:
Bobby Sargent,
Jeffrey Schwan,
Bobby Sargent,
more...
:
Richard Linklater,
Richard Linklater
see all cast/crew...
: 
: 20th Century Fox
: Independent, Animation, CGI, Experimental/Avant-Garde
: 100 min.
: English, Spanish
: English, French
see additional details...
|
|
Richard Linklater returned to the semi-improvised approach and philosophical themes of his debut feature Slacker while embracing a new and groundbreaking visual technology in his sixth feature film, Waking Life. Linklater and cameraman Tommy Pallotta shot the film on location in Austin, TX, using digital video equipment. Linklater and digital animator Bob Sabiston then used newly developed computer software to transform the images through a process called "interpolated rotoscoping"; the result merges the naturalism of live action with a stylized look that resembles a cartoon or a painting in motion. Waking Life's flexible, non-narrative approach follows a young man (Wiley Wiggins) who arrives in Austin and hitches a ride with a stranger, who engages him in a conversation about rarely considered facets of existentialism. As the visitor drifts through the city, he encounters a variety of people and finds himself absorbing their views on art, philosophy, society, and numerous other issues of contemporary life. Linklater's cast is dotted with well-known actors (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Nicky Katt) and pop-culture notables (filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, Martin Scorsese associate Steven Prince, comic Louis Black), alongside a large number of relatively little-known players. Waking Life received its world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival; Linklater's next film, Tape, was also screened at the same festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Special Features:
- Commentary by Director Richard Linklater and others
- Commentary with over 25 of the film's animators
- Text Commentary
- Deleted Animated Scenes
- Selected Takes of the live action version
- Shorts by Bob Sabiston
- Featurette
- Animation Software Tutorial
- Theatrical Trailer
You might also enjoy:
Before Sunrise
An earlier Linklater talky gem, with Ethan Hawke similarly philosophical, but not animated
Tape
Linklater's film based on a play came out the same year
The Best of RESFEST Shorts
Original, shorter version of Waking Life made its premiere at this digital film fest
 Indie with a capital "I," filmmaker Caveh Zahedi has appeared in his own films and in the films of others (including an animated version of himself in Richard Linklater's Waking Life). Unlike meeting other enigmatic filmmakers, when it's often hard to know how close you'll be getting to the real person, with Zahedi there's no such obstacle - what you've seen is what you get, up to a point. Craig Phillips spoke with the maverick director about sex, drugs, and the state of the film world. Full article >>
|
| Staying awake through "Waking Life"...
by Emomovieluver
April 17, 2003 - 9:18 AM PDT
|
|
|
7 out of 11 members found this review helpful
|
| Because I've been a long-time animation fan, I eagerly anticipated seeing "WL" ever since I read about it on imdb.com and visited the website. In terms of it's fantastic rotoscope animation and wonderful visuals, "WL" certainly succeeds as a landmark film. As a story, "WL" is a series of one after another vaguely interesting characters spouting social, political and philisophical rhetoric, some more interesting than others, which somehow meld into the concept of a teenager managing his dreams. I was actually more into figuring out what actor was being animated over than listening to what he/she had to say most of the time. |
| Doesn't live up to the hype
by chester
March 6, 2003 - 8:21 AM PST
|
|
|
8 out of 15 members found this review helpful
|
| The artwork (animation) in this movie was fascinating, and the character studies are pretty interesting. It's worth a watch (especially if you're a movie or animation buff) just for the animation. However, this group of amateur philosophers gets pretty tedious rather quickly - there are a few nuggets, but for the most part, there's very little that is profound. If you are fascinated by life, reality or dreaming, you've likely heard (or thought) most of this before. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.44)
473 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
Ayato9
morpheme
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.