Lightweight psychodrama.

Rating: 6/10 (8 May 2003)

I like Mel Gibson as an actor, really, but just not in fatherly roles like he plays here or in "The Patriot." His portrayal of a priest who's lost his faith wrapped around a story of alien invasion just didn't strike me as real. He's much better as a wise-cracking cop, like in the "Lethal Weapon" series or the rugged loner in the "Mad Max" trilogy.
The movie centers around a conversation Mel has with his nephew, in which he postulates that there are two kinds of people in this world - those who believe in miracles and destiny, and those who believe things just happen for no real reason.
Mel plays a reverend in a small Pennsylvania farming community who recently lost his wife in a freak auto accident. He's left the church because of his loss of faith and is now bitter and rudderless in life. His house is a mess and his family is breaking up.
Then one day, crop circles appear in his corn field. Soon after, strange beings show up on the farm and in the community.
His asthmatic son, played by Macaulay Culkin's younger brother, Rory, is curious about the aliens, sensing right away that this is a real invasion. Mel's daughter, played by the cute-as-a-button Abigail Breslin, seems more awed by what's happening than frightened. Joaquin Phoenix plays Mel's nephew, who's helping out around the farm, and he's decidedly in the camp of this is all a miracle of some sort.
The "signs" from the title refers to events leading to other events in the lives of the characters. The movie is supposed to make us realize that all things are connected and that we should look for signs in our lives, but the overall effect is a bit clumsy in the movie.
A conversion Mel has with his dying wife in which her last words are, "Hit away," ties in with Merrill's (Joaquin Phoenix) skills with a baseball bat, which comes in handy when an alien invades their house and snatches the little boy. Alot is made of the fact that the boy's asthma actually saves him from the alien's attempt to poison him with some gas. The asthma is a sign? God made him asthmatic in order to save him? That's what Mel thinks.
The movie is entertaining and a bit spooky. Much of the movie feels like you're part of someone's dream, sort of like Shayamalan's "The Sixth Sense." But I was expecting something more complex from the appearance of the crop circles, not a straight forward alien invasion complete with boogeymen creatures trying to drag off the children.
Mel's dilemma as he deals with his loss of faith and the impending disaster centers the movie, but I had difficulty interpreting his emotions most of the time. He doesn't play a character in control, which is what you expect of Mel Gibson. He's confused and angry and drifts through much of the movie with a blank expression, not seeming to know where he's going, which makes for an awkward story since no one else really picks up the slack. Drama requires a hero, and that element is lacking in this movie. The final scene where Mel puts his collar back on seems trite.