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"AWAKE" (2007) (Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Extreme Moderate Mild Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Moderate None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Heavy Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: A wealthy young man learns of others' diabolical plans when his anesthesia leaves him conscious but otherwise paralyzed during his heart transplant surgery. PLOT: Clay Beresford (HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN) is a young man who's successfully running his late father's business, not that his mother, Lilith (LENA OLIN), doesn't influence how things operate. Despite his success and wealth, for instance, he's afraid to tell her that he's secretly engaged to her personal assistant, Sam Lockwood (JESSICA ALBA). And while he wants his friend, Dr. Jack Harper (TERRENCE HOWARD), to perform his heart transplant whenever a donor organ is available, Lilith insists that he use a more renowned surgeon, such as Dr. Jonathan Neyer (ARLISS HOWARD), especially since he isn't facing various malpractice suits like Jack is. Nevertheless, on the night that Clay and Sam elope, they get the call that a heart is ready for him. Despite his mother's demands, Clay chooses to go with Jack rather than Dr. Neyer. With the aid of his team -- consisting of Dr. Puttnam (FISHER STEVENS), Penny Carver (GEORGINA CHAPMAN) and unexpected replacement anesthesiologist Larry Lupin (CHRISTOPHER McDONALD) -- Jack begins the procedure. The only thing is, Clay isn't put completely under. Although he's paralyzed and can't outwardly communicate, he's fully aware of what's going on, including still possessing the sensation of pain, as well as the ability to hear what the others are saying. As he tries to contend with the pain of going through the transplant, Clay ends up having an out of body experience where he soon learns of diabolical plans involving him and his future. From that point on, he does what he can to try to get himself to wake up or convince others that something is going terribly wrong. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or find the premise morbidly compelling, it's not very likely they will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language, an intense disturbing situation, and brief drug use. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Not all of the character revelations and behavior (particularly those occurring near the end of the film) are revealed here (to prevent spoilers). HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN plays a young but wildly successful man who must not only contend with needing a heart transplant, but also keeping his relationship with Sam (a woman) secret from his mother. He fools around with Sam before they're married, and uses strong profanity, particularly when he realizes he's paralyzed but not unconscious during his surgery. He briefly smokes. JESSICA ALBA plays his secret fiancée who also happens to be his mom's personal assistant. She fools around and eventually elopes with him, and looks forward to the expected results of his transplant surgery. She uses strong profanity. TERRENCE HOWARD plays Clay's friend, a heart surgeon who agrees to perform his heart transplant, but has second thoughts about that and his ulterior motives mid-surgery. He uses profanity. LENA OLIN plays Clay's mom who had him when she was young and still tries to control his life and decisions despite him now being an adult. She briefly uses strong profanity, and isn't pleased when she learns that her personal assistant is engaged to her son. She briefly smokes and drinks some. CHRISTOPHER McDONALD plays the replacement anesthesiologist who drinks on the job. FISHER STEVENS and GEORGINA CHAPMAN play members of Jack's medical team who are involved in the diabolical plan. ARLISS HOWARD plays the renowned heart surgeon who Lilith wants to perform the transplant, and who looks down on Dr. Harper and his track record. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated thriller. Profanity consists of at least 27 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present, as are views of a young couple fooling around (including in a bathtub), as well as that of some partial nudity (side glimpses of a woman's breast on two occasions). Violence includes a flashback to a person striking another on the back of the head, resulting in them falling to their death, while some cops briefly get physical with those they're arresting. Viewers may find views of heart transplant surgery (seen in full detail) as unsettling, which also holds true for a patient feeling the pain of such a medical procedure while he's fully paralyzed but completely conscious of what's being done to his body. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some drinking and smoking occur, and a flashback briefly shows a man snorting cocaine. Tense family material is also present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some camera movement is present. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE People have drinks at a party. Lilith carries a drink. Clay brings his mom a drink. While partially under anesthesia, Clay imagines his former young classmates holding glasses of champagne, while another scene shows his mom and other executives doing the same. When the others are suspicious about Larry, Dr. Puttnam says the anesthesiologist isn't a spy, but is a drunk, commenting on his breath, and that he's probably drinking during his break. We then see Larry covertly take a swig from a flask while on the phone. We see a flashback to Clay's father snorting cocaine. BLOOD/GORE We see a close-up of electrically charged paddles placed into an open chest incision to try to shock a heart into beating (thus we see the heart, membranes and such). This is seen again later. We see a close-up view of a scalpel cutting into skin, with bloody results. We then see the same happening to the membrane around a heart, with bloody/gooey results. A man dressed as Dracula at a Halloween party has fake blood from the corner of one mouth. We see some blood as a scalpel is used to cut through Clay's skin during surgery, some more as a rotary saw is used to cut through his breastbone, and then a view of rib spreaders being used to open his chest cavity (thus allowing views of his internal chest organs). We also see the donor heart when it arrives, as well as the removal of Clay's old heart. While not excessively bloody, those who are squeamish about such material and sights will probably want to look away. During another heart transplant, we see more blood, as well as some on gloves, gowns, and such. In a flashback, a man has blood on his hand after feeling the back of his head where he was just hit. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Although they finally admit to it, Clay and Sam keep their relationship secret from Lilith. When she learns about it, she's mad at Sam. We hear that Jack has four malpractice suits filed against him. Larry drinks on the job (as the anesthesiologist for Clay's surgery). Spoiler Alert: Those involved in the effort to kill Clay via his heart transplant obviously have bad attitudes. One conspirator tries to turn on another, but isn't able to get away with that. We see a flashback to young Clay hearing his parents arguing, his father snorting cocaine, and then backhanding his mother. The father then comes at the boy, with the mother hitting her husband on the back of the head with something to stop him. FRIGHTENING SCENES Completely paralyzed by his anesthesia but fully aware of what's occurring, Clay panics (internally, and heard via his voice-over dialogue) about still being awake as his heart transplant surgery is about to begin. He then experiences pain as a scalpel is used to cut through his skin, a rotary saw is used to cut through his breastbone, as rib spreaders are used (with the sound of one rib cracking), and as his heart is removed from his body (he screams in his out of body state during this). All of that has varying degrees of blood and gore. Clay appears to wake up and regain control of his body during his heart transplant surgery, but we then see that he's having an out of body experience (where he sees his real body still on the operating table). Some viewers may worry as it appears that Clay is dying (represented by lights going off all around him in his out of body state). A surgeon repeatedly uses a defibrillator on Clay to try to revive him. We see a flashback to young Clay hearing his parents arguing, his father snorting cocaine, and then backhanding his mother. The father then comes at the boy, with the mother hitting her husband on the back of the head with something, and he reveals blood on his hand after touching the back of his head. He then stumbles and tumbles down the stairs and over the banister to the floor below (we don't see the impact, but do see the body on the lower level floor). GUNS/WEAPONS Cops hold their guns on one conspirator while arresting her. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck it," "Look at the f*cking monitor," "This isn't f*cking happening," "What the f*ck /is going on?" "Look how f*cking obvious," "F*cked," "Grow some f*cking balls," "I f*cking know it," "Open the f*cking door," "How many f*cking times?" "Bullsh*t," "I'm scared sh*tless," "Oh sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "This is bullsh*t," "You're such an asshole," "How the hell /did you pull that off/do they all know her?" "He screwed us," "He's an idiot," "You gotta be kidding me," "What the hell /is going on in here/happened to you?" and "G*ddamn you." We see Clay lying underwater in a filled bathtub, holding his breath. We see that a woman purposefully overdosed on pills. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 27 "f" words, 15 "s" words, 4 hells, 2 asses (both used with "hole"), 1 S.O.B., 6 uses of "Jesus," 5 of "God," 3 of "G-damn," 2 each of "Christ" and "Oh God," and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "Jesus Christ," "My God," "Oh Jesus" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY We see Clay's bare chest as he lies underwater in a filled bathtub, holding his breath. He then surfaces and Sam (his fiancée) is there, in boxer shorts and a tank-top that shows cleavage. She playfully states that he was thinking of making love to her all morning and then getting breakfast, with him saying he was actually thinking of her soaking wet with her clothes on. He then playfully pulls her into the tub with him, thus making her top somewhat see-through (we can partially see her nipples). They kiss and then she straddles him in the tub. We see Clay and Sam getting ready for work, both topless in the bathroom. We see their bare backs and some reflection in the mirror in front of them, including brief and partial views of one of her bare breasts (no nipple). After eloping, Clay and Sam passionately kiss against a wall and then on a bed, where he's on top of her and her bare leg is up along his side. They start working on their clothes and she asks what he's doing. He replies by asking what she thinks he's doing, and she then reaches into his pants pocket and retrieves his vibrating pager (which is what she felt). During this, we see her in her bra, while he's eventually shirtless. While partially under anesthesia, Clay remembers Sam earlier commenting on him making love to her. When he tries to block the surgery pain from his mind, he remembers a view of her sitting on the edge of the bed, topless, but turned away from him (we see her bare back and just a partial and brief view of one bare breast -- no nipple). We see a flashback to Sam telling Clay she wants him to spend the night with her. When Penny comments on it taking Sam a long time to marry Clay, Sam says Penny could have tried the same if she hadn't gotten "knocked up." We see a side view of Clay lying nude on the operating table, but a foreground object blocks a view of his crotch. Lilith shows a little cleavage in a flashback. SMOKING Clay and Lilith each smoke once in their limbo states, while two flashbacks show the same scene in the past where Sam tells Clay he shouldn't smoke and thus wrecks his cigarette. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Clay's father died by falling down the stairs (this is revisited later in the film in greater context -- see below). Lilith is upset with Clay upon learning of his relationship with Sam. They also clash over his heart transplant surgery choices. We hear that Jack has two ex-wives. While partially under anesthesia, Clay remembers bits and pieces of his father's funeral. Spoiler Alert: A man learns that his wife is on the plot to kill him for his money. We see a flashback to young Clay hearing his parents arguing, his father snorting cocaine, and then backhanding his mother. The father then comes at the boy, with the mother hitting her husband on the back of the head with something, and he reveals blood on his hand after touching the back of his head. He then stumbles and tumbles down the stairs and over the banister to the floor below (we don't see the impact, but do see the body on the lower level floor). *Lilith worries about Clay before and during surgery, and then reacts to bad news about the operation. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The comment that thirty-thousand surgery patients a year experience anesthesia awareness (where one's body is paralyzed, but the mind is still alert and experiences pain, etc.). Heart transplants and organ donors. The fact that Clay is afraid to tell his mother of his relationship with Sam. Elopement. Malpractice suits. A woman sacrifices herself in order to save her child's life. VIOLENCE We see that a woman purposefully overdosed on pills. Cops hold their guns on one conspirator, while pressing another against a wall to arrest him. We see a flashback to young Clay hearing his parents arguing, his father snorting cocaine, and then backhanding his mother. The father then comes at the boy, with the mother hitting her husband on the back of the head with something, and he reveals blood on his hand after touching the back of his head. He then stumbles and tumbles down the stairs and over the banister to the floor below (we don't see the impact, but do see the body on the lower level floor). We see a close-up view of a conspirator's head pinned and pushed to the floor as she's arrested. Reviewed November 30, 2007 / Posted November 30, 2007

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