'Dragonfly' Lacks Wings

With a leading actor whose best days seem to be behind him and a plotline involving a doctor caring for terminally ill patients, Dragonfly may appear to be unfortunately reminiscent of 1998’s Patch Adams. At one point in the movie, a doctor is even shown wearing Patch-esque bunny ears complete with marshmallow nose for her young charges in a cancer ward. But the similarities end there; Dragonfly forgoes the feel-good sappiness of the Robin Williams film and falls short in its attempt to be another Sixth Sense.

In the film, Costner stars as Dr. Joe Darrow, an emergency room doctor from Chicago, whose pregnant wife Emily (Susanna Thompson) loses her life in a bus accident. while working with the Red Cross in Venezuela. Upon hearing news of the disaster, Joe journeys to South America to look for his wife. The rainy season prohibits the recovery of the victims’ bodies and he returns to Chicago a widower.

It is hard to imagine that Darrow, the head of emergency services at Chicago Memorial Hospital, and Emily, a pediatric oncologist there, ever had the time or the extra emotional wherewithal to maintain a strong relationship. Nevertheless, he is devastated by his loss, or at least Costner trys to act devastated. He becomes a loose cannon on the job and is quickly asked to take time off by his friends and medical colleagues. He appears delusional to them, as he becomes deeply affected by frequent encounters with dragonflies—be it with a dragonfly paperweight with a life of its own or the mail delivery of a decorative dragonfly mobile. These incidents seem strange enough, until we learn that his wife had a dragonfly-shaped birthmark on her shoulder and an unusual interest for dragonflies. But who has a thing for dragonflies?

These are the first in a series of mystical events that lead Darrow to believe his wife is trying to communicate with him. We’re never sure if his encounters are simply in his own mind. But even then, Dragonfly leaves us wondering about the difference between reality and the reality the mind creates. In keeping with his promise to look after Emily’s patients while she is in Venezuela, Darrow makes frequent visits to the pediatric oncology ward. Mysteriously enough, two of the children in the ward have near-death experiences under his care and bring back strange messages for him, supposedly from his deceased wife. One of them whispers that he “saw her yesterday,” bringing to mind Haley Joel Osment’s delivery of the infamous “I see dead people” M. Night Shalaman’s Sixth Sense. Like Sixth Sense, Dragonfly explores the fine line between life and the hereafter.

Indeed, the film’s script, the rookie effort of Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson, was not only praised by the critics for its similarities to Shalaman’s script—Variety called it “the best unmade script in Hollywood”—but it also has a similar structure. Dragonfly slowly builds a supernatural mystery, injects moments of suspense and finally provides a twist ending. But everything that Dragonfly does, The Sixth Sense did better, although the former film does have several genuinely suspenseful moments.

However, these tense scenes don’t keep the movie from dragging. Most of the film is shot gloomily, with endless shades of gray and blue, constant darkness and frequent rain. The depressing soundtrack further fuels a feeling of prolonged mourning that becomes whiny. Scenes that are supposed to be filled with suspense and contribute to the mystery instead are drawn out and boring, especially Darrow’s conversations with the young cancer patients.

Granted, any dialogue in which Costner is trying to carry half the burden is going to be excruciating, but several exchanges in the film leave one wondering where to place the blame—on the stilted script or the poor acting. At one point, Darrow walks up to a table of friends at a bar, who toast his recently deceased wife (“Here’s to Emily!”) just like most people would toast a good night at the bowling alley or the purchase of a new car. It is a wonder that the one actor in the film who is blessed with great talent, Kathy Bates, ends up playing only a small part as a friend of Darrow’s who has been through a similar experience.

By the time the credits roll for Dragonfly, you may be scratching your head about a few things, but there’s one thing you won’t be able to deny: Kevin Costner is good at what he does, and this does not involve acting well. Since his glory days of the early 90s, when he starred in blockbuster after blockbuster (Dances With Wolves, Field of Dreams and Robin Hood: Prince of Theives), he has accepted many a dismal script and acted poorly in many a mediocre movie. But it is who wins the financial endgame that matters and in the case of Dragonfly, Costner wins with a salary of $15 million and that is no laughing matter.

film

Dragonfly

Directed By Tom Shadyac

Starring Kevin Costner, Kathy Bates, Linda Hunt

Universal Pictures