Wannabe congressman Fielding Pierce (Billy Crudup) is haunted by the long-dead love of his life (Jennifer Connelly), forcing him to question both his sanity and his politics. Non-linear and thoughtful, but mired down with over- earnest dialogue and cod-profundity, Waking The Dead is an interesting, if flawed, take on hackneyed romantic themes, well served by Crudup's excellent performance.
DVD Extras:
Featurette, deleted scenes, commentary from director Keith Gordon, trailer.The featurette is bland and pointless, but 45-ish minutes of deleted scenes compensate, including a great turn from Ed Harris (relegated to a background appearance on a TV set in the final cut). Add in an enthusiastically motormouthed commentary from Gordon (A Midnight Clear), illuminating his improvisational style of direction, and we're left with a strong set of extras servicing a mediocre movie.
