the all the things you could or should have said. This movie deserved to be a commercial success, I wish it was. See more Steve D @RT35616104 02/10/2023 Never comes together thanks to a weak script and copout ending. See more 12/13/2015 A beautiful and underrated movie! See more 05/23/2014 very under rated. Billy Crudup is amazing in this film. See more 02/08/2014 Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly in political drama that has them in love but on different sides of the fence philosophically. See more 01/21/2013 An amazing drama and heartfelt romance. Totally compelling and captivating. Keith Gordon is a genius. See more Read all reviews
Waking the Dead

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Keith Gordon

Director

Billy Crudup

Fielding Pierce

Jennifer Connelly

Sarah Williams

Molly Parker

Juliet Beck

Janet McTeer

Caroline Pierce

Paul Hipp

Danny Pierce

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Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead (2000) Waking the Dead (2000) Waking the Dead (2000) Waking the Dead (2000) Billy Crudup as Fielding Pierce and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams in USA Films' Waking The Dead Billy Crudup as Fielding Pierce and Janet McTeer as Caroline Pierce in USA Films' Waking The Dead Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams and Billy Crudup as Fielding Pierce in USA Films' Waking The Dead Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams in USA Films' Waking The Dead Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams and Billy Crudup as Fielding Pierce in USA Films' Waking The Dead Director Keith Gordon and Billy Crudup on the set of USA Films' Waking The Dead View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) has long been on the road to political candidacy. After the Coast Guard, he enrolls in law school and meets firebrand activist Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly). Taken by her passion and beauty, Fielding pursues her. But their romance is cut short when she is killed doing aid work in Chile. Nearly a decade later, Fielding is closer than ever to his political dreams, but he is haunted by visions, and by a growing feeling that Sarah is alive.
Director
Keith Gordon
Producer
Keith Gordon, Stuart Kleinman, Linda Reisman
Screenwriter
Robert Dillon, Keith Gordon, Scott Spencer
Distributor
USA Films
Production Co
Egg Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Gramercy Pictures
Rating
R (Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 24, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$327.4K
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)