Dragonfly Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)February 25th, 2002
DRAGONFLY
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After Dr. Emily Darrow (Susanna Thompson, "Random Hearts") is lost in a freak bus accident on a Venezuelan Red Cross mission, her bereft husband Joe (Kevin Costner) throws himself into sleep deprived hospital shifts under the administrator Hugh Campbell (Joe Morton, "Ali") orders him to take time off. But instead, Joe remembers a promise to visit Emily's young oncology patients, where he discovers that Emily's trying to send him a message through near death experiences and coma dreams in "Dragonfly."
Director Tom Shadyac ("Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, "Patch Adams") tries his hand outside of the comedy arena and comes up blank with this limp, cliched supernatural thriller. Kevin Costner sleepwalks through this trite screenplay (Brandon Camp, Mike Thompson and David Seltzer) which employs cheap trickery in place of real thrills.
A dragonfly shaped birthmark on Emily's shoulder had become her symbol, so Joe begins to see them everywhere. A dragonfly paperweight inexplicably rolls across the floor in the middle of the night. Neighbor Miriam (Kathy Bates, "American Outlaws") reluctantly brings a package addressed to Emily over and Joe discovers it contains a dragonfly mobile (Emily had been six months pregnant with their first child when she left for Venezuela). When Joe tells Miriam that their parrot, Big Bird, only ever spoke to Emily, announcing her arrival home, we know we'll hear from it soon.
Meanwhile, Emily's patient Jeffrey (Robert Bailey, Jr.) 'calls out' to Joe one night after his heart stops. The next day brings one in a series of his near death tales, but this one featured Emily 'in a rainbow' with a message for Joe to go there. Both Jeffrey and Ben, recently woken from a coma, have taken to drawing odd symbols that Joe describes as 'a crucifix made of jello.' (Of course, they also resemble dragonflies, which only the audience seems to notice, but it's a bait and switch trick - the real explanation makes little sense as to why Emily would have chosen it.) Joe's visit to a nun (Linda Hunt), who had been studying the near death experiences on Emily's ward, goes nowhere.
The climatic 'miracle' ending, which finds Joe travelling to Venezuela, is staged like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" crossed with "The Ten Commandments" featuring a native Venezuelan Indian tribe who like their privacy.
The 'surprise' twist has been foreshadowed at the beginning of the film in order to lend it credence when it comes.
High profile support like Joe Morton, Ron Rifkin and Linda Hunt are wasted while Bates' stock as an Oscar winner is plummeting.. Costner does little to arouse us from our stupor. Young Bailey Jr. gives the film's best
performance.
"Dragonfly" is a complete misfire.
D
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