Waking Life
“Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself?”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Waking Life (2001) Original Trailer [FHD]
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-02-12
Top Cast
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Ethan Hawke
Jesse
Julie Delpy
Celine
Wiley Wiggins
Main Character
Bill Wise
Boat Car Guy
Alex E. Jones
Man in Car with P.A.
Steven Soderbergh
Interviewed on Television
Ken Webster
Bartender
Charles Gunning
Angry Man in Jail
Lorelei Linklater
Young Girl Playing Paper Game
Trevor Jack Brooks
Young Boy Playing Paper Game
Glover Gill
Accordion Player
Lara Hicks
Violin Player
Ames Asbell
Viola Player
Leigh Mahoney
Viola Player
Sara Nelson
Cello Player
Jeanine Attaway
Piano Player
Erik Grostick
Bass Player
Robert C. Solomon
Philosophy Professor
Release History & Theatrical Window
Toronto International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
October 19, 2001
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 1, 2002
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$3.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.59x
+$1.2M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Screenplay & Story
- Richard Linklater
- Original Score
- Glover Gill
- Original Title
- Waking Life
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Production Budget
- $2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $3.2M
- Production Studios
- IFC Productions, Thousand Words, Detour Filmproduction, Flat Black Films
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater
Glover Gill
Tommy Pallotta, Richard Linklater
Sandra Adair
Tommy Pallotta, Jonah Smith, Anne Walker-McBay, Caroline Kaplan, John Sloss
Department Leadership Roster
Tommy Pallotta
Producer
Jonah Smith
Producer
Anne Walker-McBay
Producer
Tommy Pallotta
Director of Photography
Glover Gill
Original Music Composer
Richard Linklater
Director
Richard Linklater
Director of Photography
Sandra Adair
Editor
Palmer West
Producer
Richard Linklater
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Waking Life.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Waking Life.
Limelight Watchlist
Favorite Directors
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:12 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 250 Animated Films
Letterboxd's official Top 250 Animated Feature Films, ranked by average member rating. Letterboxd 官方 Top 250 最佳动画长片榜单： 根据平台用户的平均评分进行排序。入选影片必须为动画长片，且排除了无法独立观看的剧集衍生剧场版。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:36 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Waking Life
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Waking Life about?
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.
Who directed Waking Life?
Waking Life was directed by Richard Linklater.
Who stars in Waking Life?
The principal cast of Waking Life includes Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Wiley Wiggins, Bill Wise, Alex E. Jones.
When was Waking Life released and how long is it?
Waking Life was released in 2001 with a total runtime of 1h 41m.
What was the box office and production budget of Waking Life?
Waking Life had a reported production budget of $2M and grossed $3.2M at the worldwide box office (1.59 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Waking Life?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Waking Life was composed by Glover Gill.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Waking Life?
Waking Life holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).