It’s got to be tough to go up against “Sixth Sense” every time you have a new project, and maybe that is part of the problem. The mystique that has grown up around Shyamalan is as intense as our enjoyment of his compelling movies. “Lady in the Water” was originally told as a bedtime story to his own kids, and it retains that same simplicity in this format. It is beautifully shot, and morally centered around the amazing Paul Giamatti, who gives yet another gripping performance as a stammering apartment complex super who finds healing through helping Story, the spirit being trapped in the complex swimming pool. The allegory covers many spiritual themes familiar to the Christian community, with his usual rich supply of symbols, water being the most obvious. Shyamalan touches on the beauty and interdependency of the community and their various gifts, while injecting moments of humor to lighten the tale’s load. There is a very strong sense of the story being driven, moved forward, that I found riveting, although apparently this is one of the major complaints others have with “Lady in the Water.” I didn’t find it any more necessary to suspend belief in this movie than I do in any other Hollywood features; Shyamalan’s movement and direction felt more comforting than challenging.
As is the case with other recent faith-driven features (“Rocky Balboa” and “Superman Returns”), resources have been made available online to facilitate discussions on the message of the movie. Motive Entertainment, a pioneer in developing this recent marriage of movies and faith, has partnered with INFUZE Magazine to provide a downloadable study guide to utilize the film’s message as a teaching tool, found at www.infuzemag.com/ladyinthewater. The DVD, released last month, contains almost 50 minutes of extras, and will provide great opportunity for further discussion. Difficult to see how anyone could have a problem with that, right?
