M. Night Shyamalan became a name director with this film and hasn't looked back since. The film starts with psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis, DIE HARD) and his wife Anna Crowe (Olivia Williams, PETER PAN) as they celebrate Malcolm winning an award for his work, which has consumed his life. Then comes a tragic event that puts a bigger wedge between the couple. Malcolm seeks redemption in helping troubled child Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment, SECONDHAND LIONS), who claims to see dead people.
The core theme of the film is people learning to communicate with each other — Malcolm with Anna and Cole with his mother Lynn (Toni Collette, JAPANESE STORY). If you know anything about Shyamalan's films there is always a big "twist" revelation at the end. Knowing the twist and watching the film a second time, I was surprised at how engaging the film still was. It's because the twist is based in the characters not the plot. It's a revelation to the characters as much as it is to the audience.
Both Cole and Malcolm have secrets and when they are revealed to the women in their lives it's the emotional core of the film. The final two scenes in this film hit the audience like a sledgehammer. It's because we care about the characters and have walked through their growth in the film. The writing is amazing and deserved its Oscar nomination for sure.
Another strong part of the film is the great acting. Willis puts forth probably his best dramatic performance. Osment is a revelation, putting forth one of the best child performance I've ever seen. It's right up there with Anna Paquin's Oscar winning turn in THE PIANO. I've always questioned Toni Collette's nomination for her performance in this film. I always felt it was a way of piling more praise on the production for being such a surprise success. However, upon this viewing, I was struck by Collette's range and subtleness. It's actually a compliment to the Academy that they recognized such a seamless performance that is so easily overshadowed by the supernatural thrills of the film's story. Collette is an amazing actress and I'd be amazed if she doesn't have one of those Golden Bald Guys on her mantel by the end of the career.
Shyamalan has a quiet and patient style that suits this material very well. While there is sadness that surrounds the characters, the writer/director allows lighter moments to sneak in, which often represent bonding moments between Malcolm and Cole. For Shyamalan, he has never equaled the success of this surprise mega-hit, but with UNBREAKABLE and SIGNS, he has still established himself as a skilled genre filmmaker. THE SIXTH SENSE is truly a great film from a talented storyteller.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
