One of my all time favorites.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Absolutely Fantastic

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Wide Awake is a little known movie with a lot of heart. It's a sweet, thoughtful film about a young boy's journey with his faith.Joshua A. Biel (Joseph Cross) is a ten year old boy who is starting the 5th grade. Joshua feels trapped by his strict Catholic boys' school and spends most of his time with his mischief making friend Dave. But Josh is very subdued this year, due to the recent death of his grandfather (Robert Loggia) whom he was very close with. His grief and immersion in the Catholic faith give Joshua a fantastic idea: Find God. Joshua then spends his entire school year learning about religions and spiritual practices. His parents (Dana Delany & Denis Leary) and teacher Sister Terry (Rosie O'Donnell) become worried about him, but this spiritual journey not only helps him cope with Grandpa's death, but become a young man.Wide Awake is a unique little movie with a lot of emotion and curiosity. Never have I seen a movie that depicts a child's spiritual development. Joshua narrates the film with a child's point of view that is believable most of the time. Joseph Cross gives a very natural performance, and I feel he is a rather underrated actor; his talent was visible from this young age. This movie is easy to relate to for anyone who has lost a grandparent they were close with and/or struggled with their own faith.

One of the best movies I have seen in my life time! An absolute masterpiece from M Night Shyamalan. This film tells about a 10 year old boy Joshua A Beal's (Joseph Cross) quest for God after his grandfather's death.The performance of the kids in this film were stunning especially Joshua's. I simply fell in love with this boy's innocent face and meaningful questions he asks. One of the best things in this film is the dialogues that were highly thoughtful and brilliant.The running race scene in the school which involves Joshua's grandfather was a touching one where I couldn't control tears in my eyes. Other brilliant performers are Joshua's friend Dave, Robert (grandfather) and Sister Terry done by Rosie O'Donnell. This boy Joshua steals my heart, how could M Night Shyamalan brings out such a talent from his little heroes? Hats off Shyamalan, you were so unlucky this film didn't brought you laurels, in my view your best one.The feeling you get when you watch the movie is warmth, heartening which will last for some time. The best part is the climax where I couldn't control crying

One word to describe this film... a Masterpiece. A sheer masterpiece with such a perfect blend of comedy, tragedy, and feel-good moments. I found myself wanting to jump through the television screen and be part of the movie myself. The young lead actor will capture your heart and leave you breathless. I was especially moved by the epilepsy scene. Don't give up on this movie just because the first five minutes are a little dull. And on another note, how misleading that comment on the box is, "Rosie O'Donnel is hilarious"! She is in a few scenes, but she makes little impression on the storyline. Its directing is flawless. I am so glad i stumbled across this film, it has made such an impact on my life! I hope that you can say the same.

I truly enjoyed this little sleeper of a film. I had never heard of it and fell upon it by chance. It's completely unlike the other films I've seen by M. Night Shyamalan in that it's not caught up in the supernatural or science fiction. I think it really show just what a great film maker he is. Made in 1998 it was just before his big stuff hit the screens. It's just a simple story of a young boy searching for God after his Grandfather dies and in the process finding himself awakening to what's going on in life as well as restoring his faith. A pretty good cast all around, and all basically in supporting roles for the young actor Joseph Cross carries the film. I don't know why it kept such a low profile.