Awakenings: The Richly Emotional True-Life Tale Gets a 4K Upgrade (4K)

The Film:

In 1990, a most remarkable & unlikely pairing occurred when two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro, known for his dramatic roles in films like "The Godfather: Part II" and "Raging Bull," teamed with then two-time Oscar nominee Robin Williams, mostly known for being a master comedian, though he had started to turn to roles in films that included more drama like "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Dead Poets Society."

The result was the rather impressive true-life tale "Awakenings" from director Penny Marshall and screenwriter Steven Zaillian (based on the book by Dr. Oliver Sacks), a medical drama that was praised by many as one of the best films of its year, resulting in three major Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (De Niro), and Best Adapted Screenplay. To celebrate the film's 35th anniversary this year, Sony/Columbia Pictures is giving the film a remarkable 4K upgrade and throwing in a couple of vintage extras to go along with it, so once again it's time to go back and revisit another classic to see just how well it's held up over the years.

Taking place in 1969 New York City, we meet Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams), who applies for a job at a local hospital thinking it will be a research position. However, they actually want to hire him to help care for the chronic patients, many of whom are catatonic from an epidemic of encephalitis several decades earlier. He soon realizes that he's able to stimulate these patients through simple means such as tossing them a ball, playing music, or human contact. When he learns of a drug called L-DOPA, which is used to treat Parkinson's, he begins to believe that it may be able to help his patients as well.

Dr. Sayer decides to use Leonard Lowe (Robert De Niro) as his first test subject, resulting in him waking up completely from his catatonic state. Naturally this causes him to seek additional funding to help the rest of his patients, which eventually brings about the same results. After being in such a state for so long, Leonard & his fellow patients have a lot to catch up on and so many new things to experience, but is this drug truly the miracle cure that it appears to be, or is it merely too good to be true?

"Awakenings" is a rather sweet story that doesn't really hold any particular surprises, at least as far as its general arc goes, but it still manages to be a captivating tale of one doctor's dedicated pursuit of finding a way to help his patients, who've been stuck in a catatonic state for decades. Robin Williams brings a wonderful passion to his role, which at the time proved once again that he was capable of far more than just comedy. Ironically, just a few years later, he would bring a different kind of passion to playing another real-life doctor in "Patch Adams," though that was obviously a much more eccentric part to take on when compared to Dr. Sayer (the fictionalized version of Dr. Sacks).

Then there's the incredible Robert De Niro, who earned an Oscar nod for his role here as Leonard Lowe, a man who fully awakens for the first time in about 30 years. He goes through his character's arc with tremendous skill, from his slow beginnings & adjustments to dealing with the current realities of his situation and beyond. It's a role that requires quite a lot of attention to detail in regards to how Leonard reacted at each stage, but through his time with Dr. Sacks, as well as a deep study of the physical & emotional aspects of the character, he was able to embody him quite marvelously.

As mentioned, even if you aren't familiar with the true story that the film is based on, you'll likely be able to guess where it's headed, especially given that heading in the other direction would make the conclusion a little too sappy & not nearly as effective. However, thanks to its intriguing tale of a rather remarkable miracle, and the astounding performances from its two leads, "Awakenings" remains an impressive work that pulls you into its richly emotional story and doesn't let go for the full two hours, ultimately making it well-worth revisiting & adding to your collection as it makes its debut in stunning 4K.

Video/Audio:

"Awakenings" comes to 4K in a 1.85:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of fantastic quality, with the new upgrade making the film look beautifully clear & sharp throughout its entire two-hour runtime. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio track is outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue & music in excellent quality. Overall, Sony/Columbia Pictures has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Archival Making-Of (6 Minutes)

Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew (9 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Penny Marshall's "Awakenings" may not hold much in the way of surprises over the course of its narrative arc, but it remains a richly emotional true-life tale that pulls you in with its captivating story & the marvelous performances from co-leads Robin Williams & Robert De Niro, ultimately earning its new gorgeous 4K release an easy recommendation to add to your personal collection.

Score: 4/5

Now available on 4K.

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