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Bijou Phillips, Ian Somerhalder, Jane Seymour, Danny Masterson, Marguerite Moreau ... see more see more... , Sprague Grayden , David Zayas , Kevin Alejandro , Ian Gomez , Meagen Fay , James Eckhouse

Can a girl find romance with a guy who has just buried the love of his life? Carys Reitman (Bijou Phillips) is a young woman who has a hard time connecting with other people, despite her friendly and ... read more read more...accepting nature. Carys' problem might have something to do with one of her hobbies -- she likes to attend funerals for people she's never met, something she's done often enough that one of her best friends is a funeral director, Shane (Danny Masterson). One day, Carys is once again paying her respects when she meets Tyler (Ian Somerhalder), a handsome and charming man who was engaged to marry the deceased. Carys finds herself attracted to Tyler and thinks she may have finally found the man who can help her get over her anxieties about others, even though Shane and Lila (Marguerite Moreau), Carys' roommate, are certain pursuing him is a bad idea. As Carys dares to open her heart to Tyler, she also tries to mend her broken relationship with her mother (Jane Seymour). Wake was the opening night feature at the 2009 Cinequest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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37% liked it

392 ratings

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Ellie Kanner

Release Date: February 25, 2009

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DVD Release Date: April 20, 2010

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Flixster Reviews (52)

  • romy861
    October 15, 2011
    romy861
    Looks like I missed reviewing this one. Is a shame, because as it's not fresh in my mind, I can't remember why I was underwhelmed by it. I just remember thinking Bijou is cute, and it's harmless enough, but fell flat or failed to keep my interest.
  • hunterjt13
    May 16, 2011
    hunterjt13
    A woman who goes to funerals in order to "feel something" and mourn for her sister's long-ago death falls for a dead woman's fiance.
    I really like the comic, dramatic, and suspenseful possibilities the idea for this film had. A quirky romantic comedy set in a funeral home is a g... read moreood mix of dark and light-hearted elements. A woman who must go to funerals in order to resolve old wounds falling for an equally damaged man could be heart-warming if handled correctly. And a woman falling for a man who could be his ex-fiancee's killer is also a fine plotline. All of these plots are here, but none is carried well. I knew the performances were too heavy, too aggressive for a good romantic comedy during the very first scene when Phillips and Gomez's characters spar about her presence in the funeral home. He is too aggressive in his pursuit of her, and she responds with equal ire. We then move to the second possibility: the drama about a woman who tries to feel by attending strangers' funerals. But Phillips's performance is too light-hearted, quirky, and aware of her own ridiculousness for us to see her actions as anything other than that which serves the plot. If I met her on the street, I would think of her funeral-going as a contradiction rather than a natural response to her past. And the suspense story hardly picks up any steam until midway through the second act.
    Overall, Wake is the definition of an uneven film, unsure of what it is, which is sad because it had a lot of potential.
  • dreamfaeries
    July 9, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    Cute and a bit funny. Classic romantic comedy...
  • LWOODS04
    May 24, 2010
    LWOODS04
    CAST: Bijou Phillips, Ian Somerhalder, Danny Masterson, Marguerite Moreau, Jane Seymore

    DIRECTED BY: Ellie Kanner

    SUMMARY: When things get tough for offbeat Carys Reitman, she does what any emotionally isolated, modern girl would do - she goes to strangers' funerals. At one... read more fateful funeral, she unexpectedly meets Tyler, a man mourning his fiancee. Despite the warnings of her undertaker best friend Shane and her roommate Lila, she finds herself connecting to someone for the first time. Searching for answers, Carys goes to see her estranged mother to confront her past. And as she tries to open herself to the risks of love with Tyler, she realizes she may have more to fear than just a broken heart..

    MY THOUGHTS: Another off beat Indie movie that I liked a lot. Not your normal scenario, and I loved the quirky lead played by Bijou Phillips. Looking at Ian Somerhalder for bout an hour and a half didn't hurt either.. ;) Seriously though, it was an odd little film with a good cast of people. These are my kind of films so I am sure not all will like it.
  • xxdebxx
    March 21, 2011
    xxdebxx
    Wake is the story of Carys (Bijou Phillips) who has become so desensitized to the world that she attends funerals in order to feel emotion. At one of these funerals she meets the fiancée of the deceased (Ian Somerhalder) and the two wind up hanging out. He's under the belief she ... read morewas a friend of his dead fiancée and she just can't seem to get him to listen to the truth. Also she accidently stole his fiancée's ring which is being blamed on the funeral parlor where her friend (Danny Masterson) works and she can't figure out how to return that. Anyway the two winds up falling for each other and Carys realizes that the string of lies she told to cover up the goofy situations she finds herself in might get her into more trouble than she could have ever imagined. Not to worry, it turns out that her new boyfriend has his own share of secrets. Also starring Jane Seymour as her mom and Marguerite Moreau, playing Carys's ever-distrustful roommate, plays a pretty hilarious bulimic.
  • fb677587177
    January 16, 2012
    fb677587177
    Despite being unbelievably predictable and schmaltzy, this actually isn't a bad film. It's low budget and thus probably won't appeal to everyone, but I thought it was a cute, albeit sappy, little story and I had a lot of fun watching it. It's pretty much fluff, but really enjoyab... read morele nonetheless.
  • PinkMinkPrincess
    June 22, 2011
    PinkMinkPrincess
    I started watching it again, because I'd forgotten I'd seen it.Not a good sign.Goes to Funerals in order to feel?
  • Hamee
    May 19, 2011
    Hamee
    Cute, but strange. I will shamelessly watch anything that Somerhalder is in and this one wasn't a disappointment.
  • sykora259517
    April 24, 2010
    sykora259517
    Rom-com (but not really even a dark com.) w/ Ian Somerhalder & Bijou (b-jou) Phillips.Avaragely ?Original? (remember I saw the Last Word? Well basicaly the same story only Ian Somerhalder?s character lost his fiancée plays a vet & doesn?t write suicide notes. 1 ½ hours give or ... read moretake. Bijou is trying to get back the funeral that she never got to go to, her sister?s She goes to funerals to see if she can actually feel sad or to cry. Danny Masterson is a mortician & friend of her?s that tells her where to go & so at Ian?s fiancee?s funeral when she goes up to the casket (to look like a friend at least) The corpse?s Engagement ring falls off. (into Bijou?s hands) so misdeeds, secrets etc. in this as well with a twist. C

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Critic Reviews

Betty Jo Tucker
May 30, 2009
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews

'Wake,' a short independent film, touched me more deeply than most big budget mainstream dramas. Full Review

Rory L. Aronsky
May 1, 2009
Rory L. Aronsky, Film Threat

... thoughtfulness, genuine sincerity, and total emotional honesty are what one can expect from Wake. Full Review

Steve Rhodes
March 9, 2009
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews

Everyone on the set clearly had a good time, and their fun easily transfers to the audience.

October 22, 2009
Film Threat

Click to read the article Full Review

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Wake Trivia

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