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?)
Uncle Moose
23rd Sep 2013
The Sixth Sense (1999)
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.
13th Oct 2020
The Sixth Sense (1999)
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.
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.
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.
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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