Merely thinking about the idea behind Awake sends chills up and down my spine. Who doesn’t fear waking up during surgery before the operation is over? But my feeling about it verges on the pathological. Before undergoing my first surgery many years ago, a doctor had to meet me in the hospital lobby and talk some sense into me -- for about an hour! More recently, my daughter regained consciousness during what was supposed to be a routine procedure, and we almost lost her. So you can imagine how high my expectations were for a thriller with “anesthetic awareness” at its core.  Sadly, despite one intensely horrifying sequence and a couple of solid performances, Awake fails to deliver the goods.

Granted, the beginning of the film drew me in with its introduction of a dramatic triangle composed of an ultra- wealthy widow (Lena Olin), her ailing son Clay (Hayden Christensen) and his secret girlfriend Sam (Jessica Alba). Olin plays Lilith Beresford, a widow who seems overly protective of her son -- and, as usual, it’s difficult to take your eyes off this beautiful mature actress when she’s on screen. (Remember her terrific turn as Irene Derevko on TV’s Alias?) Although Clay loves his mother very much, he hides his relationship with Sam from her. He also disagrees with Lilith about the doctor who should perform his upcoming heart transplant when a donor is found. Clay wants his friend Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard, simply marvelous again) to do the honors; his mother  prefers a more prominent surgeon (Arliss Howard). When Lilith and Clay become estranged over both Sam and Dr. Harper, we can’t help wondering if there’s more to their relationship than meets the eye.

SPOILER ALERT

Of course, what happens in the operating room offers viewers their most terrifying experience here. But it doesn’t last long. Soon the movie starts emphasizing ridiculous out-of-body segments in which the patient discovers a conspiracy that strains believability to the breaking point. Seldom have betrayal and greed been presented in such a sloppy manner on film.        

People who face upcoming surgical procedures requiring a general anesthetic should probably stay away from Awake. However, those who are brave enough to see this movie anyway might be comforted to know that only a small percentage of patients wake up while surgery is being performed on them. Here’s hoping it never happens to you, dear reader.   

(Released by The Weinstein Company and rated “R” for language, an intense disturbing situation and brief drug use.)