Dragonfly Review
by Bob Bloom (bobbloom AT iquest DOT net)March 5th, 2002
DRAGONFLY (2002). 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Kevin Costner, Joe Morton, Ron Rifkin, Linda Hunt, Susanna Thompson, Jacob Vargas and Kathy Bates. Story by Brandon Camp & Mike Thompson. Screenplay by David Seltzer and Brandon Camp & Mike Thompson. Directed by Tom Shadyac. Rated PG-13.
Dragonfly would have made a suspenseful half-hour Twilight Zone episode or even an interesting one-hour Outer Limits presentation. But as a full-length feature film, Dragonfly rarely takes wing.
This new supernatural thriller starring Kevin Costner drags as slowly as a two-ton truck driving uphill with a load of concrete.
Dragonfly’s only redemption is its satisfying finale, which almost makes the entire endeavor worthwhile.
But up until that moment we have to endure more than 90 minutes of Costner agonizing over the death of his wife and trying to convince everyone he is not crazy when he says she is sending him signs from the beyond.
Costner plays Dr. Joe Darrow, head of emergency services at a Chicago hospital. His wife, Emily (Susanna Thompson), also is a doctor. Emily is an idealist, a saint. She takes care of terminally ill children as well as working with the Red Cross.
On a medical mercy mission to Venezuela, Emily is among those killed in a bus accident on a remote mountain road. Her body, unfortunately, is never recovered.
Months after her death, Joe begins seeing signs that point to Emily trying to contact him.
Children who flat-lined or were in comas tell of visions in which Emily gave them messages for Joe.
Plus strange occurrences flare up for Joe at home.
Joe desperately seeks answers, but is met by skepticism from friends, family and colleagues.
Finally, Joe takes matters into his own hands to find answers.
Dragonfly had potential to be an interesting thriller on the order of The Sixth Sense, but is defeated at every turn by a weak and wordy script.
Basically, Joe spends time running in circles from home to hospital to neighbor’s and back, in a vain search for answers.
For some reason director Tom Shadyac, best known for such comedies as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Nutty Professor, has wasted a lot of time with close-ups of Costner acting distraught, confused, in agony and generally suffering.
Dragonfly’s payoff does not cheat in any way. However, the wait is not worth it. This slow and plodding Dragonfly crawls like a snail.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloomjc@yahoo.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline. com by clicking on golafayette.
Bloom's reviews also can be found on the Web at the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom.
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