Structurally speaking, this is fairly solid... yet it feels somewhat haphazard at the same time. We have a fairly straight forward inciting incident that sets up the main character's problem, but I'm not sure what I would qualify as the first act turn. The midpoint and third act are fairly straight forward: we have Cole telling Malcolm he sees dead people and then we have Malcolm subsequently finally believing this by listening to the previous sessions with Vincent on tape. The strange thing is, from that point, we're thrust into this segment that doesn't feel as organic to the story and has more to do with Cole than Malcolm. Part of me feels the story could have been a bit more coherent had the ghost of the poisoned girl continuously haunted Cole rather than several ghosts that show up more or less for shock effect. Ultimately, this segment serves a purpose to the story, for Cole to understand the purpose of his abilities, but it feels so disconnected from everything else, so... randomly thrown in there. And because this is really Malcolm's story as the main character, his journey feels like it's come to a layover at this point, for lack of a better term, because there's nothing for him to really do - he's come to believe Cole and is merely accompanying him as he realizes his purpose. In short, at the point where the stakes should feel their greatest, it feels as if there's nothing at stake. It feels somewhat... obligatory; perhaps it would have had more impact had Malcolm been at least a bit more skeptical, then the shock accompanying the revelation of the girl's mother poisoning her to death could have been more fully realized (wow, this kid really DOES see dead people!). Despite this, I believe that, to some extent, this is part of the magic trick Night pulls off: our focus shifts between these two characters, each with their own goals and needs, that we focus on both of them and their journeys, just like a magician would have you focus your attention on something else than what he's really doing in order to complete the trick (see my post yesterday). It's an interesting question to propose to people, is this a story about a failed doctor seeking redemption, or a story of a child who has a gift that scares him? Certainly it's both, but ultimately, a story can only have one main character with whom we see perspective through, and The Sixth Sense works because it's Malcolm's perspective we're ultimately meant to identify with. The story opens with him and ends with him and it's really his journey we're following through the first half. As I noted yesterday, the film's hook, "I see dead people", was part of its marketing, yet doesn't happen until the midpoint of the film. In a sense, no pun intended, it renders a good portion of the first half of the film to feel like a long red-herring. We're watching events unfold that are really designed to give us Malcolm's perspective and justify why he's suddenly failed in the past and what he needs to overcome while also introducing us to Cole's plight. But we ultimately know the kid SEES dead people. While we get some of Cole's perspective, we never get into his head 100% - he's hiding as much from the audience about what he knows just as much as what remains hidden from Malcolm himself. And it's these two perspectives, neither of them fully realized until the end, that dance back and forth, keeping the truth from view until that final reveal when we're finally able to see both perspectives and throughlines collide, and oh what a collision it is.

I'm going to have to disagree with you and argue that Cole is the main character in this story. He's the character who changes. Malcolm simply has a problem to solve. Cole must grow as a person in order to survive. You say the stakes are too low for Malcolm, and I agree. That's because it's Cole, not Malcolm who's the main character—his stakes are incredibly high. If he doesn't face his fears and learn to deal with the ghosts, he'll wind up like Vincent—alone, afraid, dead. Act 2 does the job of showing the high stakes for Cole. We learn that whatever his problem is, it's causing Cole to get into trouble at school, and it's scaring his mother. When we finally discover that ghosts are the problem, it becomes clear that Cole isn't mentally ill and these horrifying visions are a real menace that can physically hurt him. Yes, the stakes for Cole are incredibly high. Acts 1 and 3 do focus more on Malcolm than Cole, but I still wouldn't argue that he's the main character. He's one of the story's protagonists, that's true. We certainly root for him to accomplish his goal, which (unlike Cole) isn't to grow and change as a person, but to solve a problem. Act 1 sets up a mystery for him to solve, Act 2 finds him progressing toward solving that mystery, and in act 3, he solves the mystery. Because the film begins and ends with Malcolm, I'd say the structure places undue importance on him, but again, that could be another case of red herring syndrome. You're absolutely right that "it's these two perspectives...keeping the truth from view until that final reveal." Shyamalan wants us to think this is the story of a man struggling to overcome his workaholism and repair his marriage, when actually it's the story of a young boy who must overcome his fears...or else.

So are you saying Malcolm himself doesn't change? I think it really comes down to how one defines what a main character is and there's a lot to take into consideration - much of what's out there via books and what not being contradictory, too. Malcolm is, in my opinion, the character who changes, whereas Cole remains steadfast in his beliefs regarding the story's problem (what's wrong with Cole): he sees ghosts whereas everybody else around him believes he's suffering from some kind of psychological malady. In the end, Cole grows, but that's not the same as change. One could say his self-perception changes, that he goes from believing he's a freak to one who has come to accept his unique ability, but that's more so because of his growth and being able to communicate with people which is a symptom of the problem, not the root itself; note that Malcolm has a entire profile of symptoms and what he's attempting to do is find the problem - what's wrong with Cole? Nobody's challenging him to actually change, whereas he challenges Malcolm's belief that it's all psychological, finally changing to believe in ghosts with the final revelation that he himself is one. That being said, one of the big misnomers of screenwriting is the belief that whomever changes in a story is the main character. Lots of main characters remain steadfast in their beliefs and cause other people to change. This doesn't mean I'm siding with you that Cole is the main character, though :). What ultimately defines a main character is perspective: this is whom we want the audience to experience the story through. As such, it's absolutely necessary to have Malcolm carry the function in this story because he's got a huge blind spot the audience can't be privy to and subsequently shares in the revelation with.

Ooh good points. I'm going to bring up another movie. Saving Private Ryan. We book end the movie with an old Private Ryan, then we don't see him (the younger Private Ryan, Matt Damon) until almost the last Act. We follow Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) through the journey but he doesn't change much. He's probably the main character. Who goes through the most change? If you think about it, it's Corporal Upham.

Just a quick note -- and I didn't want to post it on the home page as it might alert the video police -- but The Sixth Sense is available on YouTube. Part 1 is here and the other parts are there, too. The reason I bring it up is it gives you a chance to compare the script to the movie. For instance, as I was reading the script and that second scene where Malcolm and Anna are celebrating him winning the award, the movie does something the script doesn't. In the script, it's all upbeat and pride about Crowe getting the award. In the movie, Anna says this: "Finally someone is recognizing the sacrifices you have made. That you have put everything second... including me." Important grace note as it lays in the subtext of some distance between the couple as well as Crowe's obsession with his work.

Well, now you're talking semantics re change vs. growth, which are always debatable. To me, they're the same, and Malcolm does neither. I'm just saying that structurally, Act 2, the majority of (and IMO the most interesting part of) the film focuses on Cole. Look at it this way: Remember the quote Scott brought up yesterday about Shyamalan supposedly saying to himself around draft 5 or so "Oh yeah, Malcolm should be DEAD!"? That tells me that when he came up with the story, he was thinking something like "What if a boy sees ghosts?" and not "What if a self-centered psychotherapist fails to realize he's dead?" Which one of those conceits is a more interesting story? Cole is the heart of the story--everything else is simply plot. But I digress--more on character on the designated character day!

There's lots of examples in recent memory. No Country for Old Men left a lot of people confused with its ending, but I think it's brilliant. The main character isn't Llewellyn, it's Sheriff Bell who's recounting the events, opening with the narration. I recall one of the complaints was "geez, we follow this guy all around, watching him try to outwit the bad guy, then we don't even witness his death off screen". Well, that's because of the perspective. We're not meant to "experience" it, other than via the Sheriff reflecting back upon the events... not being able to make sense of it (the violence). Times have changed and it's no longer a country for old men. And we're left at the end, bewildered by the meaning of it all, just like the Sheriff. Brilliant. As for Private Ryan, there is some change: all the squadron, including Captain Miller, are doing the mission because a) they're told to, and b) for the selfish reason that saving Private Ryan earns them their trip home. But at the same time, they justify themselves as brothers to one another during this journey. It's when they meet Ryan, who appears selfish to them, that they really understand the meaning of sacrifice. Ryan takes their so-called argument and throws it in their faces: I don't care if I die, I'm not leaving my brothers here. That's selfless right there and I think it causes Captain Miller to change and realize, yes, that's what duty and honor is. Sacrifice. You can't have sacrifice without giving your life and in the end, that's exactly what happens. Had Captain Miller not realized this and changed, adopting Private Ryan's worldview and subsequently die, the film would have lacked meaning. And what gives depth to that meaning is the bookend, having Ryan beg to hear that he's lived a meaningful life, that Captain Miller didn't sacrifice his life for nothing.

Oops, my other post w/Saving Private Ryan was suppose to be a response here. Don't know how it ended up where it did.

Cole's goal is to deal with the fact that he sees dead people instead of suppressing it as he has been doing. Vincent shows us what happens with denial. Malcolm has more to work out. He needs to understand he's dead, but first he has to see how he failed to help Vincent. He does this by helping Cole, a boy with the same problem. I find Malcolm's arc more interesting and with a lot more depth, but it is Cole we are supposed to identify with. Unfortunately, I doubt the average viewer would figure this out until a final analysis of the movie, because it is the twist at the end that shows us we don't need to identify with Malcolm.

Interesting discussion. Sorry I'm late. I'm agnostic on who we are meant to identity with or who is the main character. But I believe that Malcolm's goal is to save Cole, not figure out a mystery or solve a problem. So whether I identify with him or not, and though I care about Anna and Malcolm too, my heart is filled with worry about what will become of this little boy. One of the plot elements that contributes to this is the "fact" that Malcolm has already "survived" a horrible gunshot wound. So I know that Malcolm, however sad his situation, is a survivor. Based on Vincent, I don't know this about Cole.

My attempt at identifying the major plot points. *** Inciting incident: Vincent shoots Malcolm and commits suicide (page 10-11) Plot Point 1: Malcolm tells Anna that he is getting a second chance (page 28) Midpoint: Cole reveals that he sees dead people/ghosts (page 64) Plot Point 2: Malcolm hears the voice on Vincent’s tape and realizes the ghosts are real (page 92) Climax: Malcolm realizes he is dead and a ghost himself—in the flashback (page 124) *** Based on this structure it sure seems that Malcolm is the Protagonist. *** Protagonist: Malcolm Goal: Save Cole Nemesis: Ghosts and his own ignorance

Okay, I'm managing to catch up and have gone through the script, tracking major Plotline points. As those of you who have been tracking this blog for sometime or have taken courses with me at Screenwriting Master Class, my first of eight essential screenwriting principles is this: Plot = Structure. But I have a different understanding of Structure than what often gets discussed in the online screenwriting world. It's not just plot points. Rather a screenplay universe is comprised of two realms: The External World, where we can see actions and hear dialogue, what I call the Plotline; and the Internal World, where we can intuit intentions and interpret subtext, what I call the Themeline. Every moment in a script has these two aspects in play, so that if something happens in the External World, something else is happening in the Internal World. This is one key to writing stories that have multiple layers of meaning, depth and emotion, and helps turns what might otherwise be a formula into a living, breathing story. My thinking on this is influenced by four theories: * Aristotle: Stories are comprised of three parts: Beginning, Middle and Ending. * Joseph Campbell: The Hero's Journey. Characters go on a physical journey. * Carl Jung: This physical journey is also a psychological journey. * Whamm-o Theory: Every 10 pages or so, something goes Whammo. The result of all this is a paradigm for screenplay structure I call Narrative Throughline. In today's discussion, let me focus on the Plotline. Per NT, most stories have 10 Plotline points. Here is my take on The Sixth Sense with those 10 Major Plotline Points with culminating pages noted in parentheses: ACT ONE [Disunity] The Opening [10]: Vincent shoots Malcolm. The Hook [19]: Malcolm meets Cole, Latin translation. The Lock [36]: Malcolm witnesses Cole convey to Mr. Marschal his wife is dead. NOTES: The first act introduces all the primary characters, establishes Malcolm's relationship with Cole, and set into motion Cole's unique psychological [or psychic] condition. Importantly we understand Malcolm has projected his unresolved issue with Vincent onto Cole, thereby setting into motion, too, his need to solve Cole's problems in order to redeem himself [Malcolm] for the failure to help Vincent. ACT TWO [Deconstruction Deconstruction Test [50]: Stuttering Stanley incident, Malcolm's promise that "one day you're going to sound like them" [i.e., be normal]. Transition [64]: "I see dead people." NOTES: This is where we really start to see something interesting in the story, how it pivots points of narrative attack where while it is still Malcolm as the Protagonist, Cole's subplot -- dealing with his gift and becoming normal -- gets major focus. The intersection points between Cole and Malcolm are primarily about Malcolm's arc in terms of helping Cole. At other points, Cole goes off to do his own thing [a parallel subplot in this regard is Malcolm and Anna]. I'll talk about Deconstruction when we discuss characters. ACT TWO [Reconstruction] Reconstruction Test [76]: The Hanging People. All Is Lost [88]: Malcolm tells Cole, "I'm sorry, I don't know how to help you." Notes: The All Is Lost sequence is a great example of how the story pivots focus from Malcolm & Cole to Cole's subplot to Malcolm's subplot and back to Malcolm & Cole. Lynn blows up at Cole / he can't tell her what's wrong [80-83] / Ghost boy head blown off shows up to Cole [84] / Anna & Sean, the broken window [85] / Cole rides with Lynn, thinks she hits a pedestrian [87] / Malcolm confesses he can't help Cole [88] So even though the focus shifts from one to the other, every single one of these beats is a 'negative' one, leading up to Malcolm's tearful confession that he can not achieve his goal of helping Cole. ACT THREE [Unity] On The Offensive [100]: Malcolm listens to Vincent tape, then meets with Cole again, not ready to give up / Cole has experience with vomiting girl -- "Do you want to tell me something" [100] Final Struggle 1: Cole overcomes his fears [110] / Denouement [114] -- The Play / Message to his mother [121] Final Struggle 2: Malcolm's turn [121-126] Realizes he's dead. He had to help someone. Now time to go. Notes: With the ongoing interweaving of Malcolm's story and Cole's story, each has its own Final Struggle and Resolution. After realizing his curse is actually a gift and how he can use it to help ghosts spirits, Cole is able to become in a sense normal, symbolized by his moment in the play where he plays Arthur and pulls out the swords. His Denouement is when he finally tells his mother the truth about his gift, relaying what her grandmother said to Lynn. Malcolm's Final Struggle is realizing he is dead, that whole flashback sequence. His Denouement is his farewell to Anna. So in a rather lengthy nutshell, that is my take on the Plotline part of the story's structure. Next I'll shift over to characters and talk more about the Themeline.

Nice, Scott. I like the way you weave both Malcolm and Cole's stories together. While watching the movie I had a different impression than while reading it and realized there was a problem with my way of breaking down the structure. Now I agree that the all is lost point must be Malcolm realizing he can't help Cole. But in the movie, it felt like the "Holy Shit" moment was Cole's terror in confronting the dead girl, and then his courage in overcoming it. It felt like this moment turned the story in a new direction. It is here that Cole takes control. *** I'd be interested to know what you think about The Lock moment in your analysis, since Shyamalan dropped this scene from the film. On the DVD he says he thought it was a very important part of the plot (7 minutes), since it shows Cole helping Mr. Marschal. This is what Cole should be doing with his life, but Shyamalan felt the audience wouldn't understand it. It also ties Vincent and Cole together, since it ends with Malcolm dictating notes into his tape recorder. It is strange to see an important part of the plot be one that the audience can't understand. Any thoughts on this, or whether Shyamalan made the correct decision by deleting the scene? I think he did.

Nice forum...I'm a newbie so sorry if I'm in late or posting incorrectly. To me, the plot to SIXTH SENSE is super simple (and it's Malcolm's movie imho). Malcolm WANTS to cure COLE (plot). He NEEDS to reconnect with his wife (theme). The theme is set up in the second scene when Malcolm's wife says that he many times put her second in his pursuit of success in his career. The beginning of the movie is the promise of the end as the last thing he says to his wife is "you were never second best." He couldn't/wouldn't say that at the beginning. His pursuit of the plot goal brings him to realize what he needs. Opening hook: Sets up character, situation and problem. Malcolm is world's greatest child psychologist (character). Wife isn't 100% happy (situation). There is one patient he didn't cure and that patient shoots Malcolm. Now will Malcolm make up for the one he failed (problem). Inciting incident is Malcolm is assigned Cole's case. He follows Cole to church where the central question of the film is presented by Cole when he says "you're a nice man, but you can't help me." So, the story goal is will Malcolm help/heal Cole. The act one turning point is when, after the question game at the house and the talk of Cole's drawings Malcolm says we need to come up with a plan for what you want. Cole says "can it be something I don't want?" Malcolm: "sure." Cole: "I don't wanna be afraid." Cole has gone from saying you can't help me to telling Malcolm what he wants. He's let Malcolm into his nightmare (which becomes the extraordinary world of act two). IMHO, the next major plot point or step toward achieving the goal is when Cole confides in Malcolm that he sees dead people. Again, Cole has said you can't help me, then says help me not be afraid, then tells Malcolm what he's afraid of. But, that's not the midpoint.... My definition of the mid point is when the protagonist goes from "passive" to "active" in relation to their INTERNAL dilemma (theme/need). This happens when Malcolm quits on Cole because he needs to focus more on his marriage. Cole begs Malcolm not to quit. They both deal with their needs here. Malcolm has gone from someone who was obsessed with healing Cole and making amends for the one patient he failed (WANT), to no longer putting his wife in that 2nd best slot (NEED). Cole, on the other hand, now begs Malcolm not to quit and says "you're the only one who can help me." He goes from someone who doesn't think Malcolm can help him to someone who needs him to help him. The next major plot point is what I call the FALSE ENDING. It's where we THINK we've achieved the plot goal. This is when Cole comes to realize what the ghosts want. They want someone to listen to them. And, they go to the suburban home and expose the mom all because Cole listened to the ghosts. Cole is healed. End of act two. Act three is super quick. It's basically Malcolm and Cole going their separate ways and Malcolm them coming to realize he's dead and doing what he NEEDED to do which is tell his wife she was never second best. Communication is also a huge thematic thread in the film. Malcolm is not communicating with his wife. Cole isn't communicating with his mother. Malcolm and Cole have difficulty communicating at first. Cole's mother didn't communicate with her mother. The ghosts are trying to communicate with Cole. Cole even says to his mom at the end of the film when they're in the car waiting for the bike accident to clear "I'm ready to communicate with you now." He tells his mom the truth and tells her that her mother was always there for her. And that communication heals all. Great film. Thanks for listening/reading.

I think the main character of the film is in the end Malcolm, but I think that his goal is not to understand he is dead (that is an add-on), his goal is to right his biggest mistake in his life: the Vincent incident. Based on this, I think that we need to separate the parts dealing with his death, which I'd like to call epilogue and prologue, and then the rest of the film falls nicely into place, at least to my mind: Prologue Malcolm gets shot by Vincent page 10 Inc. incident Malcolm meets his new patient Cole page 13 1st act turn By helping Cole, Malcolm can right his mistake with Vincent page 27 Malcolm's problem: gain Cole's trust Mid-point Cole admits seeing dead people page 64 Malcolm's new problem: he does not believe Cole 2nd act turn Malcolm believes Cole (Vincent's tape) page 92 New target: rather than help him fight psychiatric problems, he needs to help him live with seeing dead people Resolution Cole saves the 4 year old and solves his problem page 110 Epilogue: Malcolm realises he is dead page 122

Nice take, Lauris. Per the language of Want [Conscious Goal] and Need [Unconscious Goal]: Want: To 'heal' Cole and redeem himself for not curing Vincent Need: To realize that he is dead. Per the latter, we might say Malcolm knows it, but he doesn't really KNOW it... until the end.