Wakefield

Critics Consensus

Thanks to a committed, powerhouse performance by Bryan Cranston, Wakefield is a fascinating character study of a decidedly unpleasant character.

74%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 68

52%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 6,872
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Movie Info

In Robin Swicord's adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's short story, successful suburbanite commuter Howard Wakefield (Bryan Cranston) takes a perverse detour from family life: He vanishes without a trace. Hidden in the attic of his carriage house garage, surviving by scavenging at night, Howard secretly observes the lives of his wife (Jennifer Garner) and children and neighbors. WAKEFIELD becomes a fraught meditation on marriage and identity, as Howard slowly realizes that he has not in fact left his family, he has left himself.
  • Rating:
    R (for some sexual material and language)
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Directed By:
    Robin Swicord
  • Written By:
    Robin Swicord
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    IFC Films

Cast

Bryan Cranston
as Howard Wakefield
Jennifer Garner
as Diana Wakefield
Beverly D'Angelo
as Babs
Ian Anthony Dale
as Ben Jacobs
Jason O'Mara
as Dirk Morrison

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Critic Reviews for Wakefield

All Critics (68) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (18)

View All Critic Reviews (68)

Audience Reviews for Wakefield

  • Nov 27, 2017
    Have you ever felt so jaded that you said, "This is not my beautiful wife. This is not my beautiful house. What am I doing here?" Let it be known that my mind is effectively blown because, for the first time in the history of movie cliches, the makers of Wakefield didn't use that heavy-handed Talking Heads song to tell the audience that that is exactly what Mr. Wakefield is asking himself throughout the film. In the timeless and untimely tradition of American Beauty, Wakefield follows the emotional exploits of a rich, white dude going through his mid-life crisis in a quirky manner. This time, Bryan Cranston takes his turn at acting put upon. He decides to teach all of his loved ones a lesson by purposely making himself a missing person while observing their reactions from the confines of his garage attic. It's hard not to compare it to the other mid-life crisis film this year, Brad's Status. That film is an insipid bore because the protagonist is a pathetic, oblivious narcissist who narrates to himself all of the time, but this movie is slightly more compelling because the protagonist is an affluent sociopath with delusions of enlightenment...who narrates to himself all of the time. It's interesting, in as much as watching people with mental problems is entertaining. As for learning any great truths from this thought experiment, to abandon those who love you to see how important you actually are, you might be better off just staying at home. That is, if you aren't a white, male sociopath going through a mid-life crisis.
    K Nife C Super Reviewer
  • Jul 30, 2017
    Once again another great performance from Bryan Cranston. His character is not entirely pleasant and that keeps you watching. This is kind of a modern day take on movies such as It's a Wonderful Life that teach you to be grateful for what you have when you take it all for granted.
    Ian W Super Reviewer
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