Awake (2007 film)
Imagine waking up in the middle of your own surgery, completely paralyzed but acutely aware of every cut and incision—a medical nightmare known as anesthetic awareness. This terrifying premise anchors the 2007 thriller "Awake," a film that plunges its wealthy protagonist into not just physical torment, but a chilling conspiracy orchestrated by those closest to him. What truly happens when your mind is awake, but your body is not? The film explores the rare and frightening medical phenomenon of anesthetic awareness, turning a real-world fear into cinematic horror. A complex conspiracy unfolds during the protagonist's heart transplant, revealing betrayal from trusted allies and a desperate struggle for survival. Despite mixed critical reviews and some scientific controversy, the film earned a profit and sparked discussion about medical accuracy in cinema.
AI Summary
Imagine waking up in the middle of your own surgery, completely paralyzed but acutely aware of every cut and incision—a medical nightmare known as anesthetic awareness. This terrifying premise anchors the 2007 thriller "Awake," a film that plunges its wealthy protagonist into not just physical torment, but a chilling conspiracy orchestrated by those closest to him. What truly happens when your mind is awake, but your body is not?
- The film explores the rare and frightening medical phenomenon of anesthetic awareness, turning a real-world fear into cinematic horror.
- A complex conspiracy unfolds during the protagonist's heart transplant, revealing betrayal from trusted allies and a desperate struggle for survival.
- Despite mixed critical reviews and some scientific controversy, the film earned a profit and sparked discussion about medical accuracy in cinema.
The Billionaire and His Secret Love
Our story centers on Clay Beresford Jr., a young and extraordinarily wealthy man with a serious heart condition. He's deeply in love with Samantha "Sam" Lockwood, his mother's personal assistant—a relationship kept secret from his domineering mother, Lilith.
Despite Lilith's clear disapproval, Clay is determined to marry Sam. His urgent need for a heart transplant looms, and he places his life in the hands of his trusted childhood friend, the renowned surgeon Dr. Jack Harper. After a clandestine midnight wedding, Clay is admitted to the hospital for the life-saving operation.
A Nightmare Begins: Awake on the Operating Table
As the surgery commences, the unthinkable happens. Clay experiences anesthetic awareness, a rare and terrifying condition where a patient remains fully conscious during an operation, able to hear and feel everything, yet completely paralyzed and unable to signal for help. He is trapped within his own body.
While enduring unimaginable pain and helplessness, Clay's consciousness seems to detach from his physical form. He has an out-of-body experience, floating above the operating table, and it's from this horrifying vantage point that he begins to uncover a sinister plot unfolding around him.
The revelation is a devastating blow: Dr. Harper, his trusted friend, and Sam, his new wife, are conspiring against him. Their plan is to sabotage his heart transplant using a poisoned donor organ, specifically by injecting it with Adriamycin—a chemotherapy drug designed to cause transplant failure.
Their motive is chillingly clear: Clay's substantial life insurance policy. Dr. Harper desperately needs the payout to cover his crippling malpractice debts, and Sam is his accomplice, seeking a share of the fortune.
A Mother's Sacrifice and a Race Against Time
As the conspiracy unfolds, Clay's mother, Lilith, begins to sense that something is terribly wrong. In a shocking act of love and desperation, she sacrifices herself, committing suicide so that her healthy heart can be used in place of the poisoned donor organ meant for Clay.
Meanwhile, Sam attempts to cover her tracks, but Dr. Harper, overwhelmed by guilt and fear, secretly preserves crucial evidence implicating her in the plot. A new, more competent surgical team, led by Lilith's friend Dr. Jonathan Neyer, takes over. The police are quickly alerted, and the conspirators are arrested.
As the new transplant proceeds, Clay's spirit remains in a liminal state. He experiences a final, poignant vision of his childhood, unlocking a repressed memory: his mother Lilith killing his abusive father. This traumatic memory, finally understood, offers Clay a profound sense of emotional closure.
Initially, Clay resists returning to life, perhaps preferring the peace of the beyond. But ultimately, he accepts his mother's immense sacrifice. The operation is a success, and as the surgeons remove the tape from his eyes, Clay slowly regains consciousness. The film concludes with Dr. Harper's haunting narration, confirming the chilling reality: "He is awake."
Behind the Camera
The suspenseful scenes of "Awake" were brought to life across various New York City locations. Portions of the film, including those depicting the hospital environment, were shot at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus, transforming Lowenstein Hall into a medical facility.
Additional pivotal scenes, such as those in Dr. Jack Harper's office, the hospital cafeteria where a tragic event occurs, and the crucial elevator banks, were filmed at the iconic Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, adding a layer of authentic atmosphere to the medical thriller.
Reception: A Mixed Verdict
Released without advance screenings for critics, "Awake" opened at number five at the U.S. box office. Despite its initial ranking, the film went on to gross approximately $32.7 million worldwide against a modest production budget of $8.6 million, performing moderately well financially.
Critically, however, the film received a largely negative reception. Review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of just 23%, with many critics faulting its performances, direction, and editing, suggesting that while the premise was interesting, the execution fell short.
Some critics, like Dennis Harvey of Variety, felt the film relied too heavily on narrative twists, compromising its suspense and credibility. Yet, others offered a more positive outlook, with Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter praising director Joby Harold's ability to create a "quietly ominous tone" driven by suspense rather than gratuitous violence.
Even legendary critic Roger Ebert gave the film a surprisingly positive three out of four stars, admitting he "did not anticipate the surprises" and became deeply engrossed in both the surgical details and the dramatic personal stories, despite the prevailing negative buzz.
Medical Realities vs. Cinematic Drama
Following its release, "Awake" sparked controversy within the medical community. Ontario's Anesthesiologists criticized the film for its scientific inaccuracies, particularly its portrayal of anesthetic techniques and its claim that anesthetic awareness affects as many as one in every 700 patients.
However, Carol Weihrer, a prominent advocate for anesthesia awareness sufferers, countered these objections. She maintained that the actual prevalence of the condition might indeed be higher than official statistics suggest, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding this rare but terrifying medical experience.
Beyond the Big Screen
For those who missed its theatrical run, "Awake" became available on DVD in the United States on March 4, 2008, through Lionsgate Home Entertainment. A Blu-ray edition followed later that year, on November 18, 2008, distributed by Genius Products, allowing audiences to experience the chilling thriller in high definition.
Article
Awake (2007 film)
Awake is a 2007 American conspiracy thriller film written and directed by Joby Harold in his directorial debut. The film stars Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard and Lena Olin. The narrative follows Clay Beresford, a wealthy young man who remains conscious but paralyzed during heart surgery—a phenomenon known as anesthetic awareness—and gradually uncovers a plot that endangers his life and trust in those around him.
The film was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on November 30, 2007, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It received negative reviews from critics, who criticized the performances (primarily from the leads), direction, and editing. However, it performed moderately well at the box office, grossing approximately $32.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $8.6 million.
At the 28th Golden Raspberry Awards, Alba was nominated for Worst Actress. At the same time, she and Christensen received a nomination for Worst Screen Combo.
Plot
Awake (2007 film)
Young billionaire Clay Beresford Jr. is secretly in a relationship with Samantha "Sam" Lockwood, his mother Lilith's personal assistant. Despite opposition from the controlling Lilith, he plans to marry Sam and undergo a heart transplant under the care of his trusted friend and surgeon, Dr. Jack Harper. Before the operation, Jack goes through the list of possible outcomes and has him lie on a bed so Clay can visualise the procedure.
Lilith catches Clay as he is leaving work, from her limousine. Inside, she introduces him to another heart surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Neyer. Lilith and Neyer point out his high-profile clients, including past POTUSes.
Sam continually pressures Clay to officially inform Lilith of their year-long relationship and 6-month engagement. When they do, she tells him it is too soon. Lilith threatens to cut him off, but he leaves anyway. Shortly after a private midnight wedding, which Jack helps facilitate, Clay is admitted to the hospital for the operation.
Lilith shows up at the hospital with the surgeon she wants to perform the operation. He points out Jack has an expensive life due to multiple divorces, she mentions he has four malpractice lawsuits pending. Clay and Lilith step aside to discuss it quietly, where she tries to wield her authority, but he puts his foot down.
During surgery, Clay experiences anesthesia awareness, a rare condition where he remains conscious but paralyzed. While enduring the surgical pain, he tries to distract himself with positive memories of Sam. However, his memories float to less pleasant ones.
Meanwhile, in the waiting room, when a hospital employee hits on her, Sam shows him her wedding and engagement rings. Lilith sees, asking when they had the ceremony. After she is told it was just before the call for the transplant, she falls silent.
Clay overhears Jack and his surgical team colluding to murder him, first by moving him down the donation list, then by sabotaging the transplant with a poisoned donor heart. As a result, he has an out-of-body experience and can watch detached as the conspiracy plan against him is discussed in the OR. Their plan involves injecting the heart with Adriamycin, a chemotherapy drug that would cause the transplant to fail, allowing them to collect a large life insurance payout to cover Harper’s malpractice debts. As Clay observes, then replays memories, he realises that Sam is very involved.
Jack is the mastermind, who recruited everyone. Once Clay had been brought in for heart problems over a year ago, he brought in 'Sam' who invented a persona that soon captivated Clay. He might have used nurse Penny, but she got pregnant.
As expected, as Sam had ensured the heart was unviable, it failed to start. Jack goes with the unknowing anaethesiologist to inform Lilith. As she suspects foul play, she sacrifices herself by suicide, which allows her heart to be used in place of the sabotaged donor organ.
Meanwhile, Sam attempts to cover her involvement, but Harper, overwhelmed by guilt, preserves evidence implicating her in the conspiracy. A new surgical team, led by Dr. Neyer, intervenes and prepares Lilith’s heart for transplant, while the police arrive to arrest the conspirators.
As the operation continues, Clay's spirit remains in a liminal state. He experiences a final vision of his childhood, during which he witnesses Lilith killing his abusive father—a repressed memory that provides him emotional closure. Initially resistant to returning to life, Clay eventually accepts his mother’s sacrifice and allows the transplant to succeed. As the surgeons remove his eye tape, Clay regains consciousness, and Dr. Harper's voice narrates the final words: “He is awake.”
Cast
Awake (2007 film)
• Hayden Christensen as Clay Beresford, Jr., Lilith's son • Jessica Alba as Samantha "Sam" Lockwood-Tunnel, Lilith's personal assistant, and later Clay's wife • Terrence Howard as Dr. Jack Harper, Clay's best friend • Lena Olin as Lilith Beresford, Clay's mother and Sam's boss • Nathalie Efron as Mary Beresford • Fisher Stevens as Dr. Eugene Puttnam • Arliss Howard as Dr. Jonathan Neyer • Christopher McDonald as Dr. Larry Lupin • Georgina Chapman as Nurse Penny Carver • David Harbour as Dracula • Sam Robards as Clay Beresford, Sr. • Steven Hinkle as Young Clay
Production
Awake (2007 film)
Portions of Awake were filmed at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus in New York City. Lowenstein Hall was dressed to resemble a hospital, with the statue St. Peter: Fisher of Men visible in background shots. Additional scenes, including those set in Dr. Jack Harper's office, the cafeteria where Lilith dies by suicide, and the elevator bank, were filmed at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.
Reception
Box office
Awake was not screened in advance for critics and opened at number five at the U.S. box office during its opening weekend. As of July 11, 2008, the film had earned $14.4 million domestically and $32.7 million worldwide, against a production budget of approximately $8.6 million.
Critical response
The film received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 23% based on 60 reviews. The website's consensus reads, " 'Awake' has an interesting premise but would have benefited from tighter performances and more efficient direction and editing." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 33 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
Dennis Harvey of Variety criticized the film's reliance on excessive narrative twists, writing that it "piles on too many narrative gimmicks to maintain suspense or credibility." Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter offered a more positive assessment, noting that director Joby Harold created "a quietly ominous tone that never lets up" and that the film relied more on suspense than graphic violence.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three out of four stars, praising its ability to engage viewers despite negative buzz. He wrote, "I did not anticipate the surprises, did not anticipate them piling on after one another, got very involved in the gory surgical details, and found the supporting soap opera good as such things go."
Industry response
Following its release, the film was criticized by Ontario's Anesthesiologists, a section of the Ontario Medical Association, for scientific inaccuracies related to anesthetic practices. The group took issue with the portrayal of anesthetic techniques and disputed the film's claim that anesthesia awareness affects as many as one in every 700 patients. However, anesthesia awareness advocate Carol Weihrer contested their objections, maintaining that the condition may be more prevalent than official statistics suggest.
Accolades
Awake (2007 film)
<table><thead><tr><th>Award</th><th>Date of the ceremony</th><th>Category</th><th>Recipients</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Golden Raspberry Awards</td><td>23 February 2008</td><td>Worst Actress</td><td>Jessica Alba (also for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Good Luck Chuck)</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Worst Screen Combo</td><td>Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen</td><td>Nominated</td></tr></tbody></table>
Home media
Awake (2007 film)
Awake was released on DVD in the United States on March 4, 2008, by Genius Products. The Blu-ray edition followed on November 18, 2008, distributed by Genius Products.