Wide Awake (1998)

While many people believe this movie is not worth the time and use the low grossing as evidence to back that up, I believe it is an excellent coming of age story. It shows us how children deal with death and reminds us that sometimes it takes a tragedy to open our eyes. It may be a little mundane to use a child as the center for a coming of age drama to give the audience a lesson in how to deal with death, but this movie does a really good job of waking us up. I cried and I laughed. Each time I cried it was real and sad, but each time I laughed it was heartfelt and even if for a fraction of a second that laugh made me happy. It is hard to find a quality movie that is able to invoke such an emotional response.

This little movie was a total delight. It had a great story line, was well acted and had a strong message while being poignant and humorous. The story of a 5th grader at an all boys Catholic school on a mission to find God is extremely funny, witty and compelling at the same time. This movie will make you run the gamut of emotions; you'll laugh, cry and at the end be satisfied that yes, there is indeed a God. Joshua's mission includes his discovery of life around him and for the first time he notices the wherefore's and why's of his family, friends and life in general. I found this movie to be very moving, so much so that I bought the DVD and am passing it around to friends and family. I give it my highest recommendation and know anyone who watches it won't be disappointed.

I caught this unique, heartwarming film on cable in one of those "there is nothing on television" moments. I did not expect to fall in love with this beautiful story of a young boy in search of God. It deals with themes such as family, faith, and acceptance. What started out as a "kid" movie ended up in being a movie for people of all ages. It even made me kind of like Denis Leary. Look for a good performance by Robbert Loggia as the grandfather. If you've ever had or wished for a special relationship with a grandparent, watch this movie. You'll laugh, cry, and it might make a believer out of you.

OK, the private prep school may have been difficult for many viewers to relate to, but this isn't just about a boy searching for God because of a religion class. It is about a boy knowing his beloved grandfather is dieing and dealing with it both before and after the fact. The scenes with the grandfather were very touching (Robert Loggia, I believe). And when people face the death of a loved one, they think about whether there is a God or not - and talk about it. I know this because I had this discussion a month ago with my 86 year old dieing father (now deceased). We, in real life, raised many of the same questions this boy in the movie raised, a movie I did not see until after my father died.It is easy to say something is corny, but the death of a loved one will bring out corny emotions if you care for that person. Yes, this movie is primarily for children, but how many of you know of a death in the family that did not impact children?The main character takes events slowly, from a child's point of view, yet he and his buddies come to some simple and profound truths. I liked this film, even if it was "corny."