TedStixon

Trivia: If you pay attention, there's a nice subtle detail... you can see that both Vincent and Cole have white patches in their hair. While it has never been definitively proven, there is a belief that periods of extreme stress or fear can affect hair pigmentation and make it turn white. One study actually did observe the effect in mice that were placed in high-stress situations for periods of time. Since Vincent and Cole are both terrified of the ghosts they see, they have similar white patches.

TedStixon

Trivia: The first draft was very different. Malcolm was a world-weary forensic photographer working on a serial killer case, and Cole was his son. When Malcolm discovers that his son can see dead people, they would team up to have Cole speak with the ghosts of the killer's victims to try to figure out who the killer was. It was very much a police thriller... just with a supernatural twist. Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan completely overhauled the story into a horror-drama during multiple rewrites.

TedStixon

Trivia: Toni Collette reportedly didn't realise the movie was a horror film until she finally saw a cut of it. She was so emotionally affected by the script and her character, she assumed it was a straight-up drama with a supernatural twist. When she finally saw the movie, she realised how scary it was.

TedStixon

Trivia: Toni Collette actually auditioned for this movie as an afterthought. She was in town auditioning for another movie, and auditioned for "The Sixth Sense" on a whim. She lost the other part, and got the part of Cole's mother, earning her great feedback and praise.

TedStixon

Trivia: Funnily enough, despite having one of the most famous twists of all time, the soundtrack album actually completely spoils it - the final track is literally called "Malcolm is Dead." Anyone who saw the track listing before the movie would have it ruined for them.

TedStixon

Trivia: Part of the reason Haley Joel Osment won his part was because he impressed director M. Night Shyamalan during the audition with his dedication to the movie - he mentioned offhand that he "read it three times last night." Shyamalan asked if he meant his lines... to which Osment replied that no, he read the entire script front-to-back three times the night before.

TedStixon