great movie, don't believe the critics....

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2000)

This was a fantastic movie. The ending is a shocker, and makes you want to go back and watch it again to find all the subtle hints you overlooked the first time.
************************************************************ WARNING: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE AND YOU DON'T WANT IT RUINED, READ NO FURTHER ************************************************************ I have read many reviews of this film on this page which criticize the ending, and then analyze Bruce Willis' character to conclude that the movie can't possibly be realistic .... DUH!
First of all, the boy says that he can see dead people walking around. They don't realize they are dead and (most people missed this part of it) THEY ONLY SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE.
The critics mentioned above ask why Willis could go for a year without his wife acknowledging his presence, or how could he sit in the room with the boy's mother and not have her say even a word to him. Well, this would apply to any of the dead people that don't know that they are dead, not just Willis' character. Wouldn't a dead kid also realize that he hasn't been to school in awhile, or turned in his homework, or that his mother hasn't awakened him in the morning for school? If you can't accept a movie which has dead people walking around, then you should go watch Runaway Bride again. This is not your genre.
I think the explanation that the dead people only see what they want to see is sufficient. Sure, it's a handwaving job, but just reeeeelax, sit back and enjoy the movie. After all, if you liked the classic Poltergeist, did you ask yourself how a tree could break a window and grab the kid from his bed?
Overall, this movie is a masterpiece, which is surprising for a 1999 film. Compared to the garbage that Hollywood is emptying on us these days (e.g. Random Hearts, what's up with that?), this movie was a pleasant surprise.
Any critics (who are probably just angry, and in denial, that they didn't figure out the ending until it happened, like most of us) can feel free to respond. :p