Rewind, Be Kind: Lady in the Water
July 28, 2024
Following the incredible success of The Sixth Sense, M. Night won the creative freedom from studios to dictate the course of his next few films. With Lady in the Water (his fourth film after The Sixth Sense) M. Night crafts a fairy tale about a jaded superintendent (played to perfection by Paul Giamatti) who discovers a water nymph in the community pool and is tasked with returning her to her blue world. Both a critical and financial failure, Lady in the Water marked the beginning of a downward career trajectory for M. Night before the resurgent second act we’re in today. This one might not have lit up the box office upon release, but the thing about M. Night Shyamalan is that no matter what, he’s going to swing for the fences every time. In our opinion, this one is too beautiful and sincere to dismiss as a strike.
OPEN CAPTION SCREENINGS - all Tuesday and Sunday showtimes
Series Pass: $84 | $64 Members (All in price, includes $4 service fee)
Pass provides access to all in-person Rewind, Be Kind screenings, July 26-28 at SIFF Cinema Egyptian.
SIFF year-round passes are not valid for this screening. Vouchers are valid.
Few have experienced the highs and lows of Hollywood filmmaking the way that M. Night Shyamalan has. Following the incredible success of The Sixth Sense, M. Night won the creative freedom from studios to dictate the course of his next few films. With Lady in the Water (his fourth film after The Sixth Sense) M. Night crafts a fairy tale about a jaded superintendent (played to perfection by Paul Giamatti) who discovers a water nymph in the community pool and is tasked with returning her to her blue world. Both a critical and financial failure, Lady in the Water marked the beginning of a downward career trajectory for M. Night before the resurgent second act we’re in today. This one might not have lit up the box office upon release but the thing about M. Night Shyamalan is that no matter what, he’s going to swing for the fences every time. In our opinion, this one is too beautiful and sincere to dismiss as a strike.
In an interview during the press tour for Lady in the Water, Paul Giamatti recounts a conversation he had with M. Night Shyamalan: “He actually said something to me the other day that he had never put it so clearly. He said ‘I like B genre films and I like to treat them as if they’re The Godfather.’...and I love that.” Just something to think about when watching M. Night’s work.
—Andrew from Super Yaki
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Principal Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Giamatti
- Country: USA
- Year: 2006
- Running Time: 110 min.
- Producer: Sam Mercer, M. NightShyamalan
- Screenplay: M. NightShyamalan
- Cinematographers: Christopher Doyle
- Editors: Barbara Tulliver
- Music: James Newton Howard
- Filmography: The Sixth Sense, Knock at the Cabin, Signs, The Village
- Language: English