The Sixth Sense

by

M. Night Shyamalan

Final Draft

INT. BASEMENT - EVENING

A NAKED LIGHTBULB SPARKS TO LIFE. It dangles from the ceiling of a basement.

LIGHT, QUICK FOOTSTEPS AS ANNA CROWE moves down the stairs.

Anna is the rare combination of beauty and innocence. She stands in the chilly basement in an elegant summer dress that outlines her slender body. Her gentle eyes move across the empty room and come to rest on a rack of wine bottles covering one entire wall.

She walks to the bottles. Her fingertips slide over the labels. She stops when she finds just the right one. A tiny smile as she slides it out.

Anna turns to leave. Stops. She stares at the shadowy basement. It's an unsettling place. She stands very still and watches her breath form a TINY CLOUD IN THE COLD AIR.

She's visibly uncomfortable.

Anna Crowe moves for the staircase in a hurry. Each step faster than the next. She climbs out of the basement in another burst of LIGHT, QUICK FOOTSTEPS.

WE HEAR HER HIT THE LIGHT SWITCH.

THE LIGHTBULB DIES. DRIPPING BLACK DEVOURS THE ROOM.

CUT TO:

INT. DINING ROOM - EVENING

Two place settings are arranged on the living room coffee table. Take-out Chinese food sits half eaten on good china.

An empty bottle of red wine sits between boxes of Chinese food.

Anna arrives with the backup bottle and is now wearing a sweater. She hands a collegiate rowing team sweatshirt to Malcolm.

MALCOLM CROWE sits on the floor at the coffee table, his vest and tie on the sofa behind him. A jacket and an overcoat lay on a briefcase next to him.

Malcolm is in his thirties with thick, wavy hair and striking, intelligent eyes that squint from years of intense study.

His charming, easy-going smile spreads across his face. He points.

Malcolm points to the HUGE FRAMED CERTIFICATE propped up on a dining room chair. It's printed on aged parchment-type paper. The frame is a polished mahogany.

He slips on the sweatshirt.

Anna hands the backup bottle over to Malcolm.

Malcolm uncorks the wine and starts pouring in the empty glass.

Anna giggles. She's clearly buzzed herself. Malcolm doesn't get it. Anna takes a few calming sips of her wine. Her attention slowly moves to the framed certificate.

Anna ignores Malcolm and clears her throat. She leans forward her seat and reads the certificate out loud as Malcolm tries to tickle her.

Beat. The power of the words sobers the two of them.

Anna turns to Malcolm. He smiles.

Anna's expression becomes serious.

She just keeps staring. Beat.

Beat.

Malcolm plays softly with her face. Anna takes his hands and holds them steady.

Anna lets go of his hands. Anna's eyes are emotional.

Malcolm smiles softly.

Anna leans towards him. They hold each other tight. Beat.

Anna laughs as she wipes her eyes.

Malcolm's charming, easy-going smile returns.

Anna hands him his glass. He stares at it.

Malcolm looks at Anna surprised at what he said. They crack up laughing. THEIR SWEET LAUGHTER FILLS THE HOUSE.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

TWO GIGGLING SHADOWS APPEAR IN THE BEDROOM DOORWAY. They try to turn on the light. It doesn't come on.

Anna giggles some more as Malcolm's shadow stumbles across the bedroom.

MALCOLM TURNS ON THE BATHROOM LIGHT.

A SHAFT OF LIGHT falls on Anna as she stands in the corner of the room.

Anna smiles playfully and pulls off her sweater. She sways to a pretend striptease song.

Malcolm can't hold back his grin. He joins in -- slowly peeling off the sweat-shirt. He looks back to Anna. She's stopped her playful dance. She's facing away from him.

He walks towards her. HIS GRIN QUIETLY DISAPPEARS. Malcolm's face turns to rock as his attention is drawn to the SHATTERED WINDOW in their bedroom. The wind moves through the room.

A lamp lays broken on the ground by the window.

Malcolm kneels down. Beat. Anna's eyes fill with a quiet awareness.

A SHADOW FROM THE BATHROOM FLATS OVER BOTH OF THEM.

ANNA SCREAMS.

Malcolm spins around. His heart stops.

Malcolm and Anna stare at the bathroom doorway. They know someone is inside. Beat.

Malcolm slowly starts towards the door. The first thing that comes into view are the clothes on the bathroom floor.

Then the figure of a man comes into view. A STRANGER stands bare chested in the back of the bathroom.

NO ONE MAKES A SOUND.

The STRANGER is about nineteen. Drugged out. Pitch black eyes bulging. His body is covered in scars and bruises.

His hands are folded in front of him. He shakes ever so slightly. He has a patch of white in his hair.

Malcolm speaks in a very calm voice. Never takes his eyes off the stranger.

Anna barely nods her understanding.

The stranger slowly looks up for the first time. His eyes lock on Malcolm.

Beat.

The stranger suddenly comes forward into the doorway. Malcolm stumbles back onto the edge of the bed.

Anna sees the stranger for the first time. Her face drains of color.

The stranger looks at Malcolm. He half grins.

The stranger's stare slides to Anna.

The stranger gazes at Anna. Gazes directly into her eyes.

A penetrating, unwavering stare.

Anna's expression instanly changes.

BEAT. THE ROOM GOES SILENT.

The stranger turns and glares at Malcolm.

Malcolm stops all movement.

Malcolm can't speak. Beat. The stranger's face starts to tremble.

Beat. Malcolm's intelligent eyes race for answers.

Malcolm looks like someone hit him with a sledgehammer.

Tears jump into the stranger's eyes.

Malcolm stands.

Malcolm's shaking hands touch his mouth as he stares at the stranger. Beat.

Tears fall down the stranger's face.

Malcolm looks up at the sound of those words. Something clicks in his head.

THE ROOM GOES SILENT AGAIN.

VINCENT GRAY stares with surprise through his tears.

Malcolm lets out a deep breath like he just emerged from deep waters.

Vincent's eyes burn at Malcolm.

VINCENT is fully crying now.

Vincent turns to the sink. His hand goes in. He turns around and raises a gun at Malcolm. He FIRES. A VIOLENT, EARSHATTERING ECHO. Malcolm clutches his stomach and folds like a rag doll onto the bed.

Vincent instantly moves the gun to his own head. ANOTHER HORRIFIC BLAST SPIKES THE AIR. Vincent crumples onto the bathroom floor.

ANNA'S CHILLING SCREAMS FILL THEIR HOME.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BENCH - AFTERNOON

The legend, "Two Years Later" appears.

A man flips open a worn file folder on his lap. Handwritten notes fill every line. At the top of the first page reads, "Vincent Gray, age 10, Referred January 19, 1989."

The man's hand touches the name almost reverently.

He glances through the page. Words and phrases are circled throughout the file.

"...Acute anxiety" "...Socially isolated" "...Possible mood disorder" "...Parent status -- Divorced" "...Communication difficulty between mother-child dyad"

The man's hands flip the page. At the top of this new page reads, "Cole Sear, age 8, Referred September 1998."

As the man's fingers move through the notes we again see words and phrases circled throughout this new case history.

"...Acute anxiety" "...Socially isolated" "...Possible mood disorder" "...Parent status -- Divorced" "...Communication difficulty between mother-child dyad"

The hands close the notepad. The hands are slightly shaking now.

WE PULL BACK to reveal the shaking hands belong to Dr. Malcolm Crowe.

Malcolm sits on a sidewalk bench facing a row of brownstone homes across the street. He gazes blankly at the brownstones.

Beat.

A door opens. Malcolm is brought out of his trance.

COLE SEAR steps out his front door. Cole is a munchkin of a boy with large, black eyes that seem to take in everything around him.

His hair is dark, with a small patch of jet white on the side. Cole carefully locks the door behind him.

He moves to the bottom of the stairs and looks around nervously. Anxiously.

The eight-year-old child reaches into his pocket and slips on a pair of VERY LARGE GLASSES. They look comical on him.

Malcolm rises to his feet. He smooths out his shirt. Looks down and buttons his jacket.

When he looks up, Cole is gone.