You heard it here first, guys: The Sixth Sense is really just a long love letter to therapy. For ghosts and humans alike, talking and the ability to get the truth out in the open are important. Cole's life does a complete 180 when he ups his communication game (first with the spirit world and then with his mother); talking to Anna is a huge step in Malcolm's journey toward acceptance of his own death.
Sure, on the surface the movie seems like it's mostly about ghosts and scary happenings. But really, it's often just about how frightening it is dealing with other people when you don't understand their motivations. That's a state of affairs that pretty much every human being can relate to.
We've all lost sleep thinking about how to confront someone we love or share something we know will hurt or upset them. That's why they invented texting.
Questions about Language and Communication
- Most of the movie consists of two-person dialogues. Why do you think that is?
- Do you think Malcolm was having communication problems with his wife before he got shot, too?
- Why do you think Cole doesn't confide in his mother in the first place?
- Sometimes the ghosts talk, and sometimes they don't. Is that significant?
Chew on This
The movie consists mostly of two-person dialogues to highlight the importance of communication in general.
Kyra's ghost is mute onscreen to highlight the importance of Cole speaking for her to the living.