Rewarding film, suffers from misdirected marketing

Rating: 10/10 (2 August 2002)

This film is a suspense-drama about faith, family and personal philosophy. Let me repeat that. This film is a suspense-drama.
The greatest difficulty that many will have with "Signs" is their own expectations for a science fiction story or simple action move. Those who expect an "Independence Day" or "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" will be disappointed. And they will lose out on a wonderful movie.
"Signs" is tightly focused on the Gibson's character. The heart of the movie revolves around how he chooses to view life. M. Night Shyamalan's direction is steady with a deep appreciation for and sympathy with the struggles of people struggling to lead and guide others. The tautly built sense of apprehension is structured around the mysterious and threatening events, but is more deeply focused on the internal confrontation of Gibson's character with himself and his own conception of the world.
James Newton Howard's score transforms from an oddly sappy 50's style piece at the intro to a haunting, dissonant and simply disconcerting theme as the movie builds. It's a work of genius, not in the sense that you'll want to listen the soundtrack many times, but in the sense that it perfectly supports the film. Likewise the sound work richly provides a depth that captures well the unease within its commonplace setting. Shyamalan continues to pull great performances from children and both Rory Caulkin and Abibail Bensen are solid. They pull at your heart in believable ways and provide substance to the family.
Bottom line: Go for the thoughtful drama of human struggles with personal and family faith. Look elsewhere for the Sci-Fi and action kicks.