Say the name of the movie five times quickly. I dare you! You'll sound like you should be wearing a helmet and drool cup (much like the Academy should have been when they chose the winners that year).
Big winner for the 72nd Academy Awards? American Beauty! What? A movie about Kevin Spacey panting over a nubile neighbor is nominated for eight awards and wins five. How is it possible that the screenplay for American Beauty wins over "The Sixth Sense"? OK OK..I should back off a bit I guess, but really. I love Kevin Spacey. I've seen most of what he's done and he's a great actor. And, I do mean great but c'mon. Of course, I should be prepared I suppose, "The Kids Are All Right" may well walk away with best picture in a few days.
M. Night Shyamalan is a remarkable talent. He recovered from the box office disaster of "Wide Awake" to write and direct Sixth Sense which was nominated for six awards (Picture, Original Screenplay, Director, Supporting Actor & Actress and Film Editing). It won zero. Way to go, members of the academy. I can't comment on the film editing since I don't have the expertise, but I would have thought that of the best movies for the year (American Beauty, Cider House Rules, The Green Mile, The Insider and The Sixth Sense) that the only film to be on the AFI's top 100 might have gotten the nod for something. The only other film I would rank nearly as high is "The Green Mile" which I watch every few years.
Blech. Moving on, however, we discuss the film itself. Lots of spoilers here so if you haven't seen it, don't read any further. Sixth Sense can be viewed as a love story, a story of making amends and a story about the continuity of love. I think it's easy to say the movie is just a supernatural thriller with a plot twist. It's about the redemption of Malcolm (Bruce Willis), his love for his wife Anna (Olivia Williams), and the need for him to say that she wasn't second. It's about the continuity of love, such as in a mother's wish to ensure her daughter (Toni Collette) knows the answer to questions that have deep significance.
Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) has the gift to see the dead. As the movie's tag line states, "Not every gift is a blessing." Early in the movie we're given hints that Cole has had this "gift" for his entire life. When his mother looks at photos of Cole there are artifacts in the photos going back to him as a toddler. No wonder the kid is struggling. The psychologist works with him, and finally Cole tells him his secret. "I see dead people", delivered in a slightly breathless fashion. This phrase has since become a part of our culture. Deliver a quote from American Beauty - (sorry I digress). Together, Malcolm and Cole work with each other and Malcolm suggests the dead people might "go away" if Cole listens to them. Helps them. When he makes this transition things do get better. He confides in his mother and is able to deliver a message.
Osment really played his role remarkably. We can all hope the trouble in 2005 (smacked up a car and had to go attend "drinking classes" as some call them) is over with and he can make that transition to adult actor. I certainly hope he can and does.
The films ends with hope. Malcolm is able to tell his wife his message. Cole delivers the message for his Grandmother and we're left with the sense he'll be fine helping the dead find closure.
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