First kisses. Outrageous pranks. A teacher with a killer fastball.
To survive this year, Joshua Beal will have to stay...

Following in the tradition of such classic coming-of-age stories as Stand by Me and Dead Poet's Society, Denis Leary, Dana Delany, Rosie O'Donnell and Robert Loggia join ten-year-old newcomer Joseph Cross to discover the laughter, excitement and adventure that comes with being Wide Awake.

Lately, young Joshua A. Beal (Cross) has been having a hard time just waking up in the morning. Up until now, his life has been all about Batman action figures, Ninja turtle cartoons and Captain Crunch cereal. But not any more. It's the first day of fifth grade, and he's finally decided it's time to wake up and discover life. It's been several months since his beloved grandfather (Loggia) passed away, and while everyone else seems certain his Grandpa is in good hands, Joshua just isn't sure. No one around him, including his parents (Leary, Delany) and his school teacher (O'Donnell), can give him a satisfactory answer.

Now, on a no-holds-barred mission filled with comedy, adventure, mystery and romance, Joshua is determined to find one all by himself - asking the questions only a child would be brave enough to ask, and helping everyone remember what it's like to experience life for the first time.