This week in August 20 years ago, a small independent horror film called “The Sixth Sense” became one of the biggest hits of the year, a classic masterpiece for cinema, and also the trajectory to create and maintain this website for the last 15 years. I feel incredibly old thinking that I was one of the many moviegoers 20 years ago, sitting in the audience and being stunned by the film’s twist ending. But even more so, I was stunned by Toni Collette. I had seen her for the very first time just mere weeks earlier when “Muriel’s Wedding” was shown on tv, and was delighted by her performance. So when the opening credits for “The Sixth Sense” rolled in the cinema, I thought, “I know that Toni Collette”. When the end credits rolled and the packed theatre was stunned by the film’s ending, I was (probably the only one) stunned where the heck Toni Collette was. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea that the young woman playing Muriel was supposed to be the same actress playing the mother on the verge of a breakdown in “The Sixth Sense”. It was a total immersion into character, and I was hooked. Toni received an Academy Award nomination for her performance, which was a surprise back then because she hadn’t been nominated for any precedent awards – something I had hoped would repeat with “Hereditary” – but with or without awards glory (“The Sixth Sense” was nominated for 5 Academy Awards but went home empty-handed), the film stood the test of time and is a highlight in the CV of everyone involved.

For the film’s 20th anniversary, many outlets are writing about the film, reflecting on its impact and talking to its makers. Among the most insightful is Variety’s look back, in which director M. Night Shyamalan remembers Toni’s audition for the film and being hesitant to show it to Disney:

I had seen “Muriel’s Wedding” and Toni came in and her head was shaved, and I forget if it was for fun or if it was for a movie. She did such a beautiful job. I didn’t want to show the video to the studio for fear that they would be concerned with her appearance, and I said “I want to cast the woman from ‘Muriel’s Wedding’” and then Bruce backed me and said “Oh, I love ‘Muriel’s Wedding,’” so we kind of got it without the studio seeing the audition, and I was so lucky. Toni is actually wearing a wig throughout all of “The Sixth Sense,” and I think it’s a wig from “Velvet Goldmine.” We didn’t even have the wig! (M. Night Shyamalan, Variety, August 02, 2019)

Below is a list o annivery articles, to which I will add any articles that will be published over the course of the next week.

“Please Stand By” will be released on January 26 in theaters, on demand, on Amazon Video and on iTunes. The film’s official website has been updated with a couple of the official poster, new production stills as well as production notes, giving a better insight into Toni Collette’s role: “Wendy’s psychologist, Scottie, would be filled with actress Toni Collette. “We knew Toni would bring balance to the issues that plague her character’s world both at home and at work,” says Daniel Dubiecki. “Toni is smart, warm and has an edge and toughness to her that brings so many layers to her characters,” Lara Alameddine adds. “Scottie has to hold it all together despite some of those layers crumbling. She is a single mother of a teenage boy, and embodies strength and empathy while staying grounded and principled in her work and home life.” “Scottie is a bit robotic in her home life and finds it easy to lean into work because of the safety of it not being her actual family,” says Colette. “At home, her son Sam confronts her at every turn and makes her feel like a failure. She’s a problem solver; but she can’t solve Sam’s issues or make his fatherless life any better. At work, Scottie has made huge strides with Wendy. She sees how brilliant and special Wendy is and wants Wendy’s family to see that too. It is easier for Scottie to be open with people at work because there is an actual structure which allows closeness without much intimacy.” “Wendy escapes and when that happens, Sam and Scottie unite and go on a mission together for the first time in ages, she adds. “Through their journey to find Wendy, Sam and Scottie bond again. Sam’s young perspective on Wendy and her writing allows Scottie to understand her more and that is where her real insight comes. Scottie begins to admire her son for the first time in a long time and that opens things up for them, allowing them to truly see each other again.” “The work of a therapist is hard work and oftentimes thankless,” adds Ben Lewin. “You’ve got to find your little victories here and there and through Wendy, Scottie finds a victory. Toni Colette brings a sense of compassion, empathy and respect to Scottie. She brings a motherly strength and humanity to her role rather than a sense of ‘I’m the expert, listen to me.’”

Freshly crowned Emmy winner Toni Collette graces the latest October cover of the Australian InStyle, featuring a stunning new photoshoot and a 9 page article inside. If you get your hands on this and would be able to scan it for Toni Collette Online, please let me know! It would be highly appreciated! :-) Here are some highlights of their exclusive interview with Toni:

Toni on Fashion

I like to feel comfortable! I used to live in vintage clothes, but I rarely buy it now. I don’t have the luxury of rummaging through shops. My favourite city for shopping would have to be LA. I really love it; I also love New York and Paris. It’s so easy and has great variety – and valet parking really helps! As for favourite designers, there’s lots … Dries Van Noten, Martin Margiela, Willow, Isabel Marant, Marnie Skillings, Kirrily Johnston, Marc Jacobs, Sass & Bide. Fashion for me is more about fun.

Toni on LA

I like LA – I didn’t when I first went there. It was a new city and I knew very few people. Now I’ve been going there for a long time, I enjoy it — it’s similar to Sydney in that it’s a really easy way of life. Even though I’m usually so focused on work when I’m there, I do appreciate being in LA — I’ve got great friends there now.

Toni on Exercise

Everyone thinks I do yoga! I’ve dabbled, but I’m really flexible. I need something that hold me together and keeps me stronger: Pilates and gyrotonics [which evolved from yoga]. When I was younger I was so energetic. I swam, I danced, I did Little Athletics. I was out all the time. I still love swimming. I did the ‘Get up at 6am and do butterfly with one arm’ type-of-thing when I was young — I don’t do that kind of swimming anymore. I love to float. I love diving through waves. It’s the most cleansing beautiful thing you can do.

The Emmy Awards will be handed out this Sunday – and the press and blogosphere is in full force to predict the winners. When it comes to the Comedy Actress category, most articles see Toni as the predicted and deserving winner. After all, predicting all kind of stuff is part of hyping things – and Toni won’t become a worse actress without an Emmy – still, this would be a fantastic honor, so keep your fingers crossed for Sunday!

The Courier Mail

Leading the charge is celebrated actress Collette, who is a strong contender in the major category of best lead actress in a comedy. “I think Toni Collette is sensational in the United States of Tara,” Variety’s TV critic Brian Lowry said. Roush agreed: “I don’t think there’s been a better performance in a comedy this year.” “The role itself is so dramatic and multi-faceted, playing a person with multiple personalities, and it’s such a showcase role that if anyone in that category can be a threat to Tina Fey it’s Collette,” he said.

The Detroit News

Toni Collette, “United States of Tara” on Showtime. Collette is a powerhouse and plays at least four characters as a woman with multiple personality disorder. Nominees such as Tina Fey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have won before and it would be wonderful to give someone new a try.

The San Francisco Chronicle

Should win: Toni Collette. Will win: Toni Collette. Well, now here’s an interesting situation. We are living in a world where cutting-edge 30-minute cable comedies are really dramas that periodically have humor in them. But since these actresses are in this messed-up category, you’ve got to go with Collette, whose fearless performance as a woman with “dissociative identity disorder” became a weekly tour de force. Fey is fantastic, but Collette’s acting is unmatched.

San Diego Union Tribune

I’m not convinced that Showtime’s humanely dysfunctional “United States of Tara” is a comedy any more than “Weeds” is a comedy. But Toni Collette ‘sferocious performance as a woman with multiple personality disorder just screams “Emmy!!,” and I am thrilled someone listened. Not that it matters, since the award will probably go to the not-undeserving Tina Fey.

The following quote comes from the Associated Press:

I never thought I’d work in television and when this show came along I was just so excited to work on something so original and had such amazing dialogue and the story is just incredible and has endless possibilities. Then for it to go on and e recognized in this way is a complete delight. It’s a surprise and also quite joyous.