The Sixth Sense

Question: Through most of the film Malcolm is dead. All the other ghosts still have scars from how they died but why doesn't Malcolm have his mark which should be a bullet wound?

Answer: Because as Cole tells us in the middle of the movie, "They only see what they want to see." The movie shows us Malcolm as he perceives himself. He can't actually put on an overcoat, or change clothes. He sees what he expects to see. He goes outside in the cold to visit Cole, so he sees himself wearing an overcoat. He doesn't know he is dead - he doesn't see his wound. To preserve this misdirection throughout the movie, we are shown Malcolm as he sees himself.

Actually, we do see Malcolm and Cole sees him. The entry wound in his abdomen is tiny, and the large, obvious exit wound is on Malcolm's back, which we never see.

C Classic

Question: Does Cole know for the whole movie that Malcolm is dead? If he does, why isn't he afraid of him like he is of the other dead people in the movie?

Answer: Cole knew that Malcolm was dead as early as the first few scenes. When he opens his door to the house he doesn't immediately step out. Almost as if he didn't want to go out that day. After he finally muster up the courage, he waits for Malcolm to look away as he hurriedly makes his exit. He also picks up his pace as Malcolm begins to follow him. He knew from the very first time he saw him, and yes he was just as afraid of Malcolm as he was of the other ghost.

Answer: Yes, of course. Remember that Cole tells us that these ghosts only "see what they want to see". To avoid giving away the whole plot twist of the movie, we see Malcolm as he sees himself - no injury, and dressed as would be appropriate for where he sees himself. But we know Cole can see dead people, and he sees them as they truly are. The young blonde boy with the back of his head blown out should make this clear. As for the second part of your question, I think Cole is scared of Malcolm at first. You can see his fear when Malcolm walks past him in the church to sit in the pew in front of where he is playing. His tension slowly eases during their conversation, but he still looks wary as he leaves the church. I get the impression that Cole spends large portions of his time in this building, yet he leaves this time within a few minutes of arriving; he doesn't want to stay near this new ghost. He becomes comfortable with him later of course, and Malcolm eventually wins his trust through honesty about his own problems, but this is not true from the start.

Answer: I think we have to assume, while it is never said, that Cole is not afraid of all ghosts, just some that are angry, upset or creepy. He has talked to them, as evidenced that he knows Latin phrases, or the guy killed in Vietnam in the specific division and province. So while a bit scared of all of them, he is willing to talk or listen a little, but not enough to know they want his help. Then, here comes a child psychologist who knows how to talk to kids and get them to open up a bit, and Cole starts to trust him. But he certainly seems to know he is a ghost. While it is not said, he probably knows the difference between seeing a ghost and a live person always.

Question: Why does the female ghost in Cole's house keep on opening the drawers and cupboards?

LazyBoy09

Chosen answer: She lived in the house and is repeating actions she took so many times during her life, as if trying to relive it.

Brenda Elzin

Answer: Traditionally, ghosts that are angry will do things like open all the cupboards just to try and be noticed, or to mess with people. And maybe she is looking for food that is not there because her husband is a terrible man who does not give her money to buy food, but always gets mad because she has not made dinner, so she is always looking for food in the cupboards.

Question: When Bruce Willis is shot, how come there's lots of blood on the exit wound but absolutely no blood on the entrance wound?

Answer: The exit wound of a bullet is always much bigger than the entrance wound. Because as the bullet goes through the body, it pushes more and more flesh and body with it tearing a larger and larger hole as it passes through. So a bullet goes in, but bullet and lots of flesh and other bodily parts come out making a large exit wound. As of such blood more readily flows from the larger hole that the tighter entrance wound. Plus it could also be from where the bullet hit. The exit wound may be close to an artery that pushes blood out faster and maybe the entrance wound was not close to any large veins.

Quantom X

Question: Since Vincent (Malcolm's ex patient who shot him) can also see ghosts, is there any connection with him and Cole or is it just an amazing coincidence?

Answer: There is no direct connection between Cole and Vincent, and it is not really a coincidence. Cole and Vincent did not know each other, but they shared the same ability to see and hear ghosts. After Malcolm was shot and killed, he sought out Cole without understanding that he himself was dead. Vincent was Malcolm's patient and had been deeply troubled because he also saw ghosts. Malcolm is somehow driven to find and help Cole understand and to accept his ability to see and speak to the deceased.

raywest

Question: If Malcolm is dead how does Cole's mother see him in the movie?

Answer: The answer is simple: she doesn't. If you watch the movie carefully, you'll note that the only one who actually ever acknowledges Malcolm's presence is Cole. For the rest of the movie, you only assume that everyone sees or acknowledges Malcolm simply because of the way the scenes are shot. When a scene starts by showing Malcolm sitting in a room with Cole's mother, we as a movie-going public have been trained to assume that means they have been talking. However, we never actually see that happen.

Garlonuss

Answer: It is established that ghosts "gloss over" evidence that they are dead. Malcolm probably has a general sense that he spoke with the mother, and would only realise he didn't if he deliberately thought about it or if Cole had pushed him to remember.

Question: Does anyone know why in pictures Cole always had a streak of light above his head?

Answer: That sparkle represented the dead people who were always hanging around Cole. Being in his presence, with his power to interact with the dead, caused them to have a physical signal to a perceiver of absolute truth: a camera.

Phoenix

Question: What happened to Cole in the room that he got locked in at the party? We hear the ghost but as far as we saw during the movie, none of the ghosts actually hurt Cole, physically at least, so what could've happened to him?

iceverything776

Chosen answer: Near the end of the movie, when Cole tells his mother his secret, he is explaining to her about the ghosts, and says "They're the ones that used to hurt me". This informs us that the ghosts are responsible for his injuries in the movie, and that this problem has stopped. In this specific case, however, Lyn removes Cole's unconscious body from the closet. The movie does not specifically answer your question, however it seems reasonable speculation that he was injured by the ghost inside the closet with him, and that he thrashed about violently trying to escape. Since the hospital checked him for signs of seizure, I expect he lost consciousness not from physical trauma, but because the experience was too much for him and he, for want of a medical term, fainted.

Question: If Malcolm was dead, how did he know all about Cole, and that he needed help? Where did he get all the info?

Answer: It's never explained in the film, but the implication seems to be that he was just sort-of compelled to help Cole. Given the film portrays the dead as only "seeing what they want to see" and trying to resolve unfinished business from life, it's entirely possible that Malcolm falsely believes he was assigned to Cole's case, even though he wasn't. It's just his way of trying to move on.

TedStixon

I'd like to add that despite the ghosts not knowing they are dead, they do know they can interact with Cole and others who can see them, they are even drawn to them, for help. This happened with Malcolm too and him being child psychiatrist connected with his ability to communicate with Cole, not asking Cole for help but helping Cole help himself. The info he has is probably a collection of his previous encounters with him, perhaps even being there at past psychiatrists. Its also possible he was his next patient, before he got shot. The dossier could have already been at his house and he remembers it.

lionhead

Answer: In his notes, it says referred September 1998, so I am guessing he had been referred to Willis, but they never met, but when he suddenly finds himself sitting outside his house, drawn by whatever forces do such, he would naturally assume he was there to meet with his new referral, or perhaps he imagined it, one part of his mind telling him he was there to meet his patient, and one part conjuring up a note pad that would have the notes of the referral.

Answer: The dead need to finish things on Earth before they can move on. In Malcolm's case, he needs to help Cole - making up for his failure to help Vincent Grey. In order to do this, he needs the relevant information, so it is supplied to him by whatever agency controls these things. As the dead are unaware of their condition, Malcolm receives the information as if it were another case file for him to work on.

Tailkinker

Chosen answer: Spoiler alert: Psychiatrists help their patients in a variety of ways. Generally, they begin by developing rapport, establishing an empathetic relationship, and trying to understand the patient's perspective and how he views the world. Some therapeutic approaches are based on the notion that the relationship between therapist and patient is the prime source of healing. Many psychiatrists would also prescribe medication to ameliorate what they would almost assuredly view as psychotic symptoms. But in this case, I think Dr. Crowe has a sense, throughout, that his young patient's experiences are more than hallucinations. Cole's stories resonate with him at a deep level, as he is also struggling internally and subconsciously with his own (as we will later learn) ambiguous position between life and death. I don't think there's a point where Dr. Crowe changes his mind, per se. He develops. And in the process, he definitely assists Cole in overcoming his fears, as well. During the film, they heal one another.

Michael Albert

Answer: I would have to rewatch, but it seems at one point he is humoring him, but maybe deep down has a feeling that he is not totally crazy, but then he goes and listens to the tape and hears a dead person and realises that there is such a thing as seeing dead people. This is why he tries to help cole cope after that, not be cured.

Question: If Cole truly knows that Malcolm is a ghost throughout the film, then how do you explain the advice Malcolm gives Cole to "listen to them [the ghosts.]"? Isn't Cole already doing that by listening to Malcolm? How did Malcolm really help Cole deal with his ghosts and fears if the key advice he gave him was something Cole already did the moment he met Malcolm? If Cole already knew to listen to ghosts (e.g. Malcolm), then how did Malcolm really help Cole in reality? (Or was the point of the film more that of Cole helping Malcolm instead?)

SteveQ

Chosen answer: First, be clear that Cole was afraid of Malcolm at first. He is tense when Malcolm first walks into the church. He relaxes with him over time. Remember too that we learn that Cole's grandmother visits him sometimes, and he indicates no fear of her (though I'd guess he was scared at first). More than once in the movie he indicates or infers that not ALL the ghosts he sees are scary. Keeping in mind this is fiction, and not every possibility can be addressed, the flow of events shows that the "solution" is to help the ghosts through listening to their problem(s). The ghosts are lingering due to some issues they wish to see resolved in some manner. It seems Kyra wanted her father to know the truth of her death - indications are this was to protect her little sister who was already being targeted by the step-mother. Things are slightly more complex for Malcolm because his anchor to this life is coincident with helping Cole find the solution to these ghosts. So Malcolm is both persistent and has the training to pierce Cole's resistance and fear; while Cole possibly talks to some ghosts, the ones who aren't scary, he doesn't necessarily "listen" to them in the sense that Malcolm advises later in the movie. Thus, that key conversation leads Cole to the confidence to deal with the ghosts without fear, and also resolves Malcolm's guilt over Vincent.

In a way, it's like Malcolm is getting a do-over, a second chance, with Cole, to do what he failed to do with Vincent, which is to help him deal with having the "gift" of the sixth sense, being able to see, hear, and interact with ghosts, in order to help them to realise the fact of their death and move on.

Uncle Moose

Answer: At the beginning of the money, as Malcolm reviews his notes, Vincent's name is on top, however, on the next shot when the paper is shown up close, it now has Cole's name. There is a direct connection. Because of this scene, I thought Malcolm was trying to keep his promise to help Vincent. Both Vincent and Cole have the same gray streak in their hair. There is a direct connection.

Question: Crowe thinks his wife resents him for putting his work before her. But since nobody but Cole can see him, what work does he have?

MikeH

Chosen answer: Child psychologist - or so he thinks. Remember that Bruce Willis' character doesn't comprehend that he is actually dead, and certainly doesn't grasp the fact that Cole is the only person who can see him. Dr. Crowe's perception is that life goes on as does his professional role as a therapist for children. When he is around his wife, he misinterprets her melancholia and somber expressions as evidence that she resents his priority on his work, and that she is behaving coldly towards him as a result. In fact, she is in mourning for Malcolm, her dead husband - something he doesn't realize until the film's end.

Michael Albert

Question: I'm unclear about the mother of the young girl who died. Did she intentionally kill her daughter or was it accidental? That is, was this supposed to be a Munchhausen by Proxy Disorder situation where the mother only intended to keep her daughter sick enough so she was under constant medical supervision?

Answer: At best, it was Munchhausen by Proxy. However, it could have been a well-planned murder of one, and then the other child. But the mother's reaction when everyone is looking at her seems a little more mental than criminal.

scwilliam

"But the mother's reaction when everyone is looking at her seems a little more mental than criminal." This is personal opinion. I've never interpreted her expression that way. I've seen it as someone who intentionally killed the child having the first realisation that she's been found out.

Question: Maybe this is just an assumption of mine, but since Malcolm is dead why can't he see the other dead people, ie the three hanging in the school?

Answer: Cole explains this. During the hospital scene when he tells his secret, he describes the dead people he sees as "Walking around like regular people. The don't see each other. They only see what they wanna see. They don't know they're dead". This explains many things in the movie, including why Malcolm can't see the ghosts, why he can't see his blood-stained shirt (till the very end), why he doesn't see the table blocking the basement door, etc. I believe that Cole sees him just how he looked when he died - blue work shirt with the massive blood stain at the back, while we see Malcolm throughout the movie as he perceives himself - no blood, overcoat when he's outside, etc.

Question: Vincent Grey says "I know why you're scared of the basement." What is it that he knows?

Answer: He doesn't say "I know why you're scared of the basement." He says "Do you know why you're afraid when you're alone? I do. I do." He had been trying to get Malcolm to understand that he can see ghosts but Malcolm never believed he actually could and just thought Vincent was suffering from psychosis.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Why could Malcolm not open the door with the red knob?

Answer: In Malcolm's spirit-mind, which was in denial, it was somehow stuck and simply wouldn't open. But in reality as shown in the final twist, it's because his wife had blocked the door with a heavy desk, which Malcolm was "blocking out" and refusing to allow himself to see.

But he did get into the cellar. The first time he tries to open the door it immediately cuts to him walking down the stairs. How did he get in if it was blocked?

He walked through the door. Or he projected himself to the other side. Since he is in denial of his own death, his mind corrected the experience, creating a memory of unlocking and opening the door.

Answer: You can see that Malcolm is reaching for his pocket every time he is not able to open the door. He simply thinks he or his wife locked it.

Question: In order not to spoil the plot twist it seems as though Malcolm and Anna's marriage is strained, i.e. him standing Anna up on their anniversary saying he went to a different restaurant, etc. Was their marriage potentially/actually strained anyway because of him trying to help Vincent and seemingly repeating history with Cole? Malcolm notes the comparison out loud, thinking Anna can hear him and is ignoring him.

Answer: It appears their marriage was happy, though any married couple experiences ups and downs, and doctors particularly have demanding professions that can affect their family life. However, Anna's reaction, as we see it in the movie, is the direct result of her extreme grief over Malcolm's death. It is only from Malcolm's altered perception that it appears there is a marital rift.

raywest

Answer: There certainly couldn't be any strain due to Malcolm's repeating history by helping Cole, because he's doing that post-mortem, so to speak. Anna knows Malcolm is dead, so no, no strain due to his helping Cole.

Uncle Moose

I'm starting to think this is actually an element that Mr. Shyamalan (sp?) added as a way of explaining Malcolm's reaction to Anna's behavior toward him at the restaurant. Malcolm has to believe that something he's done wrong is bothering Anna, because the alternative is that she doesn't hear him and doesn't see him. And if Malcolm thought that, then we'd have a whole different movie, with Malcolm waving his arms and shouting, doing whatever, to get her attention, etc etc. So it works as a way to keep Malcolm in ignorance or denial, and it also shows the two of them together to the audience, hopefully keeping us from catching on to the twist. Brilliant.

Uncle Moose

Answer: The most likely scenario is that a ghost at the school told him.

Answer: Near the end, it is revealed that Cole has seen the ghosts of teachers that died in the fire at the school when "Stuttering Stanley" was a student, so it would make sense that one of them told him.

Question: Could Anna see ghosts? Why was she shivering in the closet and then ran out of it in fear? Also in the end why was she shivering and answering Malcolm? Was she ignoring him all the time?

Darshan Bari

Chosen answer: No, she can't see ghosts...no one but Cole can. But it is established that everyone can feel the "chilling" effect of the ghosts, and feel an inexplicable coldness in their presence. Naturally, this freaks them out, so it's natural Anna (and everyone else) would run from it. At the end, she wasn't answering Malcolm, just as throughout the film what appears to be her ignoring him is simply her not being aware of his presence. She's merely talking in her sleep, and Malcolm, as he does every other time, mistakes this for a direct interaction...until he realises the truth.

Actually I do believe she was answering him. Cole told him to go talk to her while she slept. After finding out ghosts come to him for help, this is Cole helping Malcolm. It's possible Cole knew it is possible for ghosts to communicate with other people this way.

lionhead

Actually I believe the cellar is just cold in the first scene. Instead, I think she is spooked and thinks something is odd since Vincent was actually in the cellar hiding when she was down there. At some point afterwards he snuck up to the bathroom before being confronted by Malcolm. Any other interaction between Anna and the cold is likely the sensation of being near a ghost though.

Animals could sense them too, or at least the ones in paranormal activity can.

Paranormal Activity has nothing to do with this movie.

Phaneron

Question: Why was Vincent (the guy who shot Malcolm) in his underwear? Couldn't he have shot Malcolm wearing his clothes?

Pavaliza

Chosen answer: There's no explanation but someone being dressed only in their underwear while they are in someone else's home to shoot them would indicate a severe mental problem, which was the case with Vincent.

raywest

Answer: It is actually explained in the bonus features of the movies, it goes something along the lines of: he saw dead people for so long that he tried to hide from them by wearing different types of cloths. When he decides to commit suicide, this is the end. There was no need to wear something to hide who he is. He wore nothing at all, as if to be free, or to show that he doesn't want to be afraid any more.

Answer: May be to show the scars on his body given by ghosts.

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Malcolm Crowe is showing Cole the "vanishing penny" trick, watch Malcolm's hair as the scenes cut back and forth between the child and Malcolm. Malcolm's hair (front) goes from perfectly combed to a duck tail. (00:38:30)

More mistakes in The Sixth Sense

Vincent Gray: Do you know why you're afraid when you're alone? I do. I do.

More quotes from The Sixth Sense

Trivia: The doctor that treats Cole after the incident at the birthday party is played by director M. Night Shamalyan. Interesting about this scene is that Shamalyan came from a family of doctors, including his wife who is one. He also at one time wanted to become a doctor before he decided on a career in filmmaking.

More trivia for The Sixth Sense

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