pinartarhan.com

Fun and comprehensive entertainment blog feat. movies, TV series, actors, movie-makers, music & books: 1980 - Present

  • Home
  • Hire Me
  • Books
  • Privacy Policy

Awake TV Series starring Jason Isaacs, Steve Harris, Laura Allen, Dylan Minnette & Wilmer Valderrama

Posted on April 9, 2012 Written by ripitup

Share

Awake TV Series starring Jason Isaacs, Steve Harris, Laura Allen, Dylan Minnette &Wilmer Valderrama
Awake TV Series starring Jason Isaacs, Steve Harris, Laura Allen, Dylan Minnette &Wilmer Valderrama. Created by Kyle Killen. 2012. Image via nbc.com

 

Awake Plot

LAPD Homicide Detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) has lost either his wife or his son in a car crash. The problem is he doesn’t know which one actually died.

After the accident, Michael finds himself living in two different realities:

In one reality, his son has died, and he and his wife are doing his best to cope with their grief, although they have completely different approaches to the issue. He is in therapy, ordered by the department.

In the other, his wife has died, and he is doing his best to make the process easier for his son. He is in therapy, just with a different shrink. He also has a different partner at his job.

Michael doesn’t have a clue which reality is real. He just knows that when he goes to sleep in one reality, he wakes up in the other. Just like he doesn’t know which is reality, he doesn’t know whether he is sleeping or dreaming. Both shrinks are adamant that they are real, but Michael is skeptical. Besides, he doesn’t really want to let go, or find out. He knows that the only way to have a life with both his son and wife is to keep switching between these two worlds.

As a cop, however, his alternate realities have made him better at his job. Even though his “intuitions” annoy and baffle his two partners (Steve Harris in one, Wilmer Valderrama in the other), he is seeing the crossovers between the cases, and the clues he remembers from one world helps him solve the other case in the other.

While the audience is often as baffled as Michael, we are given some clues here and there to make up our minds, only to be taken the clues away and given others.

A must-watch: Two Alternate Realities – without fantasy or sci-fi

Awake is currently my favorite show. Yes, I’m a big fan of Person of Interest, but frankly I am sick and tired of watching one episode only to wait for three weeks for the others. The same goes for any other show I was unlucky enough to like.

Awake started airing in March, so to air its 13 episodes and finish in May, it doesn’t need to give any breaks. While the ratings aren’t as high as I’d like them to be, I’m excited to have a show that not only has great acting, premise and story lines, but one that doesn’t give a break for a stupid reason every two weeks. Plus, your regular crime show gives you one case to solve. Here you have two different ones, with some connections.

It is also fun and sad to watch Michael getting clues from his wife to make his son happier in one reality…

Give Awake a shot. You won’t regret it. After all how many TV shows have leading characters that as much as they love their minds and jobs, would willingly risk their sanity if it meant that it is the only wat to keep having both family members alive?

Currently rated at 8.4 on IMDB. Frankly, anything under 9 doesn’t do it justice.

Will it get renewed?

Things look pretty bleak as TV show ratings are still measured the old fashioned way, and TV networks haven’t found better ways to make money by anyhing other than TV commercials. What if I’m not a Nielsen household? What if I don’t live in the States? Why wouldn’t I get a say?

I’ll be sad to let this one go. But in a world where Grey’s Anatomy can get 8 seasons (and possibly more) and Supernatural gets 7 (possibly more), I won’t be shocked if Awake doesn’t impress that many people with its originality, intensity and puzzles. Still, I will be grateful that I got to see a great show with Jason Isaacs in the lead.

Still, you can do something to try save the show, such as signing the petition for saving awake here.I did. I also liked the show on Facebook and IMDB just in case. : )

Feel free to spread this post on the net, as more traffic means (apart from me being very happy as a blogger), might show the network that the show has a lot more watchers than they think.

Fun cast note

Yep, one of Britten’s partners (played by Wilmer Valderrama) is really Fez from That 70s Show.

Share

Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: Awake, awake cast, awake tv series, awake tv show, Dylan Minnette, Jason Isaacs, kyle killen, laura allen, steve harris, Wilmer Valderrama

Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks & Julia Roberts

Posted on July 12, 2011 Written by ripitup

Share

Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts
Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Directed and co-written by Tom Hanks. Image via collider.com

 

Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) is a middle-aged guy working at a sales job he really likes. But when he gets fired due to his lack of university education, he is quite upset. And when his attempts at landing a job fail, he decides to go to the community college, with some inspriation from his negotiation-loving neighbor (Cedric The Entertainer).

The dean at school encourages Larry to take Enonomics, a speech & communications class along with one other.So along with nutty teachers, moped gang member classmates, exams and struggle to survive financially, Larry takes us on a very sweet, but incredibly familiar and somewhat ordinary journey.

And of course no Hollywood journey would be complete without some romance at stake. So Larry falls for his communications teacher Mercedes (Julia Roberts), who is not exactly happy with her blogger husband who spends his days at porn sites rather than write things that would bring home money…

**

I believe sweet, ordinary and familiar are the perfect three words to describe this Tom Hanks film, where he directed and also co-wrote the screenplay. Larry Crowne flows like a day out with your good friends where you hang out at your favorite coffee shop or bar. It is not very eventful, there are no surprises and there’s  no adrenalin rush. It is sweet, and Tom Hanks is his usual likable romantic comedy self. But that’s about it.

Rated 5.9 on IMDB.

 

Fun notes:

–          That 70’s show’s Fez, Wilmer Valderrama, has a fun part as the jealous boyfriend of Larry’s newly found friend.

 

–          Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson has a small role as the bank official.

 

 

–          Breaking Bad’s chemistry genius Bryan Cranston plays Julia Roberts’ loser husband.

 

–          Cougar Town’s Andy Ian Gomez plays Larry’s friend.

 

 

–          Larry Crowne was co-written by My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s writer and leading actress Nia Vardalos.

 

 

Also on Tom Hanks:

You’ve Got Mail starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks

 

Also on Julia Roberts:

Valentine’s Day starring Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba & more

Duplicity starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts Trivia: 15 Facts About Julia Roberts Movies and Her Private Life

Something to Talk About starring Dennis Quaid, Julia Roberts, Kyra Sedgwick and Robert Duvall

Tall Actresses: Julia Roberts, Bridget Moynahan, Natascha McElhone, Liv Tyler and Charlize Theron

Pretty Woman: Movie Review of the Unrealistic Yet Adorable Romantic Comedy

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: cedric the entertainer, ian gomes, Julia Roberts, larry crowne, larry crowne cast, larry crowne movie, nia vardalos, rita wilson, tom hanks, tom hanks larry crowne, Wilmer Valderrama

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

Copyright © 2025 · Focus Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT