Review of Awakenings (1990) by Laura H — 29 Nov 2009

Talk about a terrific film. This film is definitely put on my top 100 films of all time. The performances in this film are fantastic and are equalled only by the performances seen in Rain Man(in terms of the subject matter).

Robin Williams is the main focus as its his quest to cure a strange disease called Encephalitis lethargica, which leaves a person in a catatonic like state. The performance displayed here by Williams is amazing, many forget that Williams is a very accomplished dramatic actor and should get more roles like this. Definitely a performance worth checking out.

Robert De Niro is an actor I hold in high regards, even in films that are considered less than good he's great in. Here it is no different, playing the first patient to test a drug that helped give him temporary normality. De Niro's performance in this film is great, Hoffman had a similar great performance when he did Rain Man and both equal themselves as terrific actors.

The rest of the cast work really well to move the story forward, but the most impressive non main role has to be Penelope Ann Miller as a woman who begins to fall for De Niro's character, even as he regresses back to his catatonic state. There's a great scene where De Niro tries to sever his relationship with her as he is getting worse and she takes him in her arms and begins to dance with him until he stops shaking. Its a powerful scene that really makes you wonder if they're are people like that left in the world.

5 out of 5 stars.