| The Sixth Sense | |
|---|---|
| |
| Riffed by | RiffTrax |
| Riffers | Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett |
| Series | None |
| Date Released | June 25, 2008 |
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist (Bruce Willis) who tries to help him. The film established Shyamalan as a writer and director, and introduced the cinema public to his traits, most notably his affinity for surprise endings. Upon release, the film was met with critical acclaim, with critics highlighting the performances (especially by Osment and Willis), its atmosphere, and its surprise twist ending. The movie was the second highest grossing film of 1999 (behind Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace), grossing around 293 million domestically and 379 million internationally, ending up with a worldwide total of $672, 806, 292. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. RiffTrax released their riff in June 2008.
Synopsis and Preview[]
RiffTrax - The Sixth Sense - Trailer
[Spoilers Begin]
Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), a child psychologist in Philadelphia, returns home one night with his wife, Anna Crowe (Olivia Williams), after having been honored for his work. Anna tells Crowe that everything is second to his work.
Just then, a young man appears, and accuses Crowe of failing him. Malcolm recognizes him as Vincent Grey (Donnie Wahlberg), a former patient whom he treated as a child for hallucinations. Vincent shoots Crowe in the abdomen before turning the gun on himself.
The next fall, Crowe begins working with another patient, nine year old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), whose case is similar to Vincent's. Crowe becomes dedicated to the boy, though he is haunted by doubts over his ability to help him after his failure with Vincent. Meanwhile, his wife hardly pays any attention to him. At the same time, Crowe repeatedly has difficulty opening the door to his basement office. Cole eventually confides his secret to Crowe: he sees dead people, who walk around like the living unaware they are dead.
At first, Crowe thinks Cole is delusional and plans to drop him. Remembering Vincent, Crowe listens to an audiotape from a session with Vincent, then a child. On the tape, Crowe is heard leaving the room, and when he returned, Vincent was crying. Turning up the volume, Crowe hears a weeping man begging for help in Spanish, and now believes that Cole is telling the truth and that Vincent may have had the same ability. He suggests to Cole that he should try to find a purpose for his gift by communicating with the ghosts and perhaps aid them with their unfinished business. At first, Cole is unwilling since the ghosts terrify him, but he finally decides to do it.
Cole talks to one of the ghosts, Kyra Collins (Mischa Barton), a young ill girl who recently died. He goes to her funeral reception with Crowe. Kyra's ghost directs Cole to a box holding a videotape, which Cole then passes on to her father. The video shows Kyra's mother intentionally making her sick, revealing the true reason she died and saving Kyra's younger sister who had become the mother's new victim.
Learning to live with the ghosts he sees, Cole starts to fit in at school and gets the lead in the school play, which Crowe attends. The doctor and patient depart on positive terms and Cole suggests to Crowe that he should try speaking to Anna while she is asleep. Later, while stuck in a traffic jam, Cole confesses his secret to his mother, Lynn (Toni Collette), saying that someone died in an accident up ahead and he knows because the person is right next to him. Lynn does not see the recently deceased, but Cole sees a woman cyclist with blood dripping down her face. Although his mother at first does not believe him, Cole proves his ability to her by talking about how his grandmother visits him. He describes how his grandmother saw his mother in a dance performance even though she thought her mother was not there. He describes to his mother how his grandmother thought she was lovely in the performance. Lynn becomes tearful and yet amazed at the same time. Cole says to his mother that the last time she went to where the grandmother is buried, she asked a question. The grandmother's answer is "Every day". Cole asks what the question was and his mother tearfully explains that she asked the grandmother, "Do I make you proud?" With that his mother tearfully accepts the truth and they both hug each other.
Crowe returns home, where he finds his wife asleep with their wedding video playing. While still asleep, Anna asks her husband why he left her, and drops Crowe's wedding ring, which he suddenly discovers he has not been wearing. He remembers what Cole said about ghosts and realizes that he was actually killed by Vincent that night, and was unknowingly dead the entire time he was working with Cole. Due to Cole's efforts, Crowe's unfinished business—rectifying his failure to understand and help Vincent—is finally complete. Crowe fulfills the second reason he returned: to tell his wife she was never second, and that he loves her. His goal complete, he is free to leave the world of the living.
[Spoilers End]
Cast and Crew[]
- Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe
- Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear
- Toni Collette as Lynn Sear
- Olivia Williams as Anna Crowe
- Donnie Wahlberg as Vincent Grey
- Glenn Fitzgerald as Sean
- Mischa Barton as Kyra Collins
- Trevor Morgan as Tommy Tammisimo
- Bruce Norris as Mr. Stanley Cunningham
- Angelica Page as Mrs. Collins
- Greg Wood as Mr. Collins
- Peter Tambakis as Darren
- Jeffrey Zubernis as Bobby