The Sixth Sense (1999)

Director:

M. Night Shyamalan

Writer (WGA):

M. Night Shyamalan (written by)

Release Date:

6 August 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

"I see dead people"

Plot:

A boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.

Plot Keywords:

Child Psychologist | Young Boy | Ghost | Psychiatrist | Spirit

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 31 wins & 37 nominations

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Dr. Malcolm Crowe
Haley Joel Osment	...	Cole Sear
Toni Collette	...	Lynn Sear
Olivia Williams	...	Anna Crowe
Donnie Wahlberg	...	Vincent Grey
Peter Anthony Tambakis	...	Darren (as Peter Tambakis)
Jeffrey Zubernis	...	Bobby
Bruce Norris	...	Stanley Cunningham
Glenn Fitzgerald	...	Sean
Greg Wood	...	Mr. Collins
Mischa Barton	...	Kyra Collins
Trevor Morgan	...	Tommy Tammisimo
Angelica Torn	...	Mrs. Collins
Lisa Summerour	...	Bridesmaid
Firdous Bamji	...	Young Man Buying Ring

Also Known As:

El sexto sentido (Chile) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Det sjätte sinnet (Finland: Swedish title) (literal title) (Sweden) (literal title) [sv]
O Sexto Sentido (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Шестое чувство (Russia) [ru]
ьЕЯРНЕ вСБЯРБН (Russia) [ru]
Al saselea simt (Romania) [ro]
Altinci his (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Den sjette sans (Denmark) [da]
Den sjette sansen (Norway) (literal title) [no]
Hatodik érzék (Hungary) [hu]
I ekti aisthisi (Greece) [el]
Kuudes aisti (Finland) [fi]
Kuues meel (Estonia) [et]
Le sixième sens (Canada: French title) [fr]
Sestý smysl (Czech Republic) [cs]
Sesto culo (Serbia) [sr]
Sexto sentido (Argentina) [es]
Shikkusu sensu (Japan) [ja]
Sixième sens (France) [fr]
Sixth Sense (Germany) [de]
Szósty zmysl (Poland) [pl]
Szosty zmysl (Poland) [pl]
The sixth sense - Il sesto senso (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense thematic material and violent images.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG | Brazil:12 | Japan:R-15 | India:A (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Barry Mendel Productions

Trivia:

Toni Collette has said that she was so moved by the emotional resonance of the story whilst filming, she didn't even realize it was a horror film until after its release.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time Malcolm meets with Cole, right before they leave, Malcolm's arm is on the back of the pew from Cole's point of view, but from Malcolm's point of view, it is down. Right after Cole grabs the statue of Jesus, he puts his arm up again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Anna Crowe: It's getting cold.
Malcolm Crowe: That is one fine frame; one fine frame that is. How much...
[he sits down with a grunt]
Malcolm Crowe: ...does a fine frame like that cost, do you think?
Anna Crowe: I never told you, but you sound a little like Dr. Seuss when you're drunk.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Unknown Rider

The most careful attention to detail

What makes this film so wonderful to watch is not simply the acting, or the terror it instills, or even the plot itself. It is the way in which the writer/director M. Night Shyamalan takes his vision from the page, and carefully crafts a tale that completely absorbs the viewer. As a result, we are treated to a wealth of emotion: fear, sadness, joy, confusion, and humor, each one a compliment to the other.

Haley Joel Osment delivers, plain and simple. By now, so much has been said about the young actor that any more would be repetition. Needless to say, his portrayal of Cole Sear is remarkable. His ability to communicate, through a simple look or gesture, the depths to which his character's soul has been thrust is what truly carries the film. He succeeds at this task beautifully, convincing us while never going over the top; indeed, by the time Cole utters his now-famous line, you not only believe him, you are chilled by the fact that Osment the actor may actually believe it himself.

Bruce Willis turns in a stellar performance, complimenting his young co-star while never overshadowing him. It is a tribute to his respect of the material in so much as he fine tunes his delivery to seem reserved, yet not too toned down.

The Sixth Sense is more than simply a wondrous two hours. It has, in effect, created a new genre of filmmaking... the film is neither drama, nor horror, nor action. Rather, it is a seamless blending of all three, a film that encompasses the best aspects of each genre, without being limited by the worst. Hollywood has taken notice of this, and one can only expect a series of poor imitations to follow. But at least they'll always have The Sixth Sense to guide the way.