Dragonfly

Universal Pictures went through so much effort to ask critics “not to reveal any of the plot revelations” of Kevin Costner’s 2002 film, “Dragonfly” – even handing out a paper after the press screening stating specifically what cannot be spoiled.

William Arnold said in his review, “So, in full cooperation with this directive, let me just very carefully say that the film is another new-wave occult thriller, somewhat in the vein of "The Sixth Sense," with a romantic subtext, a character-driven screenplay and a bare minimum of special effects.”

It’s also realistically persuasive, with an interestingly comfortable performance by Costner, however a lot of credit goes to originality and director Tom Shadyac, steering away from the raunchy comedy that made him famous – can’t quite create the proceedings into anything special.

Costner plays a busy Chicago emergency room doctor mourning over the passing of his doctor wife, played by Susanna Thompson, who died in a bus accident when performing her volunteer work for Red Cross in the jungles of Venezuela.

As an M.D., he’s completely doubtful about anything metaphysical. However, after talking to two children cancer patients who have had near-death experiences, he eventually comes to a point that his late wife is trying to contact him spiritually.

Eventually, he’s seeing a bizarre cross symbol everywhere he looks, having visits from dragonflies (his wife’s “personal totem”) and he constantly is called by his friends and co-workers a nutcase as he decides to look into how to reconnect with his late wife.

Arnold noted, “The screenplay by Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson, and polished by old-pro David Seltzer, is agreeably free of exploitative nonsense, but also fairly weak and derivative, rather clumsily borrowing the romantic element of "Ghost" and one of the main plot devices of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."”

Director Shadyac tries hard to make the adjustment to New Age drama, but he can’t really succeed at that. Several of the scenes are strong, but the major delicate romance doesn’t really match with him, and some of the direction is noticeably poor.

The film’s strength is Costner. This wrongfully-hated actor, who has never gotten back his strength after the public-relations disaster of “Waterworld,” nicely drives the movie with his laid-back likability. In his greatest moments, he makes the viewers completely believe his character and feel his pain.

I know that this movie really got a lot of hate from people, but I personally think this is a really emotional film that has a great payoff. Once you see the movie and see what happens at the end, you will feel the weight of the emotions that were in the film the whole time. I won’t spoil it, but you have to see this movie to believe it. Ignore all the hate and bashing that this film has gotten, watch the film and see it for yourself. I honestly think that people should see this movie for themselves and judge it on their own thoughts. You will love the movie and might be left crying at the end.

Well everyone, I want to thank all of you for joining in on “Kevin Costner Month.” I hope all of you enjoyed this month, and I hope that I made some good recommendations of Costner movies that everyone should check out. Also, I hope that everyone will at least not hate on Costner, as he is a good actor and not a boring one that everyone wants to make him out to be.

Thank you for joining in on my reviews this month. Look out next month for more excitement coming your way.