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Signs

  • 2002
  • PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
401K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,369
367
Signs (2002)
CT #2, post
Play trailer1:35
4 Videos
99+ Photos
Alien InvasionDramaMysterySci-FiThriller

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.

  • Director
    • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Writer
    • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Joaquin Phoenix
    • Rory Culkin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    401K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,369
    367
    • Director
      • M. Night Shyamalan
    • Writer
      • M. Night Shyamalan
    • Stars
      • Mel Gibson
      • Joaquin Phoenix
      • Rory Culkin
    • 2.5KUser reviews
    • 200Critic reviews
    • 59Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 34 nominations total

    Videos4

    Signs
    Trailer 1:35
    Signs
    Why M. Night Shyamalan Put on His "Boogie Shoes" for 'Knock at the Cabin'
    Clip 4:02
    Why M. Night Shyamalan Put on His "Boogie Shoes" for 'Knock at the Cabin'
    Why M. Night Shyamalan Put on His "Boogie Shoes" for 'Knock at the Cabin'
    Clip 4:02
    Why M. Night Shyamalan Put on His "Boogie Shoes" for 'Knock at the Cabin'
    'Knock at the Cabin' Cast: Extended Interviews
    Interview 15:42
    'Knock at the Cabin' Cast: Extended Interviews
    What Roles Has Joaquin Phoenix Turned Down?
    Video 3:02
    What Roles Has Joaquin Phoenix Turned Down?

    Photos108

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 102
    View Poster

    Top cast29

    Edit
    Mel Gibson
    Mel Gibson
    • Graham Hess
    Joaquin Phoenix
    Joaquin Phoenix
    • Merrill Hess
    Rory Culkin
    Rory Culkin
    • Morgan Hess
    Abigail Breslin
    Abigail Breslin
    • Bo Hess
    Cherry Jones
    Cherry Jones
    • Officer Paski
    M. Night Shyamalan
    M. Night Shyamalan
    • Ray Reddy
    Patricia Kalember
    Patricia Kalember
    • Colleen Hess
    Ted Sutton
    Ted Sutton
    • SFC Cunningham
    Merritt Wever
    Merritt Wever
    • Tracey Abernathy
    Lanny Flaherty
    Lanny Flaherty
    • Mr. Nathan
    Marion McCorry
    • Mrs. Nathan
    Michael Showalter
    Michael Showalter
    • Lionel Prichard
    Kevin Pires
    • Brazilian Birthday Boy
    Clifford David
    Clifford David
    • Columbia University Professor
    Rhonda Overby
    • Sarah Hughes
    Greg Wood
    Greg Wood
    • TV Anchor
    Paul L. Nolan
    • Mexico City Reporter
    • (voice)
    • (as Paul Nolan)
    Ukee Washington
    Ukee Washington
    • Off-Screen TV Anchor
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • M. Night Shyamalan
    • Writer
      • M. Night Shyamalan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Joaquin Phoenix replaced Mark Ruffalo, who had to pull out of the film due to a brain tumor. It was later found to be benign.
    • Goofs
      They 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 credits
      The 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 versions
      There is actually an alternative version of this movie, which had different noises for the aliens, prior to release. The noises did not make into the final product. The aliens sounded more demonic than the mostly (although equally scary) alien noises they ended up having. It alone could have gotten the movie an R on the basis of "terror" alone. It was mostly edited out to keep the movie from being too dark, although some of the things about the aliens were demonic, and kept in the movie. "Signs" got away with a lot for a PG-13 movie. To find them, via the comments, go to the Youtube video to the "Signs" trailer, courtesy of user Rob Jackson (the Rotten Videos group's copy of the video; just type "Signs 2002 trailer Rotten Videos," and look for Rob Jackson's comments, they have the links to some of the clips from that version; courtesy of user Kaylin Starlight).
    • Connections
      Edited into Signs: Deleted Scenes (2003)

    User reviews2.5K

    Featured review
    7/10

    Much To Enjoy, But Somehow Short of the Mark

    In a documentary that accompanies the film on DVD, M. Night Shyamalan admits that SIGNS was greatly influenced by such films as NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and Hitchcock's THE BIRDS--an admission that will come as no surprise to any one who has seen SIGNS in the wake of those films. Although very different, all three have one thing in common: they ultimately focus on a small group of people fighting off an unnatural entity that attempts to invade their very ordinary homes.

    The story is an unusual mix of meditative religious and classic sci-fi elements blended together by Shyamalan's remarkable sense of visual style. Mel Gibson is a minister who has lost his faith in the wake of his wife's tragic accidental death and who now rejects the concept of unseen powers entirely--so he is nonplussed when his children discover a crop circle in his own cornfield. He remains skeptical even as television news coverage reports alien crafts hovering over major cities. But his denial is exploded when he and his family have a close encounter of the extremely nasty kind.

    The small cast is extremely, extremely good. I generally dislike Mel Gibson as an actor, but he has grown a bit since his macho-bravado BRAVEHEART days, and while he might seem an unlikely choice for the part of a failed minister he carries it extremely well. Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly cast as Gibson's younger brother, and the children--Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin--are flawless.

    What isn't flawless is the story. The blend of religious and sci-fi motifs is an interesting idea, but director Shyamalan (who also wrote the script) doesn't quite manage to hold them in balance, and ultimately winds up beating you over the head with the film's religious elements while giving the sci-fi elements the short end of the stick. I did appreciate the fact that the film builds suspense more by what it does not show than what it does, and I have no qualm with that--it's a welcome choice after such special effects overkill as INDEPENDENCE DAY and the like--but several of his plot devices smack of stereotype, and the film's conclusion is such a deus ex machina that it is not to be believed. There is indeed a great deal to admire about the film, but when all is said and done it somehow lacks sincerity and falls just short of the mark. Entertaining nonetheless.

    Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
    • gftbiloxi
    • Apr 17, 2005
    • Permalink

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    FAQ26

    • How long is Signs?Powered by Alexa
    • When the Aliens communicate, why do they sound like squirrels?
    • What is "Signs" about?
    • Is "Signs" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 2, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Portuguese
    • Also known as
      • Señales
    • Filming locations
      • Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • Blinding Edge Pictures
      • The Kennedy/Marshall Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • 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
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
      • SDDS
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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