A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 34 nominations
- Mexico City Reporter
- (voice)
- (as Paul Nolan)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe artwork in the book about extraterrestrials was done by writer and director M. Night Shyamalan's daughter, Saleka Shyamalan.
- GoofsThey nail boards on the outside of inward-opening doors. Obviously this isn't going to prevent the doors from being opened, but anything is better than nothing and they're panicking anyway. Moreover, when Merrill asks Graham how they will know if boarding the windows will work, Graham replies, "Because they seem to have trouble with pantry doors". Graham is implying that if the aliens have trouble with pantry doors, boarding them can only help. Doing so also may give everyone, especially the children, a sense of hope and/or security.
- Quotes
Graham Hess: People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. I'm sure the people in group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation is a fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there's a whole lot of people in group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?
- Crazy creditsThe end credits are black text that rolls over a black screen with a illuminated blue circle in the middle, instead of the traditional white text on a flat black background.
- Alternate versionsAn additional deleted scene was shown during the credits when it aired on a pay channel in the USA. Grahm Hess tells everyone they must go into the basement. He then tells the story of how he accidentally dislocated Merrill's elbow when he was 1½ years old, and that Merrill never got mad at him. The scene ends with everyone walking down the stairs and closing the basement door.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best Films of 2002 (2003)
The performances are all first-rate, although I would have preferred a better, more appealing child actor than Rory Culkin as the son who reads up on aliens. He lacks the distinct personality of his more famous brother. Abigail Breslin, on the other hand, is a sheer delight in her role, reminiscent of Drew Barrymore in "ET". Joaquin Phoenix does a standout job as Mel Gibson's brother who can wield a mean baseball bat and Gibson himself is so subdued for a change that it makes you wonder if he really believed in the script. Phoenix and his relationship with the children provides some humorous highlights that are welcome in this kind of intense story. It's nice to see him in a more wholesome role than usual.
The suspense is guaranteed to keep you glued to the screen until the letdown of an ending. Just be advised that there are compensations for keeping a sharp eye on the film before the disappointing denouement. M. Night Shyamalan can be praised for an original script and some smart direction--but too bad the religious aspects of the story were so muddled as to seem foolish. James Newton Howard's score is highly effective for this kind of story, especially toward the end.
Enjoy at your own risk because along the way the contrivances show.
- Doylenf
- May 28, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- M. Night Shyamalan's signs
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $72,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $227,966,634
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $60,117,080
- Aug 4, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $408,247,917
- Runtime1 hour 46 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
































