Waking Life
“Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself?”
Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.
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Cast
58 people
Ethan Hawke
Jesse
Known for
The Purge
Moon Knight
Julie Delpy
Celine
Known for
Before Sunrise
Three Colors: White
Wiley Wiggins
Main Character
Known for
Dazed and Confused
Computer Chess
Bill Wise
Boat Car Guy
Known for
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
Thunder Road
Alex E. Jones
Man in Car with P.A.
Also in
A Scanner Darkly
AmeriGeddon
Steven Soderbergh
Interviewed on Television
Known for
Schizopolis
Alex Jones
Man in Car with P.A.
Ken Webster
Bartender
Also in
A Scanner Darkly
Friday Night Lights
Charles Gunning
Angry Man in Jail
Known for
The Haunting
Bonanza: The Return
Lorelei Linklater
Young Girl Playing Paper Game
Known for
Boyhood
Bomb City
Trevor Jack Brooks
Young Boy Playing Paper Game
Glover Gill
Accordion Player
No other roles listed
Richard Linklater Director · Glover Gill Composer Tommy Pallotta Cinematographer
Worldwide gross $3.2M · Budget $2M · United States release October 19, 2001
Box office
Budget
$2,000,000
Worldwide gross
$3,176,880
Gross vs. budget
1.6×
Production
IFC Productions
Production
Thousand Words
Production
Detour Filmproduction
Production
Flat Black Films
Production
Fox 2000 Pictures
Production
Independent Film Channel (IFC)
Production
Line Research
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · January 23, 2001
Premiere · Sundance Film Festival
United States · October 19, 2001
Limited theatrical
United States · January 1, 2002
Physical · VHS
Belgium
October 19, 2001 · Limited theatrical
Brazil
April 12, 2002 · Theatrical
Canada
September 11, 2001 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
October 3, 2002 · Premiere · Ottawa International Animation Festival
France
April 24, 2002 · Theatrical
February 23, 2021 · Digital · Disney+
Germany
July 4, 2002 · Theatrical
Ireland
April 19, 2002 · Digital
Italy
September 1, 2001 · Premiere · Venice Film Festival
Japan
November 16, 2002 · Theatrical
Netherlands
October 19, 2001 · Limited theatrical
Spain
April 26, 2002 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.