A Reel 20: SIGNS

“Swing away, Merrill…”

 

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of M. Night Shyamalan’s SIGNS. 

 

One of the biggest box office hits of 2002, SIGNS was the third consecutive hit from M. Night, following his breakout films THE SIXTH SENSE (1999), and UNBREAKABLE (2000). Written and directed by M. Night, SIGNS told the tale of a widowed, former priest and his family who discover a series of crop circles in his cornfield, which turns into a prelude to an alien invasion. 

 

Despite the sci-fi (and horror) elements, SIGNS was a character-driven piece and would require an excellent cast. Mark Ruffalo, years before his AVENGERS fame, was originally cast in the lead, but had to pull out due to required surgery for a tumor. In his place, Mel Gibson was brought in, taking on the role of the former priest. Gibson was joined by Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, and Cherry Jones. 

 

Filming began in 2001 on location in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The cornfield and scenes around the family home were shot inside the campus of Delaware University, an agricultural college. Other scenes were filmed in Newton and Morrisville, PA. James Newton Howard composed the score. 

 

Upon release, SIGNS would receive mixed to excellent reviews. At the time of its release, it would have the second-highest August opening weekend, and the biggest opening in Mel Gibson’s career. Domestically, it would finish fourth, behind big franchise films HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, and SPIDER-MAN. SIGNS would be nominated for multiple awards, including from the Online Film Critics Society, Empire Awards, and would take home a win from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). 

 

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This Blogger’s fondest memory of SIGNS comes not from my first in-theatre viewing, but from my behind-the-glass experiences. I had just started working at Cinemark Theaters as a projectionist that summer, and SIGNS was the first big film to run. I can recall the buzz in the air, and took joy in seeing people jump out of their seats every showing. 

 

SIGNS brought the scares and the drama, but back then it unfairly took a slight beating for what was perceived to be an underwhelming twist at the end. In THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE, M. Night delivered twist endings that used a sledgehammer. For SIGNS, he went more subtle; the reveal was that the “signs” were there in the film for the characters and the audience, and it wasn’t a twist as much as a realization. As a sci-fi film, it brought a new intimate angle to the old alien invasion story. After all, this was only six years after INDEPENDENCE DAY blew up half the planet. SIGNS took inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS (1963), which gives it a timeless feel, and the basis of family and faith (not quite religion, but belief in anything), gives it an added depth. All the signs are here for one of M. Night’s best. 

 

“Is it possible that there are no coincidences?”