Signs (2002)

Director:

M. Night Shyamalan

Writer (WGA):

M. Night Shyamalan (written by)

Release Date:

2 August 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It's Not Like They Didn't Warn Us.

Plot:

A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.

Plot Keywords:

Crop Circle | Farm | Pennsylvania | Water | Alien

Awards:

2 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Mel Gibson	...	Rev. Graham Hess
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Merrill Hess
Rory Culkin	...	Morgan Hess
Abigail Breslin	...	Bo Hess
Cherry Jones	...	Officer Paski
M. Night Shyamalan	...	Ray Reddy
Patricia Kalember	...	Colleen Hess
Ted Sutton	...	SFC Cunningham
Merritt Wever	...	Tracey Abernathy, the Pharmacist
Lanny Flaherty	...	Mr. Nathan
Marion McCorry	...	Mrs. Nathan
Michael Showalter	...	Lionel Prichard
Kevin Pires	...	Brazilian Birthday Boy
Clifford David	...	Columbia University Professor
Rhonda Overby	...	Sarah Hughes

Also Known As:

M. Night Shyamalan's Signs (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some frightening moments.

Runtime:

106 min | Spain:108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | SDDS | DTS-ES

Certification:

Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Germany:12 (f) | Japan:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Austria:14 | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Ireland:12 (video rating) | Ireland:15PG (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2003) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39105) | Venezuela:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Mel Gibson didn't realize that his director was playing the vet until the day that they came to shoot their scenes together.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The man on the poster in the U.S. Army recruiting office is wearing a U.S. Marine Corps uniform.

Quotes:

Morgan: The book says they're probably very good problem solvers. They'll find a way in.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Target Audience 9.1 (2007)

not your typical sci-fi thriller

If you went to this movie expecting a typical sci-fi thriller, you doubtless left disappointed. If you went to this movie to see an M. Shamalayan Night film, you probably loved it, as I did.

For me, the sci-fi aspects were a device to explore the lost faith of the Mel Gibson character, a man who had abandoned the ministry after a tragedy struck his family. The film asks the questions, are we alone in the world (and he's not talking about aliens) and is there such a thing as a coincidence? In one particularly striking scene, as he talks with his brother, Gibson's bitterness comes through.

I happen to think there's a place for spirituality in film and I love Night's take on it. I also like his old-fashioned type of film-making, the way he pays hommage to the greats and the way he surprises us. Night believes we don't listen enough, and if we do, there are messages abounding for us. I'd rather see this than a pretentious, dark, depressing film that pretends to say something.