The film Signs (2002) is a science fiction thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Mel Gibson as Graham Hess, a former Episcopal priest who discovers crop circles in his field. Graham is initially skeptical, but he begins to believe that the crop circles are a sign of an impending alien invasion after he sees a strange light in the sky.
Graham's younger brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and his two children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), also live on the farm. Merrill is a former minor league baseball player who has been helping Graham since his wife Colleen died in a car accident six months earlier. Graham has abandoned the church since her death.
As the film progresses, the Hess family encounters more and more evidence that aliens are coming. They see strange lights in the sky, they hear unexplained noises, and they find dead animals with strange markings on their bodies.
Graham also begins to experience flashbacks to his time as a priest. He remembers a sermon he gave on the Book of Job, in which he said that God is often silent in the face of human suffering. Graham begins to wonder if the aliens are coming to punish humanity for its sins.
The family eventually decides to stay and fight the aliens. They board up their house and arm themselves with guns. When the aliens finally attack, the Hess family fights bravely, but they are outnumbered and outgunned.
In the end, only Graham and Bo survive. They are saved by a mysterious visitor who turns out to be an alien. The alien explains that aliens have been visiting Earth for centuries, but they have always stayed hidden because they are afraid of humans.
The alien tells Graham that he is a sign of hope. He says that humanity has the potential to overcome its problems and create a better world. The alien then disappears, leaving Graham and Bo to rebuild their lives.
Signs is a complex and thought-provoking film that explores themes of faith, family, and the possibility of life beyond Earth. It is a suspenseful and thrilling film, but it is also a meditation on the human condition.
The film has been praised for its performances, its direction, and its screenplay. It has also been criticized for its slow pacing and its ambiguous ending. However, Signs remains a popular and influential film, and it is considered to be one of M. Night Shyamalan's best films.
Cast
- Mel Gibson as Father Graham Hess, a farmer and former Episcopal[6][7] priest. His wife Colleen died six months prior. He is Merrill's older brother and father to son Morgan and daughter Bo.
- Joaquin Phoenix as Merrill Hess, Graham's younger brother; Colleen's brother-in-law; and uncle of Morgan and Bo. He has been living with the family since Colleen's death; he is a former minor league baseball player.
- Cherry Jones as Caroline Paski, a local police officer and friend of the Hess family.
- Rory Culkin as Morgan Hess, the son of Graham and Colleen Hess; older brother to sister Bo; and nephew to Merrill.
- Abigail Breslin as Bo Hess, the daughter of Graham and Colleen Hess; Morgan's younger sister; and niece to Merrill; she is the youngest of the Hess family.
- Patricia Kalember as Colleen Hess, Graham's deceased wife; mother of Morgan and Bo; and Merrill's sister-in-law; she is seen only in Graham's flashbacks.
- M. Night Shyamalan as Ray Reddy, a veterinarian; he is responsible for Colleen's accidental death, for which he feels deeply remorseful.
- Ted Sutton as SFC Cunningham, an Army recruiter Merrill speaks to.
- Merritt Wever as Tracey Abernathy, a pharmacist who makes confession to a discomforted Graham.
- Lanny Flaherty as Carl Nathan, the crotchety owner of the bookstore in town.
- Marion McCorry as Mrs. Nathan, Carl Nathan’s wife.
- Michael Showalter as Lionel Prichard, a local troublemaker.
- Clifford David as a Columbia University professor viewed on television.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writers: M. Night Shyamalan
Box Office Gross: $408,247,917
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: drama mystery Sci-Fi thriller
Release Date: August 2, 2002
Trailer: