The Happening theories (spoiler alert)

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I am very interested in hearing reactions to the film. I just got back from the theatre and I have mixed feelings towards it.

Beware, there will be spoilers in this post. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE.


So, my two theories: considering the original project name for this was 'The Green Effect,' it's possible Shyamalan meant for the film to have a blunt environmental point. If this is the case, I'm severely disappointed in his storytelling abilities.

But, here's my theory. At the beginning of the film, a boy in the classroom has his own theory about what happened to the bees. He says something to the effect that maybe it was an act of nature that can't be explained by science. I think perhaps Shyamalan was making a point with his filmmaking and storytelling, that the point is being in the story, in the moment, and not knowing the 'why' of everything. Surely my girlfriend, two friends, and I all had intense discussions about what the movie was about, but we always came up with more questions than answers.

Is it possible his point was to make us ASK QUESTIONS but not necessarily have answers, thus proving the effectiveness of deliberate storytelling?

What do you guys think?



Registered User
I am so distracted about how bad the movie was its hard to even have fun about thinking about what caused the issue in the movie.

So my theory at this point is that he was trying to mimic some 50's black and white type of movie to be entertaining and the movie was more for fun like scary movie then serious.

If I would have known that going in I might have enjoyed it more verses trying to figure out "whats happening" with M Night Shyamalan's gifts as a writer, actor, producer.


I'm very sad

me



Registered User
They explained it..or in a simple way, the cause was from the plants. What a corny idea. He should have just left it as a mystery but given some signs to look for, something in the wind and having to do with trees and plants then leave it at that. But the whole thing about all the plants talking with each other and going after people was like I said, corny. He should've had it end after a rainstorm as if washing it away, something like that.



Actually, the movie NEVER says for sure it's the plants. That is just inferred, but it's never for certain.



This is my theory. As you might know, Shyamalan likes to use colors as a reference. Like in sixth sense and he used the color red a lot (watch the special features). I think his message has to do with the color yellow. The important scene is when Mark tells the little girl that when the ring turns yellow, it means your about to laugh. This really caught my attention. From that point on, I saw many yellow elements. The yellow elements were the things keeping them from getting infected. The main girl (i'm bad with character names) has a yellow bag. In the meadow where they stopped and the wind was blowing, the grass was yellow. The old lady's house had yellow wall paper and cabinets.

There were also a lot of little things. There were daisies in the meadow. When the showed these two women with gas masks, they had yellow candies on the table between them. The old lady at the house told Mark that she was drinking LEMON juice (it would have seemed random if you didn't thing yellow was the theme). Bees are yellow. I could be totally wrong about all of this.

Yellow means you're about to laugh and yellow keeps them from dying. I think Shyamalan is trying to say laughter keeps us alive. Which is why there are some goofy scenes in this movie. Its the laughter that keeps them alive.
Maybe its even about giving off good vibrations. THIS IS JUST A THEORY.

What do you think?



I think it's clearly the plants. The original script, as some have pointed out, was titled "The Green Effect" (and I believe an even earlier draft was titled "Green Planet"). The film goes out of its way to focus on the plants, and show a specific cause-and-effect relating to the plant theories. It shows us multiple experts within the film talking about it with certainty, too.

Not only that, but the film goes out of its way to show us a nuclear power plant behind the house of the couple that owns the plant garden. Someone mentions that there are lots of nuclear power plants in the Northeast, which is where the event is confined to, as well.

To cap it all off, the ending takes place in France, which is known for procuring most of its national energy from nuclear power.

So, the film may stop short of stating things outright, largely because Night doesn't like to do that sort of thing...but it's pretty clear that it's a) coming from the plants and b) spurred by the existence of nuclear power.



Here are some tips that might guide you:

Nature/Plants = GOD

Who are humankind really fighting? Terrorists, governments?

Or maybe ourselves. Are we winning? Well, are we living our lives as we were supposed to? Are we good Christians.

The religious reference in The Happening, is the same as we saw in Signs.

In the happening, the message is that we should live happiliy in harmony with ourselves and our environment; get married, take care of each other, laugh, have babies.

Do not be mislead to think that we have any other enemies than ourselves. If nature punishes you, it was mankind who threw the first punch.

The proof of this underlying plot of Christian belief:

Do you remember when the attack in the film started....?

Well, it was 8:32.

Do you remember when it ended?

It was 9:27.

Google "8:32" or "9:27" and your top hit is a reference from the bible. A message from GOD. Delivered from the profet M. Night Shyamalan.



Chanman, good theory. Considering his love of color symbolism in his films, I will watch The Happening again and pay attention to the yellow.

Yoda said:
So, the film may stop short of stating things outright, largely because Night doesn't like to do that sort of thing...but it's pretty clear that it's a) coming from the plants and b) spurred by the existence of nuclear power.
Yoda, you contradict yourself. You point out all these things that make it completely obvious, beyond a reasonable doubt, that it has to be the plants that caused the incident, yet you say M. Night doesn't like to be blunt in his symbolism.

If it really IS the plants, M. Night has lost all his subtle storytelling skills, because it's alluded to again and again and again in the movie that this is an environmental disaster and people are the problem.

So you can't have it either way. Either M. Night is subtle and there's something under the surface here, or he has bludgeoned us over the head with his political message. Either/or.



Yoda, you contradict yourself. You point out all these things that make it completely obvious, beyond a reasonable doubt, that it has to be the plants that caused the incident, yet you say M. Night doesn't like to be blunt in his symbolism.

If it really IS the plants, M. Night has lost all his subtle storytelling skills, because it's alluded to again and again and again in the movie that this is an environmental disaster and people are the problem.

So you can't have it either way. Either M. Night is subtle and there's something under the surface here, or he has bludgeoned us over the head with his political message. Either/or.
I don't think I've contradicted myself at all, because I didn't say that M. Night was subtle (your word). I said he doesn't like to say things outright, which is true. So in The Happening, he mentions a few theories, but doesn't technically designate one as correct. However, only one of them holds together upon closer examination.

I also didn't say it was "obvious beyond a reasonable doubt" (again, your words). And I then cited a number of reasons as to why I thought this was the case.

I'll gladly hear any counterpoints on these, by the way, but I don't think it's too debatable. The original script title, the fact that the characters base their decisions on the plant theory and we see things play out as if it were true, the decision to paint nuclear power plants into the background, the mention of nuclear power plants in the Northeast, followed by questions as to why the Northeast was the only area hit...all of these things make the explanation pretty obvious.



i think it is obviouse that its the plants and mnight does this on purpose. however, i think since he changed the title to the happening, it directs us to the possibility that although in this instance its the plants, the happening could be anything cataclysmic that forces us to question society, life, ourselves, etc.

the mis en scene (aka bad acting, one dimensional characters, weird dialog) is in a 1950s horror movie style. back then these movies symbolized the threat of nuclear war with the ultimate threat; Russia. In the happening, the ultimate threat is ourselves. thats why the disease causes humans to "kill themselves"

i think the strange relationship between the main charactors is also in reference to the attitudes of women and marriage in the 1950's. people then were ignorant to the power of women and often society tried to keep them in their place. i think this is symbolic of how we treat mother nature, ignoring her true power and using technology to subdue her.

pretty out there i know. its just my thoughts. i loved this film and wanted to discuss it with some other shyamalan fans. thanks for reading my rant.



This Movie is unlike all M NIght's Past Films, Night does not tell you the catch or the truth, You have to figure this one out.... WHY? well what if it was because for him to come out and say it would be "conspiracy" and would probably get him arrested, Look DEEP people, its NOT THE PLANTS, it was the "WIND" what is wind? energy, moving energy of the earth whatever, a force, but it was CONTROLLED, it hit a specific area for a duration of controlled time, ok now I might lose people but FACE IT, beginning Marky Mark scene, dude says, People need to WAKE UP to the fact we dont know jack about the forces that are all around us. Ending scene, Media show, the guy just does not buy the plant theory and says, ITS BECAUSE OF LOCATION. You mean NEW YORK< PENNSYLVANIA> DC? seems like the same area of another incedent, one we were all told was an act of Terrorist, but maybe it wasn't...Lose ANYONE, M. Night is warning us, not of plants getting revenge, but of a government plan to depopulate the world, this movie was a movie of our government testing there new weapon, the IRONY of the people Killing themselves, is a jab at all the brainwashed people of this world, who when faced with the reality that soceity in America has become completely FACIST, and that there whole lives and all there money and dreams were built on LIES, alot of people probably want to kill themselves, but instead, REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH, M, Night's point in this movie is, If you dont accept it, you will die, and He hints at government cause of the Happening, and even has a scene were the Government and CIA REFUSE TO COMMENT ON ACCUSATIONS THEY WERE THE CAUSE< WHY DONT YOU ALL LOOK UP WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS REACTION TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO INVESTIGATE 911 and SEE HOW THEY REFUSE TO COMMENT, why did this movie get trashed by the media? Just like The Golden Compass did? Movies that educate and hope to awake truth in the people are very disliked by our FACIST MEDIA RULERS< who and please look this up and do research, are all apart of the same group of World Billionares and Trillionars who align themselves in power positions above world government by owning huge corpations with more power and influence, these people seek DEPOPULIZATION, and A ONE WORLD ORDER, this movies warns us to wake up to what you believe and what your told to believe, and M Night makes sure all those SHeep and Cattle out there wouldnt even see "it" and would think the movies about killer plants, and those who know the truth would feel his message, right on M Night , RIGHT ON!!!



Um, the shots of the wind were explained thoroughly: the wind carries the neurotoxin. This was all spelled out pretty clearly. How you've somehow managed to block out all the blatant implications and latch onto non-sequiturs is beyond me.

Sorry, but it's painfully obvious that you're projecting your own kooky worldview onto this movie.



Registered User
I think there is a mathematical affect as well. Julian was a math teacher, and there were several math references, including the girl on the phone repeating "calculus" over & over, before she died.



This Movie is unlike all M NIght's Past Films, Night does not tell you the catch or the truth, You have to figure this one out.... WHY? well what if it was because for him to come out and say it would be "conspiracy" and would probably get him arrested, Look DEEP people, its NOT THE PLANTS, it was the "WIND" what is wind? energy, moving energy of the earth whatever, a force, but it was CONTROLLED, it hit a specific area for a duration of controlled time, ok now I might lose people but FACE IT, beginning Marky Mark scene, dude says, People need to WAKE UP to the fact we dont know jack about the forces that are all around us. Ending scene, Media show, the guy just does not buy the plant theory and says, ITS BECAUSE OF LOCATION. You mean NEW YORK< PENNSYLVANIA> DC? seems like the same area of another incedent, one we were all told was an act of Terrorist, but maybe it wasn't...Lose ANYONE, M. Night is warning us, not of plants getting revenge, but of a government plan to depopulate the world, this movie was a movie of our government testing there new weapon, the IRONY of the people Killing themselves, is a jab at all the brainwashed people of this world, who when faced with the reality that soceity in America has become completely FACIST, and that there whole lives and all there money and dreams were built on LIES, alot of people probably want to kill themselves, but instead, REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH, M, Night's point in this movie is, If you dont accept it, you will die, and He hints at government cause of the Happening, and even has a scene were the Government and CIA REFUSE TO COMMENT ON ACCUSATIONS THEY WERE THE CAUSE< WHY DONT YOU ALL LOOK UP WHAT OUR GOVERNMENTS REACTION TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO INVESTIGATE 911 and SEE HOW THEY REFUSE TO COMMENT, why did this movie get trashed by the media? Just like The Golden Compass did? Movies that educate and hope to awake truth in the people are very disliked by our FACIST MEDIA RULERS< who and please look this up and do research, are all apart of the same group of World Billionares and Trillionars who align themselves in power positions above world government by owning huge corpations with more power and influence, these people seek DEPOPULIZATION, and A ONE WORLD ORDER, this movies warns us to wake up to what you believe and what your told to believe, and M Night makes sure all those SHeep and Cattle out there wouldnt even see "it" and would think the movies about killer plants, and those who know the truth would feel his message, right on M Night , RIGHT ON!!!
Wow! that is totally intresting. i'm gonna have to think on this one.



I think there is a mathematical affect as well. Julian was a math teacher, and there were several math references, including the girl on the phone repeating "calculus" over & over, before she died.

i agree, and why does the film focus on a math and science teacher? i'm thinking about how the greeks used to use math in corrolation with astronomy and philosophy. i'm not that book smart to remember anything but i'm sure theres a connection there.



So...I have a theory that sort of extrapolates on the plant theory. I do think that the plants are what is releasing the toxins (or whatever) because it starts in parks, etc (and now because of his original title as well). I didn't really debate this part of it...what I focussed on was the trigger: Why did some people get affected at certain times and why didn't others? I think it has to do with mood/emotion. I think that the plants have had enough of us peeps destorying the planet so they decided to kick some ass of their own. The trigger? Negative emotion. If someone starts eminating negative feelings (which theoretically plants respond to), these spores or toxins or whatever get set off as a defence. In other words, mother nature being proactive in nipping a potentially dangerous person in the butt.

1. One of the two girls hears a scream in the park (while the other one reads a book about a killer). Violent crime being committed?

2. The introduction of the mood ring Whalberg carries with him.

3. Mark Whalberg's character is so passive aggressive. The underacting gets this across really nicely and if you take it as that then its actually a pretty sweet performance. He never loses his temper...always monotone. = safe

4. His wife talks about never showing her feelings. She shares this personality trait with the little girl. She goes so far as to say to the little girl "you're just like me, I keep my feelings on the inside as well". = both safe

5. The old lady in the house is unaffected until she freaks out on Whalberg and gets all bent out of shape. = head smashy smashy.

6. When the group is walking through the field with the army dude. Two of the guys at the front of the line start to get in an argument...2 seconds later..."my firearm is my friend."

7. In France, another scream sets off that park's plants.

So, when all is said and done, I think Mr. Shamalan is taking a page from Peter Pan: Think happy thoughts (or at least stay the hell away from negative people if ticked off plants are in the vicinity)



The mood ring is a serious symbol, Marky Mark is able to avoid the death toxins affect at least once in the film, But like I said before, look at the work of M Night, and how this movie doesnt pull the whole movie together at the end for all people to say "I GET IT", why? You cant just say he did this for no reason, I have to assume his message to be so radical, it had to be kept secret, so what is the secret last scene that ties the movie together? The TV show of course!, and It pretty much smashed the so-called experts opinion on "the happening"...( as I watch TV, especially news or information programming right now in this country of the US, I see lies and lies and no one pointing out the lies, basically my TV has become facist propoganda, it got America to agree to Iraq and other Middle Eastern Wars, and was used to scare us into wanting the Patriot Act, which simply gives the president dictator like powers in certain areas he didnt have power in before. Americans think the news they read or watch is non biased, its completely the veiws of RICH RICH RICH international conglomorate powers far greater in power than most countries.) So this TV expert in "the Happening", is just trying to convince the people "its the Plants", because plants are like "terrorist" you can really defeat them. Its an enemy that a secret enemy could use as the facade to commit mass murder, Research Depopulization people its not a new issue, the US government used sterilization in the 1920 in its own society. China arrests families for having 2 children, ITs been an issue for a long time, and our world population of 6 billion is believed by some to be out of control, who believes that, well it just happens to be the RICH RICH RICH international conglomorate powers far greater in power than most countries. (BildenBurg Group). So I gotta say M. Night is warning those of us who are smart enough to be worth warning, But to finish what I started at the very top, If this was a top secret government weapon, did it have the ability to save people deemed worthy? What about the multple scenes where some americans refuse to help others with rides seemingly leaving them to die, and even the scene where they Kill those children bc they dont want to get affected? Could our government soon try to turn us all against ourselves, so we "kill ourselves" and do all the dirty work for them? Anyone who thinks this movie is about Killer Plants and going green, thats all part of the facade of the film as this cheesy B movie, there are layers of metaphor and truth, I mean, alot of people really believe the first man on this earth was named Adam and he lost a rib and Eve came into existance and later at an Apple(Check out the Mac Logo) from an evil snake and caused us all to be evil by nature and need control. But alot of other people think thats a story with a message far more important that the literal facts. Those of you who don't like my ideas? Check yourself, are you scared of them being true?, if they were true would you even want to know or have it proved to you?, and why would you not want to know if it was true? Whats more important, Comfort, or Freedom?



Wow, did you even watch the ending? How on earth did it "smash" the experts opinion? The only thing that happened was that the TV show host (who, though fictional, would work for the "RICH RICH RICH corporations" you're so transfixed by) asked the expert why the effects were confined to the Northeast. If you'd paid attention earlier in the film, you'd have noticed that someone mentioned that the Northeast has far more nuclear power plants than the rest of the country. Nuclear power plants were also specifically (and blatantly) visible in the background of the plant nursery they visit.

Not only that, but the film ends with the same thing happening in France, which gets the overwhelming majority of its energy from nuclear power. THAT'S what's being tied together. None of your paranoid ranting about fascism and corporations has any bearing in the film. Re-read your posts...90% of them is rant, unrelated to the film and not based in anything it says. I've read your post twice, and can't find any mention of any evidence in the actual film to support your convoluted conclusions.

Not only that, but even your basic logic is at fault. You say that the movie doesn't pull everything together at the end and make its cause obvious, and you take this alone as proof that it must be hiding a more sinister message. That's what's known as a "non-sequitur." Nothing in the first premise implies the second. Night has a history of stopping short of definitive explanations in his films, most notably in Signs, which presents many theories as to what the Aliens wanted, but no actual answers. I suppose that's actually a subversive commentary on American foreign policy, too, right?

Sorry, but either start citing some actual evidence within the film or spare us your craziness.



So...I have a theory that sort of extrapolates on the plant theory. I do think that the plants are what is releasing the toxins (or whatever) because it starts in parks, etc (and now because of his original title as well). I didn't really debate this part of it...what I focussed on was the trigger: Why did some people get affected at certain times and why didn't others? I think it has to do with mood/emotion. I think that the plants have had enough of us peeps destorying the planet so they decided to kick some ass of their own. The trigger? Negative emotion. If someone starts eminating negative feelings (which theoretically plants respond to), these spores or toxins or whatever get set off as a defence. In other words, mother nature being proactive in nipping a potentially dangerous person in the butt.

1. One of the two girls hears a scream in the park (while the other one reads a book about a killer). Violent crime being committed?

2. The introduction of the mood ring Whalberg carries with him.

3. Mark Whalberg's character is so passive aggressive. The underacting gets this across really nicely and if you take it as that then its actually a pretty sweet performance. He never loses his temper...always monotone. = safe

4. His wife talks about never showing her feelings. She shares this personality trait with the little girl. She goes so far as to say to the little girl "you're just like me, I keep my feelings on the inside as well". = both safe

5. The old lady in the house is unaffected until she freaks out on Whalberg and gets all bent out of shape. = head smashy smashy.

6. When the group is walking through the field with the army dude. Two of the guys at the front of the line start to get in an argument...2 seconds later..."my firearm is my friend."

7. In France, another scream sets off that park's plants.

So, when all is said and done, I think Mr. Shamalan is taking a page from Peter Pan: Think happy thoughts (or at least stay the hell away from negative people if ticked off plants are in the vicinity)
totally! and someone else pointed out to me the use of the color yellow in the film.



I think there is a mathematical affect as well. Julian was a math teacher, and there were several math references, including the girl on the phone repeating "calculus" over & over, before she died.
i watched a show yesterday on sir Isac Newton and how he spent his life using math to disect the greek myths into alchemy recipes. he also used math to try and disapprove the christian idea of the trinity. so i think there is a connection between math, science, nature, and the bible in the film.