reviewed by Dallas Shipp
     

Crop circles: You know them when you see them. They appear, seemingly from nowhere and no one, making them a particularly intriguing mystery. I used to like to read about things like crop circles. Some of the cheaper kid's science fiction writers loved to link crop circles to alien abductions, UFO's, and other related things. Seems we usually link these strange "signs" to extra-terrestrial life. To some Christians, this sort of science, or science-fiction, abandons religion. After all, the giant science fiction films of the past, like Contact, Independence Day, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind all left behind questions of God, and some, like Contact, were little more than anti-Christian propaganda disguised as entertainment. 

Do Christians have cause to be uneasy about science fiction? Personally, I enjoy it very much. There is a thick line between the blatant propaganda of Contact's caliber and good fiction, but I do agree that most of the alien genre science fiction films of the day leave God totally out of the picture, as if He is not part of the equation. God is real, and His presence in the world is as real as your computer screen. Signs writer/director M. Night Shyamalan shows us that this religious abandonment in film simply is not necessary. Shyamalan has released three Hollywood studio produced films. The acclaimed Sixth Sense, which won Oscar attention, was a psychological journey. Unbreakable, one of my favorites of 2000, was an emotional journey. Signs, Shyamalan's latest production, is a spiritual journey. If you walk away from this film thinking it is about aliens, you have missed the entire film. I saw this movie with a good friend of mine, and he walked away convinced that M. Night Shyamalan is a Christian.

Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is a former protestant minister and farmer who abandoned Christianity for atheism when his wife was killed. As his life was very badly shaken, his brother Merril (Joaquin Pheonix) moves in to help with Graham's two children, Bo (Abigail Breslin) and Morgan (Rory Culkin). One morning on the farm the children wake up to the dogs barking in the cornfield. A mysterious crop circle had been formed in the field overnight and the dogs are going insane with panic. Graham, Merril, and the local sheriff (Cherry Jones) are convinced that the circles were made by some local pranksters, but the Hess children have their own ideas about it all. Some  strange happenings during the night, as well as thousands of crop circles  appearing around the world make Graham and Merril increasingly weary of the situation.

Finally Graham is forced to conclude that the whole thing "is for real." That it is not the most incredible, elaborate hoax in history. Graham is also forced to decide: is humanity to fend for itself against this danger? Is it easier to believe that his existence is an accident, or that he was created with a purpose? Is it easier to believe in luck, or that nothing is coincidence? Is he to be left alone to defend his loved ones, or is there a God who will defend them all? Did he ever really stop believing? This film was incredible and moving. The directing, as usual, was top notch. M. Night Shyamalan is my favorite director, and I would be false not to admit my bias here. The writing was brilliant, mixing gripping suspense with light hearted comedy elements. There were gasps and laughter in my audience, and the film deserves both. The photography was exceptional. I took special notice to the lighting and the sound. Keep your eye out for this film at the Oscars. The score, mostly a haunting violin quartet, was quite memorable. Kudos to the background of the film. The acting was very good. Joaquin Pheonix was very impressive. This young actor has already received two Oscar nominations for best supporting actor. Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin were both exceptional as the Hess children. Shyamalan has discovered some of the best child actors in the past few years. Also watch for Shyamalan himself in a small supporting cameo role, a veterinarian named Ray. 

This film was rated PG-13 for tense and horrific scenes. Offensive language was very mild. There was no sexual content. There was some light blood. A dog is stabbed through the neck. We see the slightly bloody knife removed, but not the wound. There is some violence onscreen. We have a very brief glimpse of flesh being cut, but there is no blood. There are several jump scenes in this film. Have a fair warning, it is very scary. Signs is not a film for children or those who wish to avoid being frightened. I think it is an excellent film quality wise as well as story wise, and give it my highest rating and recommendation. So far, I believe it is one of the best films I have seen this year. It is a powerful statement of theism, and I applaud Shyamalan for the production of this film. It is both entertaining and thought provoking. A psychological and spiritual thriller. Think Close Encounters of the Third Kind is good? See Signs.

Editor's Comments:

Frankly, when I heard Shaymalan was making a film about crop circles and an ex-minister whose faith has been shaken by the death of his wife, I had my doubts. After all, I hadn't liked the theology or spiritual implications in The Sixth Sense, and found Unbreakable uncommonly dull. But my interest peaked with my friends' high praise of Signs, and so I went. I laughed, cried, screamed, and clutched the arm of the person nearest me. But I didn't come out thinking about aliens. If you think Signs is only about extra terrestrial life, you are much mistaken. This remarkable film successfully works a concept that only Tolkien and Lewis have formerly achieved... to mix religion with science fiction and fantasy and get away with it. But more than that, to achieve the greatest achievement of mankind... to make people actually think about the story, its concept, and its meaning for days afterward. Signs raises some very poignant questions and alludes to the answers... Is there such a thing as coincidence? Are we alone in this world? Are we on our own? ... or is Someone watching out for us?

The psychology in the piece is also enthralling, and unlike the prior two, I never had my misgivings about where we were headed. The music is haunting, the acting sublime, the clues chilling and yet entirely plausible as they lead up to a powerful climax. There are some anti-God statements voiced toward the latter part of the film, but in the end, one character's faith in God is restored. How? Well, you'll just have to find that out for yourself. Aliens probably don't exist, and God would never allow them to invade earth anyway, but maybe that's not what Signs is all about...