Waking Life

"Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself?"

2001 1h 41m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🍅

81%

FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 987🍅81%Rotten Tomatoes●85Metacritic★7.6IMDB · 69,294

AnimationDramaFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.

“Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself?”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ethan Hawke
Jesse
Julie Delpy
Celine
Wiley Wiggins
Main Character
Bill Wise
Boat Car Guy
Alex E. Jones
Man in Car with P.A.
Steven Soderbergh
Interviewed on Television
Ken Webster
Bartender
Charles Gunning
Angry Man in Jail

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Richard Linklater
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Linklater, shot by Richard Linklater. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Glover Gill. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sandra Adair shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and Wiley Wiggins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0243017 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Linklater directs. Richard Linklater behind the camera. Glover Gill scores. Sandra Adair cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Richard Linklater, shot by Richard Linklater. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Glover Gill. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Sandra Adair shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and Wiley Wiggins carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself?".
8IMDB entry: tt0243017 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.