Awakenings

Name: Awakenings
Genre: Drama
Released: December 20, 1990
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 74
Cast: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams

1990

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 161 Ratings

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8.3

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8.3	User Score Universal acclaim based on 161 Ratings

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Awakenings

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: December 20, 1990 | PG-13

Starring: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams

Summary: By opening one man's eyes to the world... he opened his own. A true story of a maverick doctor and the patients whose lives he changes. Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician who uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease beginning with Leonard, the first patient to receive the controversialBy opening one man's eyes to the world... he opened his own. A true story of a maverick doctor and the patients whose lives he changes. Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician who uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease beginning with Leonard, the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor. Encouraged by Leonard's stunning recovery, Sayer administers the drug to the other patients. The story of their friendship during this emotional journey is a testament to both the tenderness of the human heart and the strength of the human soul. (Sony Pictures)… Expand

Director: Penny Marshall

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 121 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Roger Ebert

After seeing Awakenings, I read it, to know more about what happened in that Bronx hospital. What both the movie and the book convey is the immense courage of the patients and the profound experience of their doctors, as in a small way they reexperienced what it means to be born, to open your eyes and discover to your astonishment that "you" are alive. Read full review

Julie Salamon

The director Penny Marshall has gone straight to the heart of this complex story and made a powerfully poignant and illuminating film. She doesn't hesitate to push for the grand sentimental moment, but balances the teary stuff with restraint and humor. To be sure, Awakenings seems calculated to induce weeping -- and it does, without making the weeper feel cheap. [20 Dec 1990, p.A14]

Jay Carr

Director Penny Marshall's choreography encompasses emotional as well as physical ebbs and flows. Awakenings lives up to its title. [11 Jan 1991]

Owen Gleiberman

And so even if you're held (as I was) by the acting, you may find yourself fighting the film's design. It reflects a certain lack of faith in your audience to take a performance as authentic as De Niro's and reduce it to the level of a glorified reach-out-and-touch-someone commercial. Read full review

Richard Corliss

For its first hour or so, this upscale heart tugger motors along familiar trails. So ennobling -- and predictable -- in director Penny Marshall's fidgety rendering of a case study by Oliver Sacks. [24 Dec 1990, p.77]

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

The script pushes all the expected buttons at all the expected moments, leaving you wondering what could have been achieved with a more rigorous, unsentimental approach. Read full review

Mike Clark

De Niro's widely praised performance is like the rest of the film: competent, a product of hard work and borderline mechanical. I like much of Awakenings, including several supporting performances - but like Big, it left me just a little cold. [20 Dec 1990, p.5D]

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User Reviews

TylerDurden900

Jul 18, 2014

Awakenings is a great drama with Deniro and Williams. They give some of their best performances.
The story is fascinating and the movie will instantly become one of your favourites, A+.

19 of 20 users found this helpful191

FilipeNeto

Apr 30, 2022

A touching and moving film.

I was very happy with this movie. I didn't know him, and I decided to watch him these days because I saw that the film had the participation of Robin Williams, an actor that I really appreciate. But the film goes beyond that, and gives us a deeply moving story,A touching and moving film.

I was very happy with this movie. I didn't know him, and I decided to watch him these days because I saw that the film had the participation of Robin Williams, an actor that I really appreciate. But the film goes beyond that, and gives us a deeply moving story, based on a real situation, in which a team of doctors who, in the 60's, sought to help the recovery of catatonic patients who had survived an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica that occurred a few decades earlier, between 1915 and 1926. A relevant and current topic, especially at a time in history when the human race is facing a pandemic that seems to be here to stay.

Despite the fact that this disease has always been known, the epidemic of the 1920s is, nowadays, totally forgotten, and by itself deserved more studies and attention from doctors and historians. In fact, I have to conclude, after a brief reading on the subject here and there, that we know very little about what happened: we don't know the causes of the outbreak, nor the mechanics of propagation or what led some patients to death or to catatonia. What we do know, and the film shows us, is that the disease has killed more than a million people and condemned about four million to a life absolutely dependent on others. Living statues. The film is really well done and shows how an original doctor, through creative ideas and a fresh perspective on things, really helped patients that others simply preferred to ignore, to consider as hopeless cases.

Robin Williams is excellent and employs a lot of charisma and presence in his work, making his character particularly touching, human, authentic and sympathetic. More surprising was Robert De Niro's performance: far removed from the tough roles that made him famous, the actor had the courage to give life to a vulnerable, insecure, dependent character, a little self-absorbed and eager to make up for decades of lost time. The film also has the participation of Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson, John Heard and other actors.

The film has good cinematography and careful direction. The film was well filmed and edited, and has good sets and costumes, although it is the story told and the performance of the actors that are key to everything else working.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

russiangamer

May 14, 2017

Очень приятное, простое, трогательное,с ясной моралью кино, которое смотрится на одном дыхании. Дуэт актёров прекрасен, каждый дополняет друг друга в кадре.
Советую к просмотру.Очень приятное, простое, трогательное,с ясной моралью кино, которое смотрится на одном дыхании. Дуэт актёров прекрасен, каждый дополняет друг друга в кадре.
Советую к просмотру.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

mohamad91hk

May 23, 2020

One of the best performance for De Niro, and Robin Williams also did a great job, the movie is great and worth to watch.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

DawdlingPoet

Nov 21, 2021

I found this to be quite an emotional film, its quite touching and indeed hard to watch in parts, particularly towards the end. It asks some challenging questions (as covered above, under 'genre/themes') and is well portrayed by the cast. Its quite thought provoking and I found myselfI found this to be quite an emotional film, its quite touching and indeed hard to watch in parts, particularly towards the end. It asks some challenging questions (as covered above, under 'genre/themes') and is well portrayed by the cast. Its quite thought provoking and I found myself surprised by some things, such as the mother of one of the patients reaction to her previously young boy being more 'with it', suddenly being an adult, having not experienced teenage or young adult life. Its hard not to feel sorry for the various characters and emotionally there are both highs and lows due to the plotline.

The main character of Dr. Malcolm Sayer comes across as both sort of plain and straight to the point, while also being clearly very devoted to his patients and to his role, to trying to better them, which made me (as a viewer) more keen to see him succeed and to see what the final outcome would be. Some of the dialogue really is quite poignant - this is a film you'll likely want tissues available for when watching.

It does raise some moral questions and is quite good at that, I suppose. I wouldn't say its overly sensationalist - if anything negative could be said about it, its perhaps the slight over use of sentimental music making it seem a bit unnecessarily cheesy from the musical score point of view, infact perhaps sentimentality in general.

I'd recommend this film, as I found it to be quite touching and thought provoking with a good plotline and its particularly well portrayed with a good cast. It may not be for everyone I suppose but for what it is, the issues it covers, I'd say its well worth a watch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

BeatrixKiddo

Sep 25, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Generally, very good and emotional movie. Nice acting of both main actors and great adaptation of the book.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

frederik1478

Sep 27, 2020

I didn't care that much for a movie but my mum Begin to cry at some point in the movie So if you have a mum that is a socialwoke or is a compassionate person se it with them

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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