Redemption is the key

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 1999)

When I went to the theatre to see this film, I wasn't really sure what to expect. A former patient of Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) breaks into the house, shoots Crowe and then commits suicide. The next year Dr. Crowe takes on a new patient Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who is remarkable similar to the young man he couldn't save. After a shaky start, patient and doctor begin to bond but in the process the good doctor loses touch with his wife Anna (Olivia Williams). When he realizes what happened, Dr. Crowe tries to redeem himself. The acting by the main characters was good but it seemed more of a cable movie than a major motion picture. I viewed it as a waste of money until the end when both Dr. Crowe and Cole Sear are able to help each other with their respective problems.