The Sixth Sense Review

The Sixth Sense

Release Date: 7th October 1999 - Australia

Production Companies

Hollywood Pictures

Spyglass Entertainment

The Kennedy/Marshall Company

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion

Pictures Australia

Genre: Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 107 minutes

Budget: $40,000,000

Box Office Gross: $672,806,432 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe has just received an award, and on the same night, he gets visited by an ex-patient who is very unhappy but disgruntled. He shoots Crowe and then kills himself. A few months after his fateful encounter, Crowe has to help a 9-year-old boy named Cole, who has the same problems as the ex-patient. Cole can see "dead people" that don't even know they are dead. Because of this, the other kids at his school call him a freak and drive her mum to wit's end. At

first, Crowe thinks he's

seeing things. He spends

a lot of time with him, much

to the dismay of his wife. It

is then that Crowe realises

that Cole is telling the truth.

Cast

Bruce Willis - Malcolm Crowe

Haley Joel Osment - Cole Sear

Toni Collette - Lynn Sear

Olivia Williams - Anna Crowe

Trevor Morgan - Tommy Tammisimo

Donnie Wahlberg - Vincent Grey

Peter Anthony Tambakis - Darren

Jeffrey Zubernis - Bobby

Bruce Norris - Stanley Cunningham

Glenn Fitzgerald - Sean

Mischa Barton - Kyra Collins

Greg Wood - Mr. Collins

Angelica Page - Mrs. Collins
Samantha Fitzpatrick - Kyra's Sister
M. Night Shyamalan - Dr. Hill

Crew

Writer/Director - M. Night Shyamalan
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Sam Mercer

Producers - Frank Marshall,

Kathleen Kennedy and Barry Mendel

Casting Director - Amy Kaufman

Production Designer - Larry Fulton
Art Director - Philip Messina

Assistant Art Directors - Charles E. McCarry

and Scott P. Murphy

Set Decorators - Douglas A. Mowat

and Susannah McCarthy (Uncredited)

Costume Designer - Joanna Johnston

Director of Photography - Tak Fujimoto

First Assistant Director - John Rusk

Second Assistant Director - Scott Robertson

Second Unit Director/Film Editor -
Andrew Mondshein
Stunt Coordinator - Jeff Habberstad

Special Effects Supervisors - Garry Elmendorf

and Keith Marblehead (Uncredited)

Effects Supervisor: Stan Winston Studio -
John Rosengrant
Digital Effects Supervisor: Dream Quest -
Tim Landry

Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Designer/

Supervising Sound Editor - Michael Kirchberger

Additional Sound Designer - Paul P. Soucek

Re-Recording Mixer - Reilly Steele

Foley Artists - Marnie Moore and

Margie O'Malley

Music - James Newton Howard

Executive in Charge of Music: Buena Vista

Motion Pictures Group - Kathy Nelson

Electronic Score Producer - J.T. Hill

Score Recordist and Mixer - Shawn Murphy

Awards

2000 Academy Awards
Best Picture - Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy
and Barry Mendel (Nominated)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Haley Joel

Osment (Nominated)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Toni Colette
(Nominated)
Best Director - M. Night Shyamalan (Nominated)
Best Original Screenplay - M. Night Shyamalan
(Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Andrew Mondshein (Nominated)

Review

It's the most recognised great feature from the once-famous director M. Night Shyamalan. THE SIXTH SENSE shared acclaim among the audiences and critics of its sheer mystery, suspense, drama, and scare factor. However, its superbly written conclusion thrills viewers with a completely unexpected reveal. The follow-ups in the later years from the same director, like the abysmal The Last Airbender, After Earth, and a few other movies, weren't up to the challenge of enduring the masterful quality in THE SIXTH SENSE. Except maybe Unbreakable if I get to watch it as an alternative. Likewise, this movie does prove to Shyamalan that he is a capable director for the Hollywood spotlight.

Besides the twist ending, the chemistry of the two lead characters was ahead of its time. One of them is the young troubled child depicted that no one will keep audiences speculating and formulating their conclusions. Only get to the movie's end and have all the preconceived ideas blown away by the shocking conclusion it unravels.

I enjoyed Bruce Willis as one of the lead actors in the film's cast. I am certainly not into his usual macho style in action-hero movies. He pulls off his character with a high standard of depth and sincerity. I liked young Haley Joel Osment's performance a lot. He succeeded in creating a character with fear, anxiety and distress, which is impressively realistic. It's a miracle that none of these young stars like Jake Loyd of Star Wars: Episode I could match up to his promising talents.

I considered THE SIXTH SENSE a great movie. It is one of the three luckiest of M. Night's movies. I've been waiting to watch this atmospheric film for a long time, but now it's finally happening. It sure leaves you feeling as though you would be too terrified to see it yourself!

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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