Waking the Dead
"Waking the Dead" could have been a terrific movie. Instead, it's a good movie, hampered by an intriguing storyline that winds up being misused. The film jumps back and forth between 1973-ish and 1982-ish, piecing together bit by bit the story I'm about to summarize in a few sentences. (The jumping becomes wearying at times, especially when a scene is interrupted just as it's getting interesting, and especially when we're constantly being told by subtitles the year in which the current scene takes place -- even when the scene's content, clothing styles and characters make it obvious.) Idealistic young political go-getter Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) and liberal save-the-world free spirit Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) are an unlikely couple, but in love they deeply find themselves in 1972. She becomes a liability to him in his political aspirations, though, and while their love is remarkably strong and mature, it's marred by a lot of philosophical differences. While trying to help some Chilean political refugees in 1974, Sarah is killed by a car bomb. Eight years later, Fielding still misses her, but has begun an empty relationship with Juliet (Molly Parker), the niece of his political mentor Isaac Green (Hal Holbrook). Isaac is helping Fielding run for congress, and everything is fine ... until Fielding starts seeing Sarah everywhere he looks.
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