SIGNS REVIEW (EXCLUSIVE SERIES)
- Matt Palmer
- Feb 3, 2023
- 3 min read
Initial release date: August 2, 2002 (THIS CAME OUT 21 YEARS AGO!!! - I FEEL OLD!!)
Studios: Touchstone Pictures/Blinding Edge Pictures
Tagline: It's Not Like They Didn't Warn Us
Plot: Everything that farmer Graham Hess assumed about the world is changed when he discovers a message - an intricate pattern of circles and lines - carved into his crops. As he investigates the unfolding mystery, what he finds will forever alter the lives of his brother and children. A unique story that explores the mysterious real-life phenomena of crop signs and the effects they have on one man and his family.
Cast
Mel Gibson - Graham Hess
Joaquin Phoenix - Merill 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
Merrit Weaver - Tracey Abernathy
Michael Showalter - Lionel Pritchard
Writer/director: M. Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin; Old)
Rated PG-13 for some frightening moments (106 minutes)
With 'Knock at the Cabin' opening nationwide and at the Dietrich this weekend, I wanted to take a look at a few films from M. Night Shyamalan's filmography. A few of these I haven't seen in some time and a couple I haven't seen period. And, I wanted to start with the 2002 movie 'Signs.'
'Signs' is probably one of Shyamalan's most underrated movies. This movie can be rather tense in a few scenes, especially once the main family the film is focused on starts to realize what is actually happening.
The movie also can be quite mysterious and suspenseful. When I first watched the movie years ago when I was younger, I actually thought it was one of the scariest movies Shyamalan has directed at that point. Now, watching it for the first time in years, I still think 'Signs' holds up today. There are a few parts that can be thrilling and not as scary as when I first initially watched it.
The mystery and the suspense-filled moments are still rather intriguing. Also, there are a few humorous moments from Joaquin Phoenix (who is awesome in almost everything he does). So, the only nitpick I have DOES CONTAIN A SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE. Anyway, towards the end of the movie, the alien is finally full revealed. But, the CGI they used for it makes it look fake. Since the alien is only seen briefly, they definitely could've pulled it off with practical effects. Anyway, that's my only nitpick lol.
So, if you haven't seen 'Signs' or would want to see it again, you can stream it on HBO Max if you have a subscription or on various VOD rental services!
Here are some interesting fun tidbits for 'Signs':
The stories of the children's birth are actually the stories of Shyamalan's two children.
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.
Shyamalan was so secretive about the script that Gibson joked it "came with a padlock."
Graham Ness was originally written as an older character. Paul Newman was offered the role, but turned it down, as did Clint Eastwood.
The dramatic dinner table scene was filmed in only three hours.
Rather unusually, James Newton Howard started scoring the film before it had been shot, as he was able to work from Shyamalan's detailed storyboards.
According to Shyamalan, the movie's title has two meanings. "One is the crop signs, but it is also about faith and the existence of signs from above."
The film grew out of Shyamalan's idea to show an alien invasion from the POV of one family.
The birthday party scene in this movie has been named one of the scariest scenes of all time by movie critics.
The film was shot on the property of an agricultural school, Delaware Valley College, where two areas of corn were already growing at different stages. The corn grown for the film was naturally further behind the other two areas of corn, so it wasn't a planned element.
Cherry Jones and Joaquin Phoenix also worked together in Shyamalan's next film 'The Village.'
The aliens were originally going to be invisible, but Shyamalan couldn't get the effects he wanted.
Ninety minutes into the movie, the aliens have only been on-screen for eleven seconds. In total, they're only in the movie for almost two minutes.
In 2004, the film was listed as No. 77 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments for the Brazilian party scene.
'Signs' grossed $60 million from 3,264 theaters in its opening weekend. At the time of its release, the film had the second highest August opening weekend, behind 'Rush Hour 2.' The film went on to gross $227 million domestically and $180.2 million internationally for a total of $408.2 million worldwide.
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