"Signs:" A Sign Of Things To Come?
Signs
Rated PG-13
Kent's Grade: A
Kent's Grade: B-
The Plot:
Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is a preacher who has lost his faith following the accidental death of
his wife. The whole scarred family, son Morgan (Rory Culkin), daughter Bo (Abigail Breslin) and
brother Merrill (Joaquin Pheonix) cope as best they can on the family farm.
But their grieving is interrupted when mysterious crop circles appear in the corn fields, slowly
pointing toward a conclusion no one can believe. Graham and his family prepare for the worst. But
often times, a gaze into the face of death brings about a new beginning.
Kent's Take:
"Signs" is "Close Encounters Of The 21st Century Kind" and is a signature M. Night Shyamalan
("6th Sense," "Unbreakable") film. Having written, produced and directed the movie, there is very
little that was not under his control, and it shows. Like writer Michael Crichton, Shyamalan is a
master of "What if?
What if crop circles weren't a hoax but instead an alien road map? What if we found ourselves
among aliens? What if E.T. bites?
Masterfully written, Shyamalan gives us a perfect balance of tense drama and cunningly disarming
humor. Like classic horror films such as "The Birds," "The Exorcist" and "Jaws" we are startled by
dramatic music, frightened from within and showered with bone chilling scares that expertly build
tension. Shyamalan skillfully toys with us from the very opening to the closing climax and
intelligently forgoes an ending twist for a more straight-forward sincere conclusion.
Gibson and Pheonix are at their best with moving performances that slowly draw you into their
minds, yet temporarily shut you out from their secrets. Culkin and especially Breslin are naturals in
front of the camera and round out a distressed family in desperate need of hope.
Having left the church, turning his back on God, Graham refuses to pray or be called "Father". Two
types of people are discussed throughout the film, realists and spiritualists. Graham calls himself a
realist since his wife's death, but throughout the movie he is given signs that he will inevitably have
to confront his wife's death, his own withdrawal from his family - and God.
"Signs" succeeds where so many other horror/ thriller films fail by teasing us, forcing us to use our
own imaginations to frighten ourselves. Then turning the tables, he shows us a chilling tidbit and
finally drops the horror right in our lap! This ingenious escalation systematically "one-ups" the
previous act, immersing us in tension as Graham confronts his inner demons while defending his
family from real ones.
"Signs" is a very scary movie with several kinds and levels of fright. That's the inevitable result of
great writing, directing and acting. I truly hope "Signs" is a sign of things to come from M. Night
Shyamalan.
CAROL'S Take:
The great looking "Signs" aims high. But the story, like its hero, suffers from internal struggles that
are almost crippling. The movie shifts restlessly between being a sci-fi thriller and taking a trip into
the mind of a troubled preacher. The layering of these two themes holds a lot of promise.
Unfortunately, they never mesh, and an alien invasion is relegated to being the background for a
man's spiritual collapse.
Questions surrounding otherworldly goings-on need to remain disturbing. Instead, any mystery in
"Signs" is diluted by the perfunctory manner in which such questions are dismissed. Over and over,
carefully built suspense is tossed aside by a story that divides its loyalties. It's okay that Graham
doesn't care what's going on. It's unfair that the audience can't afford to either.
"Signs" is bolstered by excellent performances. Phoenix is predictably good. Culkin and Breslin are
great creating characters that are much more than just window dressing.
Gibson works hard, but doesn't quite work. Part of the problem may be in the writing. Although
Graham grows crops, we have no sense that he's a farmer. Although he's left the church, we can't
believe he was once a man of the cloth. The ambiguity he experiences should be his alone, not
shared by the viewer.
For a movie so determined to be taken seriously, "Signs" is absolutely loaded with humor. It is one
of the things that the movie does best. And, it's not just the kind that offers relief from frightening
doings. It is an amusing look at characters who are scared too silly to maintain pretenses among
themselves.
© 2002 Webster-Kirkwood Times, Inc.
Movie reviews by Carol Hemphill and Kent Tentschert
reelworld@timesnewspapers.com