M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 film “Signs” boasted an A-list cast and unparalleled anticipation coming three years after the blockbuster “The Sixth Sense.”
Mel Gibson stars as Father Graham Hess, a farmer, widower, and former priest who has turned his back on God and faith since the tragic death of his wife six months prior to the start of the movie. Despite his fall from Hollywood grace, Gibson demonstrates how fantastic an actor he really is in the role. Graham is deep; he harbors bitter resentment and guilt for the accident that claimed his wife, and his current struggles, openly blaming a god he no longer believes in. “There is no one watching out for us.” He barks at one point, his gruff voice dripping with venom. “We are all on our own.”
We know Graham was once a devout scholar of faith, and recent events have been a tough pill to swallow. He’s plagued by horrible dreams while running the family farm and attempting to raise two young and quirky children (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) with the help of his younger brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix).
The film plunges into the theme of an alien invasion, beginning with the appearance of massive crop circles around the globe and various unusual occurrences. We the audience knows it’s no hoax. While “Signs” is a much lighter film than the recent alien invasion hit “A Quiet Place”, both run similar themes of family togetherness and survival. And like in “A Quiet Place,” we care deeply about the Hess family and are thoroughly invested in all of their struggles.
Joining Gibson is Joaquin Phoenix, another top talent in the world of cinema. Phoenix was just 28 years old in 2002 and still gaining his chops as a breakout star. He pairs perfectly with Gibson. They have a natural and comical rapport that makes us really believe they are brothers. Graham is older and more successful with work and family. Merrill idolizes his older brother, and adds a perfect balance of bathos, with jokes and humor being consistent throughout the movie and never once out of place.
Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin as the Hess children Morgan and Bo are what really makes the family one we care about. Morgan is the older brother and chronic wise guy. Bo is the little sister who cares more about her ballet recital than the prospect of a UFO landing. As with Gibson and Phoenix, Culkin and Breslin are perfect, and lesser actors simply couldn’t have pulled it off.
M. Night Shyamalan tells a great story, and crafts a nearly flawless film in the process. The scenes are well shot, with perfect lighting, cuts, and score adding to the mystique. While “Signs” lacks the Shyamalan twist ending, there are subtleties scattered within that help move the plot. In a then-recent post 9/11 world, people’s obsession with watching the news plays an integral role. Chilling parts are not abundant, but perfectly placed and effective when they are present.
I hated the fantasy element of the opening credits, but that’s all the negatives I had. “Signs” is a great movie, and a demonstration of how a film should be made. It’s got the simplicity of older style films and bridges the gap to the new. It has never received the same degree of acclaim (good and bad) that other Shyamalan films have, which is puzzling since from top to bottom it’s an excellent film and a great way to open the 8th annual 31 Days of Halloween with a perfect family oriented horror story.
