That's why I love Shyamalan productions! "Wide Awake" tells a beautiful story about a young boy who tries to find God after his grandfather dies. It's nice to notice that Shyamalan likes to involve faith and religion in his pictures, mostly gathered with an atheist vain, and that's maybe what I liked the most about this film. Joshua is an obedient and affectionate child that asks himself all the time if there is a god or no, which is an idea that probably inspired 2001's "Artificial Intelligence: AI" and 2002's "Signs". It's refreshing to re-notice how strong Shyamalan's power of direction is, considering he's able to make profound sentimental scenes without trying too hard. The scenes in which Joshua talks to his grandfather are touching and soo beautiful to see that I asked myself "Why didn't I see this before?". I dare to confess I find Joseph Cross' acting even BETTER than Haley Joel Osment's in "The Sixth Sense"-- and so is the story. GREAT hidden gem, give it a chance!

I thought Sixth Sense was Mortimer Shyamalan's first film, but when I happened across this at a local flea market, I just had to snap it up.Yes, I buy fleas. You got a problem with that? Anyway, true to the style of Mortimer's distinctive oeuvre, the movie is crafted around a clever genre conceit which is carefully hidden away behind the seemingly mundane plot line and then hinted at throughout with lots of arty little boluses of symbolism, foreshadowing, subtext, and big red neon signs that flash on and off in Morse code for no apparent reason.I think this movie is pretty hard to find, so I'm revealing the ending below the line of hyphens that is below this paragraph...---------------------------------------------------------------------At the end, it turns out that the school is actually a *magnet school*, and Joshua is the only student enrolled there who is not actually made of IRON.

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."