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Last year the cinema was blessed with Steven Soderbergh s one-two punch of Erin Brockovich and Traffic. This year's double blessing comes from Richard Linklater with Tape and Waking Life. Soderbergh's movies impressively achieved both box office and critical success. Linklater's, while achieving some critical success, will not have mass appeal due to their experimental feel and subject matter (date rape for Tape; stream-of-consciousness dreaming for Waking Life).

Waking Life, written and directed by Linklater, is truly innovative. It is animated but unlike any other animation. Linklater first shot the scenes using real actors. Then his artistic team created the animation with a rotoscope process which in essence traced animation over the digital video. The result makes very life-like animated characters in their look, mannerisms, and movements. The movie has an attractive water color-look to it with a constant shimmer.

The novel look, however, does wear off after a while. The heart of the movie is its dialogue or to be more accurate, monologues. The story, if we can call it that, revolves around an unnamed young man (Wiley Wiggins, looking a lot like Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun) who bounces around town one day (or is it night?) as he tries to wake up from his dream in which he is talking to people about dreams, consciousness, and the meaning of life. Now does that have your adrenaline pumping or what?

Don t check out just yet though. The movie offers much more than its premise. Our unnamed main character, we'll call him Dreamer, has a series of encounters with various people in parks, coffee shops, bars, etc. listening to them wax philosophical about the nature of dreams, reality, life, and what it all means. Sometimes Dreamer listens in on a nearby conversation but most of the time he finds himself sitting across from someone just listening. Often times he materializes in a new location bypassing the time needed for travel which allows more time for the philosophy to flow. And flow it does with the subtlety of a fire hydrant. The number of thinkers and schools of thought quoted or alluded to would fill the appendix of a philosophy textbook. References include New Age, Existentialism, Humanism, Eastern Religions, and Christianity among others.

Dreamer is mostly passive listener. He does not debate. He does not argue. He does not espouse his own beliefs. He occasionally offers a statement or follow-up question but this only serves as more material for the philosopher of the moment to expand upon. This attitude of openness would seem to be the filmmaker's point of view. All of the differing schools of thought are presented positively and all are subject to a little criticism so that none are left standing above the others. Balance is the chief virtue; we can learn something from all of the different philosophies. Another key to the message of this movie residing more in one's approach to life rather than in one's belief system is the quantity of material presented. Not only are the ideas presented in a balanced manner but the ideas and abstractions come so vigorously that it is impossible for one to take it all in. Again, that seems to be the filmmaker s point--he wants us to see the possibilities of conscious living by exposing us to the buffet table of philosophy rather than feeding us from his favorite dish.

Pluralism is, of course, unacceptable to those who believe in a God who has revealed absolute truth. Yet the pluralistic message of the movie is minor compared to the major message that the unexamined life is not worth living, which is very Biblical. Though Dreamer looks like the typical slacker it is not fair to call him one because he doesn't behave like one. Rather he demonstrates intellectual curiosity about reality and life by attentiveness during these philosophical encounters. Of course he will need to sort the wheat from the chaff but that's the whole point, and also Biblical.

The music score is surprisingly subdued. If this movie were made to accompany a drug trip then it would have been better served with less philosophy and more upbeat and creative music. As it is the dialog is the music of this movie. The score, composed of piano and strings in minor keys, appropriately reflects the ultimately serious and melancholy tone of the human spirit that seeks on its own to understand its place in the cosmos.

The interesting visuals alone would not be enough to recommend this movie. And a traditional movie with so little plot and so much freewheeling chatter also would not earn a recommendation. Yet the sum of Waking Life is more than its parts and makes it worthwhile for those who appreciate experimental movies and for those who tend to think philosophically about life. Everyone else would probably find it insufferable and would do well to avoid it.

Eric C. Schaefer 12/16/2001