Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Prime Day Deals Switch 2 Restock Galaxy Z Fold 7 Wordle Today Best Mattress Best laptops Recommended reading Prime Video This overlooked Florence Pugh drama movie is about to leave Prime Video — and it deserves way more love Prime Video Prime Video is losing one of the best Tom Hiddleston movies you (probably) haven’t watched — and it’s a gripping sci-fi thriller 'Heat' with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro is one of the greatest crime thrillers of all time — and you can stream it now on Netflix Prime Video 5 best Prime Video movies to stream before they leave this month I’m super picky about supernatural movies but this overlooked gem is a favorite — watch it free on Tubi Prime Video Prime Video is about to lose one of the best war movies ever made — and it’s just as good as ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Netflix’s new No. 1 movie is a comedy-drama with Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro — and it’s pure charm Entertainment I just rediscovered this powerful film with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams — stream it before it leaves Netflix David Silverberg 26 June 2025 Why I'm urging everyone to watch the forgotten gem 'Awakenings' When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Alamy) Some movies leave a lasting impression on you thanks to one memorable scene. In “Awakenings,” the 1990 Robin Williams-Robert De Niro acting tour de force, that scene is when Williams, playing the Bronx neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer, throws tennis balls to wheelchair-bound patients of a hospital housing victims of the encephalitis epidemic. Mute and barely able to move, these patients instinctively react to catch the balls, inspiring Dr. Sayer to believe these patients had sparks of life inside their incapacitated bodies. Now that I’ve seen “Awakenings” for the third time, it’s the kind of film that stays with you beyond just a critical scene I remembered from my first viewing. It’s a poignant, powerful and endearing film you can’t help but adore. But you have to act fast to catch it before it leaves Netflix’s streaming library on July 1. The heart of 'Awakenings' Directed by Penny Marshal (best known for “Big” and “A League of Their Own”), the film riffs off the real-life work of Dr. Oliver Sacks, a trailblazing doctor who wrote the book “Awakenings” about his clinical research into helping encephalitis sufferers who were frozen in various stances, their nurses seeing them more as plants to water and feed than humans, as one stand-out quote tells us. Awakenings (1990) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers - YouTube Dr. Sayer seeks to crack the block of ice caging these patients, and later discovers the drug L-DOPA to administer to these patients and help them find their true self, as if they were waking up from a decades-long dream. The patients' story is focused on Leonard (De Niro), and his frozen position gradually eases into an active and charming man who recognizes the beauty of living life, even flirting with a female staffer for the first time. It’s hard to forget the heart-breaking scene where he is so desperate to go for a walk on his own, he tries to leave the hospital and is restrained by security guards, his tears coursing down onto the floor. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The power of performance De Niro’s acting is entrancing to watch, such as how his eyes “speak” to Sayer during his mute state, and the passion brimming in him once the new drug gives him a voice to express his deep frustration with not being allowed to roam free on his own. I will unequivocally state that De Niro got robbed of an Academy Award in 1992 after Jeremy Irons won for "Reversal of Fortune." Williams sheds his manic vaudevillian personality for a toned-down performance unlike anything he had taken on then. Fresh off his charged role in “Dead Poets Society,” Williams invokes a curious intelligence that he must’ve seen in Dr. Sacks when he shadowed him prior to playing a version of him for “Awakenings.” (Image credit: Alamy) He wants to do good so badly, he’s open to trying anything, even opting for an experimental drug known to elevate the mind and body movement of Parkinson’s sufferers. As much as his patients “wake up” thanks to the drugs, so too does Dr. Sayer when he shifts his research focus from insects to people after he takes on the job at the hospital, and Williams doesn’t overplay his hand here. He lets the character gradually see the humanity in patients who have been left to wither and die. A single guy who prefers playing piano solo to getting a coffee with colleagues, Sayer also reflects on what he finds personally fulfilling beyond the satisfaction of drug experiments gone right. The lasting legacy of Robin Williams In “Awakenings,” we are treated to a Williams performance that surpasses the “serious” roles we have seen other comedians take when they’re done with slapstick and goofy faces. Stimulating the Patients' Brains | Awakenings (Robin Williams, Robert De Niro) - YouTube When we think about Williams and his suicide in 2014, a wave of sadness may wash over us as we wonder what could’ve been. But we should be overjoyed to still have available to us the work of an actor who gave us so many hilarious and inspiring films, and whose own research into playing Dr. Sayer offers a peek into his unique approach to entertaining us. When he was speaking to people with Tourette’s to prep for his role as Sayer, who also worked with patients with various neurological disorders, Williams said in the documentary "Come Inside My Mind": “Here’s a disease that basically makes you do, physically, things you have no control over. Along with it comes this incredible mental exhilaration that you think faster than most people.” Faster than most people could describe the exhilarating stage performances we saw in Williams during his stand-up shows, or in interviews with Letterman or Leno. But when he slows down in a role like Dr. Sayer in “Awakenings,” we glimpse a side of the legendary actor we don’t often see, and we treasure how he was able to give us a nuanced portrayal of a doctor who wanted to turn up the dial on the life still lit within the chests of patients who had been cast away by society. More From Tom's Guide 5 things to know about ‘Bosch: Legacy’ season 3 on Prime Video Seth Rogen's 'The Studio' on Apple TV Plus is a scathing critique of Hollywood — and absurdly funny 5 biggest Prime Video shows and movies I can’t wait to watch in spring 2025 Today's best streaming service deals Disney+ Annual Premium Get first month fr... Hulu - Monthly (with Ads) Max Monthly With Ads Paramount Plus Essential - Monthly Peacock Premium We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices See more Entertainment News David Silverberg Contributing writer David Silverberg is a freelance journalist who covers AI and digital technology for BBC News, Fast Company, MIT Technology Review, The Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, Princeton Alumni Weekly, and many more. For 15 years, he was editor-in-chief of online news outlet Digital Journal, and for two years he led the editorial team at B2B News Network. David is also a writing coach assisting both creative and non-fiction writers. 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This overlooked Florence Pugh drama movie is about to leave Prime Video — and it deserves way more love Prime Video is losing one of the best Tom Hiddleston movies you (probably) haven’t watched — and it’s a gripping sci-fi thriller 'Heat' with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro is one of the greatest crime thrillers of all time — and you can stream it now on Netflix 5 best Prime Video movies to stream before they leave this month I’m super picky about supernatural movies but this overlooked gem is a favorite — watch it free on Tubi Prime Video is about to lose one of the best war movies ever made — and it’s just as good as ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Latest in Netflix Netflix shares first look at 'Oppenheimer' star Cillian Murphy's new movie — and we already have a release date Netflix drops first look at new action-thriller series — and it already sounds like a gripping binge-watch 'Ransom Canyon' is officially returning for season 2 on Netflix — here's what you should know 5 best time travel movies on Netflix to stream right now Netflix just lost 'Dexter' at the worst time — here's where you can stream it before 'Resurrection' Netflix’s new No. 1 movie is a comedy-drama with Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro — and it’s pure charm Latest in News iPad Pro M5 tipped for upcoming launch as Apple begins production on OLED displays Banish this tiresome weed from your lawn for good with a natural item you can pick up for less than $50 Denis Villeneuve is the next James Bond director — and 007 couldn't be in safer hands I was worried about the rumored prices for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — but this new pricing leak makes a lot more sense Android 16's broken back button is driving me crazy — but there's finally a fix How to watch MotoGP 2025 live online — stream every race this season LATEST ARTICLES Forget Galaxy Fold Ultra — here's what Samsung needs to reveal at Unpacked Denis Villeneuve is the next James Bond director — and 007 couldn't be in safer hands I was worried about the rumored prices for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — but this new pricing leak makes a lot more sense You don’t need a gym to get strong — target your deep core muscles with this 5-move resistance band ab workout Prime Video is losing an intense psychological thriller movie that’ll twist your mind — but it’s now streaming on Netflix instead Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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