A perspective 19 years later

Rating: 7/10 (20 November 2018)

I'm nearly 40 yrs old and just watched The Sixth Sense for the first time. Please read my review from this context.
I have long known about the film's unforgettable ending. That is the legend of this movie. Naturally, I watched it and focused on the character interactions with Bruce Willis' character to see if I could find holes in the behaviors or scenes.
The anniversary dinner scene: I watched closely to see if his wife did anything that would be unnatural. Most of this scene checks out but there was a moment she looked up and straight across the table as if acknowledging Bruce was talking. She quickly looked back down. Nitpicking but hey, it's a review.
The scene in the boy's house: this is kind of a giveaway that Bruce is a ghost. How in the world would the mother not introduce a first time guest to her son?
Another thought I had is this: in what world does a child psychiatrist meet a boy that needs help but the two never meet in his office? Bruce is just waking around and meeting him from place to place?
The acting in the film is average. Bruce Willis did fine but nothing spectacular. He was born to be John McClane in Die Hard, not so much Malcom in Sixth Sense. Haley Joel got a lot of praise at the time of the movie release as I recall. I'm sure he deserved it, but I have a hard time getting past his squeaky voice. It's an ear frequency thing.
I enjoyed the film despite knowing its memorable ending beforehand. It started with appreciating the connection he and his wife had in the beginning. Then, Donnie Wahlburg gave a TREMENDOUS performance in his brief cameo. I was hooked from the start. While the movie may have slowed down a bit while we were introduced to characters and the relationship between Bruce and Haley developed, it picked up again as we were exposed to Haley's sixth sense. I though the tension in the ghost scenes were done very well, and like other reviewers have said, without the need to be gory or bloody.
When we finally get to the plot twist at the end I was satisfied. I think I just appreciate a situation where a loving husband (ghost husband) looks over his sleeping wife and tells her to move on. It's okay. I thought it was a nice touch to a very good movie.