PopHorror Let's Get Scared
On August 6, 1999, anxious viewers of The Sixth Sense shivered in their seats as the cute little boy, Cole, known to his peers as “freak,” revealed his big secret. From that moment on, “I see dead people” has become a phrase possibly more known than the movie itself.
Young Cole (Haley Joel Osment: AI, Forrest Gump) is a tormented loner but a very smart, quiet, nervous young boy. He carries within him a deep secret that his mother, Lynn (Toni Collette: Little Miss Sunshine, Krampus), tries in vain to get him to reveal. Lynn’s faith in her son never wavers, despite how unstable he appears to those who do not know him well. She knows he is simply a young, troubled boy and will do anything to help him.
Enlisted to aid Cole is psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis: Die Hard, Pulp Fiction), who suffered his own trauma a year prior when a former patient shot him and then himself. Knowing he was unable to help this man, Malcolm pours all of his focus into finding some sort of answer and comfort for Cole, who reminds him very much of the patient he just couldn’t help. He puts so much focus and time into this mission that he develops a wonderful bond with Cole, but it appears his marriage is suffering as a result.
And then there’s that twist… Am I the only horror fan that saw it coming a mile away? Well, don’t feel bad if you didn’t, as unlike myself, you did not choose to spoil a beautifully written film by over-analyzing it, and you simply allowed yourself to fall hazily into the poignancy of the plot and the acting of this wonderful movie, but I digress. If you are one of the extremely few that have not seen The Sixth Sense, or have been living under a rock for the past 18 years and aren’t aware of the twist, I will not spoil it for you.
Let’s just say..”HUUUWAAHHHAAAATTTTT?!” It was one hell of a shocker to the viewer and gave way to the origin of the phrase The Shyamalan Twist.
The Sixth Sense had so much hype surrounding its release that it went on to set records. As of 2017, it has grossed a whopping $672.8 Million worldwide, and it spent 5 weeks at #1 in America, which is astounding for an August release. The film definitely put M. Knight Shyamalan’s name on the board as one of the world’s most well-respected writers and directors. He went on to direct groundbreakers like Unbreakable and The Village. The Sixth Sense also saw Haley Joel Osment become one of the most well-known child stars of the 1990s and early 2000s, followed by appearances in films like Stephen Spielberg’s AI and Mimi Leder’s Pay it Forward.
I can’t help but wonder what inspired Shyamalan to write a movie that deals with life after death in such a touching manner. He showed us that we need not fear spirits, should they exist, but maybe we should extend our minds and hearts to find out exactly what it is they may want or need from us. Perhaps this is a useful tip in any situation: instead of reacting as we are prone to do, know that there is always an answer to every problem if we remain calm and think it through. Malcolm provides this useful direction for Cole, and the pair find the peace they were both in search of.
Released by Hollywood Pictures, the film budget was $40 million. It earned $26.6 million its first weekend and continued on a steady uphill venture for over a month. The Sixth Sense has gone on to receive many awards, including the Critics Choice Award for Best Young Performer (Haley Joel Osment), the Nebula Award for Best Script, and People’s Choice Award for Best Film in 2000. The movie earned several Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Haley Joel Osment), Best Director, Best Writing, Best Film Editing, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Toni Collette).
The film also earned Bruce Willis the well-deserved credit of being recognized as a respectable and serious actor. Toni Collette is mesmerizing as the hard-working mother at her whits end, dealing with the death of her own mother and the issues surrounding her son. Haley Joel Osment is so brilliant and touching as Cole that we immediately feel a connection to the young loner and hope he will just reveal his secret already…we won’t judge you, Cole!
With all of the hype surrounding The Sixth Sense, and the huge box office earning, we return to the movie time and time again as a noted classic among the horror and sci-fi/thriller genre. Because of the film’s success, some have wondered: why no sequel? Shyamalan has pretty much put the kibosh on the idea, and he does own the sequel rights. The director has stated that he gets more pleasure out of creating an original film with a plot unlike the viewer has experienced before. Perhaps Shyamalan feels a sequel would ruin the integrity of The Sixth Sense, and it is best left alone for fans to ponder for years to come. In this case, I have to say I agree. The Sixth Sense is simply a shining little moment in movie history, and as per the filmmaker’s statement, certainly an original and one of a kind.
As for Shyamalan’s beliefs on life after death, the director says he simply does not know. Such is the great mystery of life. I’d like to believe that The Sixth Sense was able to open the hearts and minds of those who may be convinced there is nothing beyond this life and provide a small ray of hope to those searching for some sort of answer. Believe what you will, but the fact remains that The Sixth Sense is a timeless classic that will continue to provide all the various kinds of feels to viewers for many more years to come.
