From my favorite movies..

Captivating movie !

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Personally, I am very skeptical of these types of claims and there were a few things that stood out. First off, he claims he can see angels, demons, spirits, etc., and he does give a vague explanation of what he sees, but he doesn't get into enough detail. For example, he does not explain how he can tell the difference between an angel and a demon. Also, are any of these spirits comforting or do they all creep him out? I really would have liked more detail and focus on what he actually experiences but I felt like a lot of it was glossed over because of his discomfort on the subject matter (to which I ask, why bother making a documentary?). During the scene in the psychiatrists office, he claims there is a woman behind the psychiatrist but is unwilling or unable to describe what she looks like. If he can see her, why not try and describe her? If he can not describe her, how does he know it's a woman? So, as a viewer, we are supposed to just believe that a woman is standing there without any elaboration whatsoever. He doesn't even attempt to find a possible connection between the woman and the psychiatrist.After finishing the movie, I have no better understanding of what he experiences and why than the very brief description at the beginning of the movie. I don't see how he (or the viewers) got any answers from what he did/the people he visited. The movie felt like it had more of a focus on religion and/or spirituality than his "gift" and I don't understand why he is uncomfortable using sage in his house yet he fits right in with Buddhist monks and was elated about his vision quest in the woods.All in all, I do not feel this is worth watching. I am interested in watching a documentary about someone who has a "gift" like this however I am not interested in watching some random guy find his religion.

No real explanation of how he affords all the travelling (does he even have a job?), no attempt to embrace any of the practises that offer him help, and a truly banal revelation that made me question seriously if the previous 90 minutes were worth it. Oh, and don't get me started on the oh-so-obvious guilt issues that command his life which he seems to be utterly oblivious to - or at least loathe to do anything about. Very little makes sense, and with massive coincidences (like his girlfriend's name) and scenes that smack of a set-up the overall feeling one gets from this is apathy, on every level. A semblance of a narrative arc would have been nice, but the story never gets out of second gear with the landscape becoming far more interesting than anything the protagonist does or says. I gave it a 5 because there's some evidence of competency in filmmaking, but with very little to engage with for the audience I can't recommend it.

It was interesting reading one of the other reviews on here that hits on how fraudulent Elrod seems in the first half of this documentary. I felt exactly the same way - that Elrod is a guy who either lives in a fantasy prone world or is outright hoaxing to make a quick buck. In fact I felt this way so much that after the first 30 minutes or so I kind of quit watching and started surfing the net on my computer instead while the documentary kept playing to itself in the background.I'm glad I didn't turn it off.Around the hour mark the documentary takes a turn, with Elrod heading out on a sort of spiritual quest, and gradually it caught my attention again. All talk of what he purportedly experiences goes away and instead he's just shown exploring a variety of spiritual groups from a new age mind control retreat, to a Buddhist center and finally a Native American vision quest in the forest.Ultimately the film becomes a message that all spiritual pursuits are probably just stumbling attempts pointing towards a single truth of the human condition. Elrod doesn't purport to comprehend this truth (he just calls it God) but he seems joyful enough to have come to the realization that it can't help but make the viewer feel a little uplifted with him.I should note that I'm agnostic bordering on atheism and I take vehement offense at any film that tries to preach to me. "Wake Up" did not, so even though the Christian concept of God is discussed through the first half of the film as Elrod's primary belief system, this is not a documentary that proselytizes in any way... so all you atheists out there are safe. So if you watch the documentary to the end, the question of whether Elrod is hoaxing or not kind of becomes moot. It becomes apparent that this is a film about human nature, inclusion and interconnectedness instead. It's about a journey away from organized religion and towards personal spirituality. Elrod may be a fictional protagonist heading towards this conclusion or he may legitimately believe in his experiences but it doesn't really matter because it still makes for a fairly engaging quest.

My daughter, who has a Masters in Psychology and is a shamanic practitioner, told me to watch this. For some reason I haven't figured out, i had to try and watch it three times (getting past the first twenty minutes was just so uncomfortable). It was worth the effort of breaking through that wall. I felt his journey was honest - including his discomfort in front of the camera and his slow learning that being vulnerable is not as awful as the fear of being vulnerable. The folks he contacted were very interesting and appeared genuine. There were many 'touching' moments. The 'ah-ha' moments were my favorites however - just love witnessing openings. Watch it with an open mind and heart - then see what you think after.