The Sixth Sense (1999)

Why I love this movie

I saw this originally at the movies, and was amazed at the incredibly believable performance by young Haley Joel Osment who plays a child terrified for too long on the verge of losing his fragile young mind. Just before the end of the story I was very frustrated feeling that the Director had cheated on the mystery of the story, until it did actually end, then of course it was "Oh, I see!", my wife who left at the beginning to call the kids at home was very angry, and feeling cheated until I explained it to her.

Later when we got to see this on DVD and saw the extra features that let you see how the director not only didn't cheat you, but gave a clue in every scene, I almost felt dumb for not getting it in the first place.

Now, I would like to address some of the other criticism leveled at this film; specifically that only Cole's character is three dimensional. The story is Cole's story; the other major characters are unaware of anything that is going on in Cole's story, so for them to be full fleshed as it were would take away from the actual story line, and take you away from the destination of the plot.

Now one last thing, I am glad that I saw the screen version first, to have the gotcha moment in the end, but I do prefer the longest directors cut for all subsequent viewings, and we in my house have watched it many times.
July 6, 2008

The Original M. Night Movie..................

M. Night Shyamalan is the master!

This movie is excellent! As every M. Night movie is.

Great characters, great acting and a unusual, never been done before story!

Never pass up the chance to see a M. Night Shyamalan classic! June 22, 2008

Cliched and Logically Flawed Screenplay

While the movie desperately tries to distinguish itself from old cliched ghost stories, at best it produces an amalgam of "old cliched ghost stories" & "half-backed original script".

The logical flaws have been identified in the posts, and despite what apologists would say, the mere desire to write an original screenplay with a smart twisting, it's not enough, for that you need a special talent & diligence. Both are insufficient in writing & directing.

In this respect I agree with the film critic James Berardinelli


"
This is not a strong or effectively executed screenplay. There's no sense of subtlety. The dialogue is stilted. The characters say and do things only because the plot makes certain demands of them. With the exception of Cole, no character has more dimensions than a sheet of paper. And there's a lack of internal consistency and logic; the movie doesn't even play by its own rules. Perhaps another draft (or a complete re-write) of the script would have attenuated the amplitude of the flaws. " June 19, 2008

"How Often Do You See Them?" ~ Conversing With The Departed

The '99 film `The Sixth Sense' is a masterfully conceived and executed tale of the supernatural about a young boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who has the ability to see and converse with the spirits of the dead. Cole's "gift" is perceived by his Mother and the authorities as problematic, requiring professional help. When child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) offers his assistance to the troubled youth the two embark on a journey of self discovery that is totally unexpected for both the psychologist and the viewing audience.

This is an amazing film that expertly utilizes a type of cinematic deception, slight of hand and misdirection that leads you to think you know what's going on only to shock you at the end. Haley Joel Osment is amazing and Bruce Willis delivers a superb but subdued performance that allows his character to fly under the radar until the surprise ending. I also loved the brief but emotive Olivia Williams in the role of Anna Crowe. June 10, 2008

excellent choice

Excellent suspense/thriller film for anyone that is into that genre. Bruce and Haley were exceptional in the film all the way. Rent or buy it. June 4, 2008

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