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In thinking about my experience with The Sixth Sense over the eight years since it first set sail on 06-August-1999, I am sometimes reminded of that quote from the classic Masefield poem. Like a ship at sea, when all elements of a film are working in harmony... from the script, to the cast and crew... the film surges ahead under full sail, and it becomes poetry in motion. This particular motion picture proved, in the way that we hold it very close to our hearts, to be as tall and as grand as any that sailed before her. As the stanza from the poem so rightly points out, the charted course for this film to succeed required a star to steer her by. Were it not for that star, even the best ship with the most able crew would have run aground, or crashed on the rocks, but instead she sailed true to the open seas of success. There are many stars in the sky, but the celestial navigation for this film required the brightest star in order to find the way. Not only was that star used as the reference point, but it would set the standard by which all future voyages would be judged. Of course not every ship could navigate by the same star for every journey given the multitude of destinations, but everyone knew of the star, and could easily point it out in the sky. Even the most arduous of courses that took years to chart with a depth of intelligence in the calculations that is difficult to fathom, could finally be plotted against that star, and even sailing to the end of the world became a possibility. The most perilous of journies require the most capable of captains, and The Sixth Sense was piloted by a young but very eager and diligent captain. Not only would he prove adept at choosing just the right star, he would display that skill for each subsequent voyage he would make. As The Sixth Sense set sail, all would gaze in awe and wonder at the star, for they would not have thought it possible for a star to shine so bright. The clarity of light and the sparkle of perfection, cast an impressive aura over the voyage, and everyone knew there was no need to fear the unpredictability of the seas ahead, for that star would always bring them home. It
was right then, while everyone was basking in the nimbus of radiance from the
star, that it was overheard on the ship below.... "HEY you on the LEE side,
does that star have a name...?" Congratulations
to The Sixth Sense... eight years out, and my love for this film knows no boundaries.
I think I appreciate it all the more every year that passes, and for one very
good reason, Haley's performance was simply captivating... "and all I ask is a
tall ship and a star to steer her by." In that moment, you have everything...
thanks Haley, you are the best.
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