Movies - Signs

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	Movies - Signs

Signs (2002) is a film by M. Night Shyamalan starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. It was one of the highest grossing films of 2002; it earned $228 million in the United States, and $408 million (US) worldwide.

Gibson plays an Episcopal priest who "has been shut down by a devastating life experience." Although the plot revolves around crop circles, its producer, Frank Marshall, said, "It's really about human emotions set in motion by a supernatural event." Shyamalan, who plays a neighbor in the film, was inspired by The Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Birds
.

The plot

The film is about a rural family that lives on a farm. The father, Graham Hess (Gibson), is a former Episcopal priest who has lost his faith after his wife is killed in a horrific traffic accident by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel (as portrayed by M. Night Shyamalan). No longer practicing religiously, he lives with his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), and his young daughter (Bo) and son (Morgan). Things are fairly steady in life until a mysterious crop circle appears in his corn field. Its origin and purpose is unknown. Some in the town speculate that it may be a prank; a few believe that it may have been created by intelligent alien lifeforms.

Throughout the film we learn that his daughter has a peculiar aversion to water that is not fresh from the faucet; she constantly says things like "the water is contaminated", and is always asking for a fresh glass of water, leaving behind half-consumed glasses of water around the house (or whatever dwelling she happens to be in).

As the story progresses, it is clear that Graham's farm is under watch, and he and his brother chase a dimly seen person who was spying on them at night from the roof of their farm. The being disappears into the crops, moving faster and disappearing far easier than anyone can explain. Soon Graham and his family are shocked to learn that similar crop circles have suddenly appeared all around the world, in ways too similar and created too quickly to merely be a grand elaborate hoax.

Graham tries to distract his family from the facts by taking them into town where they see Ray, the man who inadvertantly killed Graham's wife.

Back home, Morgan is trying to make his sister's baby monitor work, in hope to catch the alien's signal. Merril tries to convince Morgan that everything is a hoax created by nerds, but it doesn't work at all. As they get out the car, voices begin to come out the baby monitor. Expecting that the higher the baby monitor is the better the sign is, Morgan climbs up the car and find out that there are two of them talking. Soon the baby monitor loses the signal.

As the movie progresses, we see more televised news reports of crop circle sightings around the world, followed by sightings of UFOs, presumed to be of alien origin. The situation turns dangerous when the UFOs become invisible, due to the fact that a bird was observed flying into them and falling, however, the government and news agencies are certain that they still are there. This is followed by sightings of a presumed alien being at a birthday party in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. (Many viewers consider this to be the most frightening part of the film, due to the sudden appearance of the creature.)

The movie picks up its pace when Graham visits the home of the man who accidentally killed his wife. The emotionally-wounded doctor's enigmatic discussion expresses regret for killing Graham's wife, his theories about what is happening, and the cryptic line "Don't open my pantry, Father. I found one of them in there; I locked 'em in.". Upon investigating, Graham indeed finds something intelligent and alive locked in the man's kitchen closet, only dimly seen in the reflection of a knifeblade. When it lunges for him Graham cuts off two of the intruder's fingers.

Graham returns home and see his family waiting for him on the sofa. Merril tells him that the alien's skin can change their colors, hence why they could not see them that night. Learning from Morgan that they would probably invade if they were hostile, and believing that the aliens are about to invade if they were so, Graham decides to protect his famly with two alternatives: Going to the lake, in hope that they don't like water, or staying home. After a controversial "election", they decide to stay home and they board up all doors and windows. While Graham and Merril are doing that, Morgan and Bo watch the news and find out that there are several UFOs over 274 cities, and growing. They board up the last doors and windows, and go to the family room, waiting for the aliens.

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Movies - Signs

The plot

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