In the opening scene, Dr. Malcolm Crowe is spending a quiet evening with his wife, Anna, to celebrate his recent award of excelence for his work in the field of child psychology. They are interrupted by an intruder, a former patient, Vincent Gray, who is upset at Crowe for not having cured him in their therapy sessions. After screaming at the confused doctor, Gray shoots him in the stomach before turning the gun on himself.

The story then cuts to "Next Fall". Crowe is assigned to a nine-year-old patient, Cole Sear who appears to exhibit similar traits and behavioural symptoms as Gray. The similarities between the two patients are what compels Crowe to take on this new challenge as a way to mitigate his losses and to redeem himself for the previously failed case. Initially, Crowe has difficulty cracking open the new patient, who is diminuitive and introverted, but over time, the doctor-patient relationship improves greatly and the doctor is shocked to learn that the boy carries a deep dark secret, one that he cannot share with anyone, not even with his own mother, for fear of being labelled as he terms it, a freak. He learns that the youngster has visions which terrify him. These visions are of people who died horrific deaths and they appear to Cole in the manner in which they died. Although Crowe has troubles of his own, including a strained marriage, he nevertheless reaches out to the boy with the hope of bringing peace to him. Cole leads the doctor on a voyage into the world of the afterlife as he sees it. Together the duo form a special bond. Their interdependence in grappling with their inner demons is what this story is all about, and what is chilling and yet moving is the way in which it is told.

     

On a general level, THE SIXTH SENSE is a ghost story. More specifically, the tale is a psychological drama with supernatural elements contained in the haunting imagery and in the dialogue which leaves much to the imagination of the viewer. The film has gone on to receive critical acclaim and multiple award nominations from the British and American Academies. Clearly it has many strengths. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Trigger Effect), the story takes its time to unfold, and some may consider this leisurely pace a test on their patience. However, this works well to allow viewers time to absorb the drama and to understand the establishing of characters. Shyamalan delivers a real punch in the last few minutes with a powerful ending that leaves viewers with much to ponder afterwards in terms of what they caught on and what they missed the first time around. And it is this shocker ending which probably can account for the number of repeat viewers, hence, the high numbers at the box office. But the plot is not original. For those who have seen the 1962 version of the film CARNIVAL OF SOULS, the surprise ending of THE SIXTH SENSE is not all that shocking. The acting, though, is without question, brilliant. Bruce Willis is very believable as the very compassonate, yet struggling, therapist. However, the hat must go off to 11-year old Haley Joel Osment. His performance is stellar in his portrayal of the troubled Cole. At such a young age, this actor has mastered the skill of displaying a wide range of emotions. And he is able to accomplish this feat without appearing "too cute". His Oscar nominantion for best supporting actor is well deserved.

  

The film does, however, have a few minor flaws. First, we never learn why Crowe goes to see Cole in the first place, although it can be inferred that Cole's mother set up the appointment some time ago. Second, we learn from Cole that the church is a safe haven for him because dead people are unable to enter the premises. Yet Crowe is able to enter on more than one occasion. Third, ghosts can only seen in the areas where they were killed. So, how did Crowe manage to walk freely around town and, one one occasion, ride a bus?

Released by Buena Vista, the DVD version of the film is presented in anamorphic widescreen transfer and letterboxed at 1.85:1. The picture is clear with no artifacting from compression. The audio mix is a Dolby Digital 5.1 with a good balance of sound to integrate those whispered lines. There is a twenty-minute interview with the cast and crew, four deleted scenes (two of which feature Cole talking to an elderly man), a theatrical trailer, two TV spots and publicity section, as well as behind the scenes features, including an interview with Shyamalan in which we learn some of his filmmaking secrets.