The Sixth Sense (1999)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

M. Night Shyamalan

Writer (WGA):

M. Night Shyamalan (written by)

Release Date:

6 August 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | 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 | Ghost | Psychiatrist | Young Boy | Seeing Dead People

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:

The voice on the tape of Vincent's session is speaking Spanish, the person is saying: "Please, I don't want to die Lord, save me, save me."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Cole is yelling "Stuttering Stanley" at his teacher, lingual braces (they are fixed to the back of teeth rather than the front) can clearly be seen on Cole's teeth. Given their expense vs. regular braces, it is highly unlikely that Cole's mom would opt for this type of orthodontic appliance when she is working two jobs to make ends meet.

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 "The Mentalist: Seeing Red (#1.7)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Come See About Me

You'll be knocked for six

This is an incredibly powerful film. Awash with emotion but never stooping to sentimentality this is the story of one frightened little boy you will never forget. All your worst childhood nightmares: the noises in the attic, the intruder in your house, that cold breath that makes your hair stand on end are here and then some.

Bruce Willis gives one of the best performances of his career as the child psychologist trying to get himself back on track after a violent encounter with a former patient and it would be a crime if Haley Joel Osment were overlooked at coming awards ceremonies for his powerful performance here. It has been a long time since a child actor displayed such maturity in a role. Cole's innocent little face hidden behind his absent father's large-framed spectacles betrays a child coming to terms with a terrifying secret in the only way he can.

You don't need to go and see this film again to realise why the end is such a surprise but you will rush out to watch it again purely because it's an almost perfect example of it's genre.

Laugh, cry, jump a mile out of your seat, sigh with relief - but not too early... We did!