--- product_id: 145894636 title: "Waking the Dead" brand: "billy crudupjennifer connellykeith gordon" price: "NZ$64" currency: NZD in_stock: true reviews_count: 4 url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/145894636-waking-the-dead store_origin: NZ region: New Zealand --- # Waking the Dead **Brand:** billy crudupjennifer connellykeith gordon **Price:** NZ$64 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Waking the Dead by billy crudupjennifer connellykeith gordon - **How much does it cost?** NZ$64 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/145894636-waking-the-dead) ## Best For - billy crudupjennifer connellykeith gordon enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted billy crudupjennifer connellykeith gordon brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From director Keith Gordon and executive producer Jodie Foster comes this taut psychological drama about love, ambition, and the thin line between heartbreak and insanity. After tragically losing his girlfriend Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) in a car bombing, aspiring politician Fielding (Billy Crudup) eventually pieces together his tattered life and runs for office. When Fielding begins seeing visions of Sarah on the campaign trail, he must decide if he has been driven mad by grief, or if the love of his life has finally returned. ## Product Details - **Genre:** Drama - **Format:** NTSC, Widescreen - **Contributor:** Adam Goldworm, Alan Fawcett, Andrew Deane, Ben Browning, Bernard Behrens, Bill Haugland, Billy Crudup, Bruce Dinsmore, Dean Hagopian, Don Jordan, Ed Cambridge, Hal Holbrook, Ivonne Coll, Janet McTeer, Jennifer Connelly, Justin Bradley, Keith Gordon, Larry Marshall, Lawrence Z. Dane, Linda Reisman, Maxine Guess, Molly Parker, Nelson Landrieu, Norris Domingue, Paul Hipp, Philip Williams, Richard Hicks, Sandra Caldwell, Sandra Oh, Sharon Washington, Stanley Anderson, Stuart Kleinman, Tony Calabretta, Walter Massey - **Language:** English - **Runtime:** 1 hour and 46 minutes ## Images ![Waking the Dead - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nK4-4x6WL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Superb performances, direction in this haunting love story *by R***Y on February 4, 2005* Keith Gordon has again bowled me over with a magnificent piece of filmmaking. "Waking the Dead" shares many of the same elements as his "A Midnight Clear" (still in my view the best WWII drama of modern times) -- a skillful adaptation of a powerful novel, intense performances from the entire cast, and careful attention to the rhythm and pacing of his story. And two other things that are especially rare in today's mainstream movies: the deliberate ambiguity of the ending and nuanced characters that are neither black nor white but multiple shades of grey. Hollywood must hate this, and it must baffle many moviegoers. The general public is force-fed so many lifeless, undemanding, predictable movies with cardboard characters that they probably didn't reward this gem at the box office (Gordon's commentary track implies that this movie was a semi-flop, commercially, which is tragic -- and probably makes it only harder for him to continue to shoot quality films). One hopes "Waking the Dead" will find its audience on home video, much as the well-respected "A Midnight Clear" (which I saw several times in the theatre) seems to have.Another reviewer has pointed out the double-meaning behind the title -- the "dead" here refers to both Sarah, believed to be physically dead, and Fielding, who has found his soul wasting away since losing her. Can Fielding bring himself as well as Sarah back to life? The story is also tellingly noncommittal as to Sarah's actual status. By the end of the film, we still don't know if Sarah is secretly alive, a ghost from the other side, or simply a product of Fielding's mental breakdown. Everything in the script leaves the question wide open for interpretation, and the effect is both chilling and intensely moving. The emotional wave of the story builds to a final confrontation between the principal characters that is truly heart-rending.I think this is one of those movies best served by a review that does not give away too many surprises or attempt to detail too much of the plotline. Suffice to say that if you appreciate a human-scale drama that operates on several levels of meaning, you will find yourself drawn in by this one and riveted by the performances of Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly. It's a film that only gets richer and more rewarding with every viewing. Looking for a love story/ghost story for grown-ups? "Waking the Dead" is a sure-fire winner.Some parting notes:Most directors today hit you over the head with the soundtrack music and then lazily try to let the songs carry the picture. While Gordon is not totally above this contemporary shorthand, he has enough good taste and filmmaking savvy not to let this technique dominate these scenes. And his musical selections are spot-on.Although Connelly and Crudup are THE key players, the entire cast is outstanding, and deserves a bow.The DVD extras are generous and revealing. Unlike the deleted scenes from Gordon's "A Midnight Clear," which did seem disposable, I felt all these cut scenes SHOULD have been restored for a "Waking the Dead" Extended Cut. It's sad that they can't be part of the regular narrative; they add a wealth of character development and detail that would have made the theatrical version even richer. Ed Harris, in particular, is deservedly singled out by Gordon's commentary and reviewers here for his exceptional portrayal of a disgraced congressman.I read the book AFTER I saw the film, being inspired to learn more about this story's genesis. While very fine, I have to say that I still prefer the movie and its more immediate impact. But that's par for the course -- I tend to always prefer the medium in which I was first exposed to something, be it print form or cinematic. I would recommend the novel to anyone who likes the picture. But I note with some bemusement that Fielding seems a much less likable fellow in the book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommended Slow Burn / love story *by M***I on September 9, 2025* Somber movie. I enjoyed it. I love Jennifer Connely. I think some might find it to be a slow burn, but I like those sorts of movies. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A classic tale in the Shakesprearion sense *by C***N on November 6, 2000* A very compelling movie about true love, sacrifice and our own abitions... and what happens when they seemingly collide. It's a story about two very different people, with two very different views of the world, superfically opposing views - and yet they are really very much the same. All told from the main character Fielding's point of view.It's a story told from the middle about Fielding and Sarah, and her tragic death. It brings you through Fielding's coming to terms with her life, and his. The one thing they have in common is each other, and the real "why" they want what they want. It's haunting and captivating. A tale of lost love. A story about reconcilling life choices..those things we sacrifice everything for, and how we sometimes forget, what we were trying to do in the first place.It's a tale about that reality check. Fielding coming to terms with his conscious. The "whys". Maybe the true realization of his own destiny - and his true love, and what this all means when you find out maybe you somehow got lost on the way...It's also a lesson. Love doesn't come - or go so easily. It haunts and reminds you of why you love in the first place. Sometimes the hardest choices, are the ones you don't really get to make. We long to be whole. We "need" that part of us that we are lacking or miss. For whom chooses who and why we love?It's a tragedy in the traditional shakespeare sense. A great story, and great movie. A story of two people who "need" each other to fufill their own destiny, and they do. Sarah just has to remind Fielding what it's all about. Even it's only his heart reminding him. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/145894636-waking-the-dead](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/145894636-waking-the-dead) --- *Product available on Desertcart New Zealand* *Store origin: NZ* *Last updated: 2026-05-03*