Movie Review: Lady In The Water.

I watched M. Night Shyamalan’s “Lady in the Water” last night. It was free movie night at the local video store (every Thursday), so as I browsed the aisles this one caught my eye. I absolutely loved “Signs,” and was sorely disappointed by “The Village,” so I really didn’t know what to expect. This much I knew: it was based on a bedtime story that M. Night told his children, and the critics didn’t care for it.

The critics are idiots.

No, this movie isn’t like his earlier works, “The Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable.” Despite the presence of an evil creature in it, it’s not a horror movie by any stretch. It’s a fantastical tale of hope, identity and purpose. It was slow, complex, and oftentimes confusing, and I found myself deeply moved by it, even crying. (I know, I know… I cried while watching King Kong, and now THIS… God’s really tenderized my heart or something…)

I think what really did it for me was seeing the regular, ordinary people in the story slowly accept the truth that they had a specific purpose. They weren’t worthless or wastes of space, which is exactly what they would be portrayed as in a typical movie (and in society as well). They were special. Every one of them.

I’d like to watch it again, but I need to give it some time, let it settle a little bit, allow the message to take root before I try to decipher it all. If you want to read a synopsis and other people’s well-crafted, thought-out reviews, be sure to visit the Spotlight page of the ChristianAnswers.net. It will fill in all the gaps I’ve left.

Kevin