Not the usual blind praise

Rating: 9/10 (9 October 1999)

First of all, let me say that I really enjoyed this movie. It was a great way to pass a couple of hours with friends. I just didn't find it, the ending especially, to be the great mystery that many people did. A friend and I figured out the final plot twist 15 minutes into the movie. As the action continued, we found a great deal of evidence to support our theory. And at the end, we were proven correct. In reality, I wish that I had been as surprised as most people were. It would have made a good movie experience all the more better. It was rather amusing to look at the faces and hear the conversations of those around us as the movie was letting out. The disbelief and shock that was evident did help compensate for the fact that we weren't equally as surprised. This is not to take anything away from the performance of Haley Joel Osment. He's a very gifted young actor, and his portrayal of Cole Sear gave me serious chills. Toni Collette as his mother was also excellent. The rest of the actors gave strong, if not spectacular, performances. All in all, this movie lived up to its reputation as a pleaser, if not all the hype surrounding it.