Wide Awake is the second film written, produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It's a religious comedy revolving around a 10-year-old boy in search of faith after his grandfather passes away.Josh Beal is enrolled in the 5th grade at a Catholic school in Philadelphia. He takes comfort in spending time with his grandfather. In school, he's known for asking too many questions. He asks Sister Terry about baptism, causing him and the class to second guess their beliefs. His best friend Dave doesn't believe in God, saying too many bad things happen to good people for no reason. Josh tries out for the football team and gets bullied.
When his grandfather passes away, he begins searching for faith and evidence of God. He wants to know for sure that his grandfather is in heaven. Dave asks him about girls, replying he hasn't felt a biological reaction yet. He sneaks into the girls' school and sees the cardinal upset after a lecture. This leads him to question if he can actually speak to God. Josh asks his parents over dinner if they can take a vacation to Rome and he's denied.
Josh has a meeting with Sister Terry about his search for God. He's practiced other religions in attempts to speak to God but remains without results. He sits in his grandfather's chair and talks to him in a vision. The girl he likes gives him a rose. Josh finds Dave in his room having an epileptic seizure. Dave believes in God and miracles after Josh saved his life. He tells Josh not to give up his mission.
Josh gives a speech about his 5th-grade transformation. He sees the value in family and friendship, seeing past why people do what they do and coming to terms with life and death. He's wide awake. He sees the boy that helped him escape the school and tells Josh He's happy now. Josh realizes the boy was an angel.
Joseph Cross plays an intelligent young boy who is raised Catholic but starts wondering if what he's been taught is true. Josh constantly questions his own religion as well as others in his search for God. He comes to the conclusion that people spend their entire life searching for faith and death is something that happens all the time.
Rosie O'Donnell is a pleasant surprise in her role as a nun and teacher at the school. She's a diehard Phillies fan and uses baseball references in her lessons. She respects Josh for questioning his faith and helps him cope with his grandfather's death.
Shyamalan wrote Wide Awake in 1991, filmed it in 1995 and didn't release it until 1998. His use of religious ideas raises more questions than it answers. It does have a twist ending, but it's not major by any means. I'm not certain if kids would enjoy a film like this. It speaks deeply about religion, coming-of-age, life and death. Even though it's a story about a 5th grader, it feels more sophisticated than a normal children's movie.
Wide Awake shows potential in Shyamalan's skills as a writer and director. It's worth checking out if you're interested in his works before The Sixth Sense. I recommend this film to adults. 3/4
