Dragonfly: Movie, DVD Review (2002)

Directed by Tom Shadyac, ritten by David Seltzer, Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson, 105 minutes, rated PG-13.

(Originally published 2002)

Following close on the wings of Mark Pellington's "The Mothman Prophecies" is Tom Shadyac's supernatural drama "Dragonfly," which is the story of a burned-out emergency room doctor whose pregnant wife, Emily (Susanna Thompson), leaves for Venezuela on a Red Cross missionary mission only to die in a freak bus accident when a mudslide overcomes the vehicle and swallows it whole.

Lucky her.

The film stars Kevin Costner, always a shaky prospect these days, and also Linda Hunt as a creepy nun fascinated with the near-death experiences of pediatric oncology patients, Kathy Bates as a mannish lawyer who "just deals in facts" and who doesn't "know about any dealings with the afterlife," and an ill-looking parrot named Big Bird, who collapses midway through the film in a terrible fit of seizures.

One can't blame the poor bird for nearly dropping dead. Just as when "Mothman" was released, there are undoubtedly going to be those who will want to pull off "Dragonfly's" wings.

In the film, Costner is Joe Darrow, a man consumed with the idea that his wife is trying to communicate with him from beyond the grave.

And who can blame him? Emily's personal totem was a dragonfly, which Joe now sees everywhere. They tap against his windows in the middle of the night, reveal themselves in birthmarks and in paperweights, and even come to him in the mail attached to a child's decorative mobile.

More confusing to Joe is that two of Emily's oncology patients are convinced Emily is speaking to them each time they have near-death experiences. Initially, Joe doesn’t believe them, but when a cadaver’s bloated, pendulous belly starts bubbling up the wispy sounds of Emily’s voice, well, Joe becomes a believer--and fast.

Launching into action, something the laconic Costner can barely do these days, he flies to Venezuela in a prop plane piloted by a man who wields a gun and who "ah speeka like dees."

Once in the jungles of Venezuela, Joe has all sorts of troubles: He nearly drowns while diving into a river to see what’s left of Emily’s destroyed bus, he stumbles upon an undeveloped, spear-wielding tribe hauled straight out of central casting—and in an attempt to hear what Emily has to say to him, he tosses himself into the middle of a waterfall so he can become one with a rainbow.

None of it makes much sense, but I promise you this--the way Shadyac shoots that last little gem, you’ll think you’re watching a Skittles commercial.

Grade: D