The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film[2] written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient (Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead.
For other uses, see Sixth sense (disambiguation).The Sixth Sense
M. Night Shyamalan
- August 2, 1999 (Prince Music Theater)
- August 6, 1999 (United States)
108 minutes
United States
English
$40 million[1]
$672.8 million[1]
Released by Buena Vista Pictures through its Hollywood Pictures label on August 6, 1999, The Sixth Sense received critical acclaim, with praise for the cast performances (particularly those of Willis, Osment, and Toni Collette), atmosphere, direction and surprise ending. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Shyamalan, Best Supporting Actor for Osment, and Best Supporting Actress for Collette.[3] The film established Shyamalan as a predominant thriller screenwriter/director and introduced the cinema public to his traits, most notably his affinity for twist endings.[4]
It was the second-highest-grossing film of 1999, behind Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, making roughly $293 million in the US and $379 million in other markets.
Plot[edit]
In Philadelphia, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe is at home with wife Anna when Vincent Grey, a former patient Malcolm had treated, breaks into their house. Vincent accuses Malcolm of failing him before shooting Malcolm and then himself.
Months later, Malcolm has begun working with Cole Sear, a nine-year-old boy who reminds him of Vincent. He feels he must help Cole to rectify his failure to help Vincent and reconcile with Anna, who has become distant and cold and is suffering from depression. Cole's mother Lynn worries about him, especially after seeing mysterious signs of physical harm. At a birthday party, when bullies see that Cole is terribly scared of a cupboard, they lock him in there, causing him to scream in terror about someone seemingly inside with him. Following this, Cole finally confides to Malcolm that he sees dead people who walk around like the living do, unaware that they are dead.
Malcolm thinks Cole is schizophrenic and considers dropping his case. However, after listening to an audiotape from a session with Vincent, he hears a man begging for help in Spanish when Vincent is supposed to be alone in the room, suggesting that Vincent had the same ability. He realizes that Cole is telling the truth and suggests that he try to communicate with the ghosts and help them finish their business.
One night, Cole discovers Kyra Collins, a female child ghost, vomiting. He finds out who she is and goes with Malcolm to the funeral reception at her home. In her room, Kyra gives Cole a videotape that he hands to her father. The tape reveals Kyra's mother poisoning her food, alerting her father to the reality of her death and saving her younger sister from the same fate.
Now that Cole is doing better socially and personally, he tries out for and is given a lead part in the school play. He is coached by a ghost director and gives a masterful performance with Malcolm looking on. Before leaving, Cole suggests that Malcolm try speaking to Anna while she is asleep to ensure he can understand her better. While stuck in traffic, Cole tells Lynn his secret. When she does not believe him, he tells her that his late grandmother visits him and describes details from his mother's childhood that he could not have known. Shocked, Lynn finally accepts that her son has a special ability.
Malcolm returns home to find his wedding video playing and Anna talking in her sleep, asking Malcolm why he left her. Suddenly, she drops his wedding ring and he notices that it is not on his finger. Recalling what Cole told him about dead people only seeing what they want to see, Malcolm locates his gunshot injury and realizes that he did not survive being shot by Vincent and has been dead the entire time while working with Cole. Malcolm quickly comes to terms with the fact that he is a ghost, and tells Anna that she was never second to anything and that he loves her. Anna's face relaxes, indicating she is now at peace and can move on. Malcolm's business with both Anna and Cole is complete and his spirit departs in a flash of light.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
David Vogel, then-president of production of Walt Disney Studios, read Shyamalan's spec script and loved it. Without obtaining corporate approval, Vogel bought the rights, despite the price of $3 million and the stipulation that Shyamalan could direct the film.[5] Disney dismissed Vogel from his position at the studio, and Vogel left the company shortly thereafter.[6] Disney sold the production rights to Spyglass Entertainment, while retaining the distribution rights and 12.5% of the film's box office takings.[7]
During the casting process for the role of Cole Sear, Shyamalan had been apprehensive about Osment's video audition, saying later he was "this really sweet cherub, kind of beautiful, blond boy". Shyamalan saw the role as darker and more brooding but felt that Osment "nailed it with the vulnerability and the need ... He was able to convey a need as a human being in a way that was amazing to see."[8]
Willis was cast in the role of Malcolm Crowe as part of a deal to compensate the studio for Willis's role in the implosion of Broadway Brawler the year before.[9][10]
Marisa Tomei was considered for the role of Lynn Sear.[11]
Michael Cera auditioned for the role of Cole Sear,[12] and Liam Aiken was offered the role but turned it down.[13]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The Sixth Sense had a production budget of approximately $40 million (plus $25 million for prints and advertising). During its opening weekend, the film grossed $26.6 million, making it the largest August opening weekend, surpassing The Fugitive (1993).[24] It would go on to hold this record for two years until it was overtaken by Rush Hour 2 in 2001.[25] The film spent five weeks as the number 1 film at the U.S. box office, becoming only the second film, after Titanic (1997), to have grossed more than $20 million each for five weekends.[1][26] With a total gross of $29.2 million, The Sixth Sense set the record for having the largest Labor Day weekend gross until 2007 when it was surpassed by Halloween.[27] During Labor Day, it made $6.3 million, making it the biggest September Monday gross, holding that record until it was beaten by It in 2017.[28] It grossed $293,506,292 in the United States and Canada, surpassing The Empire Strikes Back as the tenth highest grossing film of all time in that market at the time.[29] Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 57.5 million tickets in the US and Canada.[30]
In Europe, the film sold 37,124,510 tickets at the box office.[31] In the United Kingdom, it was given at first a limited release on nine screens, and entered at number 8 at the UK box office before climbing up to number one the following week with 430 theatres playing the film.[32][33] It had a record opening in the Netherlands.[34] It had a worldwide gross of $672,806,292, ranking it ninth on the list of worldwide box-office money earners at the time.[29][35]