The first sign you can’t explain. The second sign you can’t ignore. The third sign you won’t believe.

One evening when my parents were visiting, I suggested we watch Signs on DVD. I explained to them that this is a thriller about a priest who lives on a farm. It’s not a violent film, there’s no blood, I assured them. Then I told them that the priest had lost his faith because his wife had died in a car crash. Then I took a breath and got to the tricky part; “… but the priest is about to become a believer again because of this… hrmmm… alien invasion”. It’s a wonder that my parents didn’t refuse to see the movie. The story does sound just as stupid as the one director M. Night Shyamalan wrote for his The Village (2004). But there’s something about this film that makes it work.

The priest is Graham Hess (Mel Gibson). Ever since he turned his back on his calling, he’s been growing corn in Pennsylvania; also living on his farm is his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and his two children. One day the family discovers huge circles in their crop fields and they learn that similar events have taken place all over the world. The animals are beginning to act strangely, and a baby monitor is picking up weird signals from above. Soon the Hess family is getting a natural explanation—aliens from outer space are coming. But these visitors might not be very friendly at all, and our Pennsylvania corn growers must prepare to face the enemy as an entire world finds itself at war with the extra-terrestrials. It sounds like Independence Day 2, but forget about the White House being obliterated once again; this is actually a chamber piece featuring no explosions, few characters and sets, but a lot of intense emotion. Mel Gibson is quite good as the priest who is not only cursing God for taking away his wife, but has stopped believing in him altogether. The point of the script is to make him a believer again, and Mr. Shyamalan does this in a very clever way, presenting the alien invasion as something that God has sent to Graham Hess to show him that there is a purpose to everything. The former priest is forced to become a herd once again, someone who comforts the flock, shows confidence and leadership, not weakness and lack of faith. That’s good, because the “flock” (led by Mr. Phoenix as the brother and uncle who once was a budding baseball star) is getting sick and tired of waiting for this herd to get his act together.

The movie builds its tension slowly and effectively, blending sequences where the audience learns just what happened to Graham’s wife, with those that show what is going through his mind as the aliens move closer. The final half-hour is nerve-racking as the space men stage an attack on the isolated farm and the barricaded family. There are a few excellent shocks to be had, including the final act. Mr. Shyamalan doesn’t need outlandish special effects to scare audiences. We never really get to see the aliens until the very end, which is an excellent idea; when we do get to see them, the design looks believable enough not to let anyone down.

Some may think that the film is too solemn, that it’s taking a ridiculous story too seriously. I disagree; this is a moving, exciting and occasionally funny movie that avoids overly sentimental traps. And my parents? I think they were quite happy with my choice for the evening.

The YouTube clip shows the trailer.

Signs 2002-U.S. 105 min. Color. Produced by Frank Marshall, Sam Mercer, M. Night Shyamalan. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Music: James Newton Howard. Cast: Mel Gibson (Graham Hess), Joaquin Phoenix (Merrill Hess), Cherry Jones (Caroline Paski), Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Kalember. Cameo: M. Night Shyamalan.

Published 2005-02-22 18:46