User reviews

I saw Dragonfly many years ago now but it has never left me. I am surprised that of all the movies I have seen that this is one I have found to be unforgettable. Though the budget wasn't huge and the special effects look low-grade by today's standards the acting is good and the message is powerful. It resonated with me on a number of levels. It is also a very interesting story. It doesn't matter whether you believe in the supernatural or psychic abilities or any of that, it is still intriguing. After someone very close to me passed away the movie became even more significant to me. I could really relate to his confusion and the feelings of madness, the anger and questioning of your own sanity. If you are dealing with a tragic loss or asking big questions about life, death and the after-life, this movie might give you something new to ponder, or distract you for a while - in a useful way - from your private pain and grief. Eventually, you might even find it offers some small comfort.

From the info on the DVD cover, I thought this was a going to be a science fiction/horror movie. I was pleasantly surprised at what this was actually about. The plot twist in the film is wonderful. Kevin Costner and the rest of the cast do a convincing and thoroughly enjoyable job with this unique premise. This film reminded me more of a "Field of Dreams" than a "Poltergeist" kind of movie. The cast is revealing. Ron Rifkin (Alias) was a great foil to Mr. Costner. Linda Hunt is perfect in the small role she plays. The director, Mr. Shadyac, seems to have broken out of the comedy mode (Liar, Liar; Ace Ventura) in a big and interesting way here. This is a good one to see if you aren't into horror movies and want something that stirs the little grey cells...I give it a 7 out of 10.

Many may think they know the ending, but they will be suprised. This is a beautiful film with much more depth and understanding than initially appears. If you think it is going to be an average hollywood ghost story, think again.

Dr. Joe Darrow (Kevin Costner) is a recently widowed doctor. He is grieving due to the death of his pregnant wife in a Red Cross mission in Venezuela. Although being atheist, he began to believe that his dead wife wants to communicate with him, through her young patients in the Pediatrics of a Chicago hospital.

Although using many clichés, the plot is romantic and the story is beautiful. However, the time taken by Joe Darrow to find out the meaning of the symbol is amazingly long for such an obsessed and intelligent character. Further, while his wife tries to contact him through the almost dead persons, the story is OK. But if she had the capacity of telekinesis, why not give him a clear written message? My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Mistério da Libélula" ("The Mystery of the Dragonfly")

There is something strange about 'Dragonfly'. It is not a thriller in its subject but it deals with it as if it's a thriller. Even more strange, in some scenes it actually succeeds in that. I mean, when your wife has died and she is trying to reach you from the other side is something else than simply seeing dead people. Your wife probably has the best intentions and although it is creepy you do not have to be scared of your dead wife. I guess. The man who thinks his dead wife is trying to reach him is Joe Darrow (Kevin Costner). Is he going mad, a premise for a dramatic film, or is he really connecting to the other side?

At times where his wife is communicating with Joe, at least to Joe's knowledge, the film breaths a creepy atmosphere with a cinematography and score that make things suspenseful. But the film does not have its focus on whether Joe is going mad or not, but on how scary it is when a dead person talks to you. That there is actually suspense shows that there is some nice film-making to be found here. The premise is interesting, although not that new, but especially the final act in the film goes wrong at crucial points. There is a moment where I thought the film was over, I will not reveal where, but at that time certain things were left in the middle. It felt like the right ending. But then the film continues, providing it with an ending that must have popped into many heads from the audience, probably dismissed by a lot for being too ridiculous.

Still, the premise and the first hour are good enough to keep us entertained and although it should not work as a thriller, it does. Watching it like that without thinking too much could help you like this film in one way or another.

Dragonfly is directed by Tom Shadyac who also co-writes the screenplay with Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson. It stars Kevin Costner, Kathy Bates, Ron Rifkin, Joe Morton and Linda Hunt. Music is scored by John Debney and cinematography by Dean Semler. Plot finds Costner as a grieving doctor who starts to believe he is being contacted by his late wife through patients near death experiences.

"She was my ultimate partner, my best friend and lover. And I miss her beyond belief. I also know I'm never gonna see her again, not ever. And I'm just beginning to understand what that means so intensely that I sometimes wish I didn't have to wake up anymore. And the last thing I need is someone telling me what to feel, or how to feel."

It was badly marketed as a supernatural horror during the publicity prior to its theatrical release, and even now certain DVD covers lend the unsuspecting to thinking it's a nerve jangling experience. That it failed to resonate with critics and many film fans is not surprising, they either didn't get the spook fest they expected, or they simply had no time for a picture high on sentiment. And, without doubt, there are those who simply dislike Costner to the point that even when his peers were lauding him, they were throwing the poisonous darts. Does this mean they are all wrong and Dragonfly is a great picture? No, not at all, it has problems for sure, but really it could only ever appeal to one corner of the film loving market.

Dragonfly is a meditation on grief, where structured as it is, it opens the possibility of something past death offering advice and hope. This of course brings in much sentimentality as the makers hit the viewer with a sledgehammer, reference gravely ill children, young suicides and Costner's grieving. But what's wrong with sentimentality anyway? True, they go too far in the final quarter here where an underwater sequence is as trite as it gets, but some folk want to be manipulated into a teary eyed state, or they want to believe as Fox Mulder does. It's also worth mentioning that this isn't loaded as statement to say "there is" something after death, that the white light thing waits for us all, because it is disputed during a dinner conversation that puts up a valid argument against the near death experience.

Always interesting in themes and played deftly by Costner (who always does great brooding and inner turmoil) and Bates, this is a film worthy of inspection by seekers of the heart tug. Suffice to say, the horror faithful and those that hate the treacle treatment should stay away. 7/10

This movie has been quite slated and is certainly not everyone's cup of tea. During the showing, I heard a number of people groaning and complaining, and a few even walked out.

But it's really not that bad. One of the major criticisms levelled at the movie is that it doesn't know whether it wants to be a tear-jerking drama or a supernatural horror/thriller. Why not be both? I personally always find cross-genre movies interesting... at least as noble attempts.

Certainly, there are lots of plotholes, a little bit too much "violin" (teary!) music, the ending IS out of a hallmark card, and Kevin Costner is somewhat dull at times. Despite this, it's a slightly above-average movie that at least realises it may not have the most original story ever, and tries to rise above it with some interesting twists.

Unfortunately, Kathy Bates really is criminally underused. A talented, delightful actress with scope and range of Ms. Bates should have more than do than be thrown into a few bit parts here and there. Hope the DVD has lots of deleted scenes featuring her!

I don't know why they said this movie was a failure when it first came out. It is one of the best movies I've ever seen and my favorite. I can watch it over and over!

*Spoiler-ish (but not really)* Despite some moments of dubious acting from both Kevin Costner (a very short haired??) Kathy Bates, and a completely over the top scene where Costner jumps over a waterfall and drowns (?) in the same bus that his wife did about a year earlier which allows him to see her ghost and get the answers he's seeking. Yes, despite all that I still liked this movie.

It's a unique story and was scarier then I was expecting, delving into ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Ultimately I guess its a love story too, as Dr. Joe Darrow, is plagued by what he believes are messages from his wife after she dies while on a red cross mission in Venezuela. Joe begins to wonder if her spirit is trying to contact him and then goes about trying to communicate with her.

The ending is a big surprise but it did leave me wondering exactly how "they" were going to get out of South America without any paperwork? 08.13

Call me an soppy silly man, but I loved this movie. I loved every sentimental sugar-coated silly second of it. I don't believe in life after death and I think near death experiences are hallucinations, but this movie grabbed hold of me and didn't let go. I was genuinely surprised and touched by the ending. Great movie.

The flow and the dialog was awkward at times but I thought the story was really interesting. I recently caught the movie playing late one night on the SciFi channel and I'm glad I watched it. I remember wanting to see it when it came out, but it got such poor reviews that I quickly forgot about it. However, I think this movie is decent and I thought the ending was really unexpected and satisfying.

I thought the Kathy Bates character was particularly awkward because it wasn't really explained why this woman would do so much for the Kevin Costner character. The Bates character was definitely needed so that the Costner character would have someone to talk to but her motivations needed to be explained more.

However, I did enjoy the movie (even jumped out of my skin a few times) and I wouldn't mind seeing Dragonfly again.

If you check your cynicism at the door, "Dragonfly" is astonishing in its tenderness. It's beautifully shot (Dean Semler of "Dances with Wolves" and "Waterworld") and well-acted. It's a refreshing alternative to the testosterone-driven films like "John Q", "Collateral Damage" and myriad war movies like "We Were Soldiers". Kevin Costner is inexplicably Hollywood's whipping boy but he still manages to make varied, provocative choices in his projects. While I wanted to resist the heart-tug of the ending, I found I simply couldn't. If you let it, "Dragonfly" will take you someplace sweet.

This movie was entertaining, but a little overdone at times. Kevin Costner did a good job as well as little used Kathy Bates and Ms. Hunt. I thought the ending was dramatic and a real surprise. It is only about an hour and a half and I think overall it was worth seeing.

Dr Joe Darrow - Kevin Costner - has just lost his pregnant wife, Emily, also a physician. Dr Emily joined a Red Cross mission in Colombia and her bus was washed into a river, following a landslide. Seven months pregnant, her body isn't found but she is presumed dead. Meanwhile, Dr. Joe keeps working without taking time to grieve. Suddenly, a young patient whose heart stopped and then was revived tells Dr Joe he talked to Dr Emily in his near death experience. She advises Joe to look for a rainbow. How can this be? Things don't stop there. From talking parrots to dragonfly sightings, Joe comes to believe Emily is alive. Is she? Yes, this film is far fetched and a bit crazy. Nevertheless, it's offbeat story is intriguing with a nice performance by Costner. Those who like "something different" will find this one fits the bill.

Perhaps poor editing is to blame for this film moving along so slowly in the beginning, or maybe there is just so much symbolism, I was reminded of 'The Blair Witch Project', but once this film takes off..........it really soars. There are a few good jolts here and there, and a nice unforseen twist in the end that makes the film all worthwhile.

Casting was impeccable, as no one else could have played Joe Darrow except Kevin Costner. His depth of compassion as well as confusion brought a reality to the character that few could've pulled off as well. He was candid, angry, grief-stricken, impatient, confused, and yes, frightened. He brought all of these emotions to the table and more just as, dare I say, each and every one of us would have done, if given the same set of circumstances. Believable? You betcha.

Kathy Bates brought several nice touches to the film, as did Linda Hunt, but I think their characters were a bit too understated, and would have liked to have seen more of them both in the film.

Once the film does start to pick up speed, however, it does so rapidly. Joe Darrow will take you through a journey towards his one and only Emily, and in the quite unexpected end, these soulmates will finally prove that love really does transcend all~

Tom Shadyac, responsible for one of my favorite guilty pleasure-like comedies, Ace Ventura, has recently (since films like the funny if sitcomish Liar Liar and the similar though not as funny Patch Adams) gone the way of the sap, and Dragonfly is an example of his plummet from his first success. It stars Kevin Costner, who works in a hospital and is emotionally distroyed when he finds out that his wife has died in South America. Soon after he starts seeing signs, visions, kids telling him secrets and all that spooky stuff, that points to his wife trying to contact him from the grave. Another romance-ghost story thriller, with another bad Costner performance and added thrills at the end don't help and, most likley hurt the film. Only two things of interest are supporting performances from the likes of Kathy Bates, Linda Hunt, and others. But overall, it's a dud. D+

I find it bemusing that this flick is rated below 6 by the several thousands who have "voted." Despite the fact that at my age, 86 and counting, I cannot hear, therefore must rely on closed captions and totally miss the music score as well, and my dimming visual capacity further delimits my perceptions and appreciations, I found this venture both adventurous AND trailblazing, as in the "psychic" realm. Who among us has NEVER 'experienced' a qualm or quivering at some point in his or her life? I mean the wonder at whether or no there lies something beyond our physical ken. And whereas the protagonist's seemingly incredible finding of his own little daughter in an Andean rainforest is both 'corny' and 'happy ending,' was it not an altogether LOVELY cinematic experience? It continues to be evident, to me at least, that the great bulk of the "public" out there continues to labor under the conventional "wisdoms" of the ethnocultural majority, which, to me, is "slavery" of the worst esthetic variety. Kevin Costner, take a bow here, along with the writers and producers.

In Dragonfly, Kevin Costner plays one half of a power couple; he's a doctor, and his wife is helping kids in Venezuela. Sadly, his wife is in a bus accident and dies. (I'm not spoiling anything. This is at the start of the movie.) While Costner grieves and can't move on, despite his friends' and co-workers' urgings, something strange happens. . .

As the tagline hints, "when someone you love dies. . .are they gone forever?", Costner feels his wife trying to contact him from the afterlife. If you don't like ghost stories or post-death stories at all, skip this one. But if you like a little bit of spook in your dramas, definitely check this one out! I liked it, because I can't handle movies that are too scary, and Dragonfly doesn't ever cross that line into the horror genre. For those of you who like training wheels on your scary movies, you'll really enjoy it.

Also, some people put a lot of weight into endings of movies. Obviously, I won't spoil anything for you, but I found the ending very satisfactory. So relax, and go rent it!

This movie was horrible. There was no creativity in the script, and videography. Pulling ideas from movies such as: What Lies Beneath, The Usual Suspects, The Fugitive, and of course The Sixth Sense.

The story lacked anything remotely close to characters that anyone would care about. Bottom line, don't see it, if you must see it then rent it...maybe.

Costner needs to stick to baseball movies because his judgement in scripts other than baseball is really bad.

From a great cast to well done locations, I was amazed that I hadn't heard more about this movie. I'm really amazed that there are several comments from people who didn't like the movie. Did we see the same movie?? I think some people have lost the ability to enjoy a movie. They just nitpick it to death for some unimportant imperfection. (the time on their watches was different -- see!!) Hey, you're watching a movie, right? The best part of this movie is how it captures the heart of those of us with a high EQ - Emotional Quotient. Here's a topic that rests on everyone's heart - what comes after death, and can we reach those we love that have passed on. What an ending - not a predictable film cliché, but.....no, I won't spoil it. Watch this movie!!!!

Ghost stories are nothing new in the movie world. From "Wuthering Heights" ("Wuthering Heights", USA, 1939) to "Sixth Sense" ("The Sixth Sense", USA, 1999), through "The Ghosts Have Fun" ("Beetlejuice", USA, 1988) and "Beyond Eternity" ("Always", USA, 1989), many scares and laughter have already been provoked by the spirits, explicit or implied. But, what happens when a deceased tries to communicate with their loved ones through a third party? And when intermediaries are not mediums but people on the brink of death? This is the curious situation presented by "Dragonfly", USA, 2002), a film starring Kevin Costner.

The human psyche is much more comprehensive when we connect with reflections to the facts that happen to us. Especially when reflections are immersed in something even more complex for the brain and perhaps less for the human heart, love. That's what happens to Joe Darrow (Kevin Costner), who is stunned after the death of his wife Emily Darrow (Susanna Thompson) in a bus accident in Venezuela. Dr. Darrow starts to dedicate himself to work as a way to escape the sadness that hits him, but he is surprised that his wife begins to want to make contact with him through strange situations where objects move, hallucinations the storm and his patients begin to serve. Of conduit so that contact with the underworld is possible. From then on, the doctor started to give himself to such spirits' stimuli despite not having the support of his acquaintances, who thought that he was becoming confused by the loss of his wife. In this delivery, the facts are being confirmed and an incredible suspense unfolds.

In addition to fun, "The Dragonfly" brings a message so that you can understand the pain of losing a loved one, it is concerned with its own mortality or with what may exist after death. The script plays with the spectator's distrust, making him see the facts always through Joe's perspective, sometimes confused by the strange events, sometimes discovering "evidence" that these events were tricks. These mysterious events - moving objects, signs of patients who have survived near-fatal experiences, and strange voices - end up convincing him that his wife is trying to get in touch with him. But, the film continues in a growing number of situations that are increasingly emotional, culminating in a journey into the Amazon jungle, in search of the spirit of the woman he loves. It is curious how the story transitions from the suspense genre to adventure and romance, without an abrupt transition.

During the course of the film, the script shows itself to be the real strong point of the production. With well-constructed, intelligent dialogues that are supported by the brilliant performance of the cast that gives density to each character, making them convincing to the point of moving with each simple scene. As the film goes by, the plot gives the audience room to imagine how the story might end, but many of our thoughts dissolve as the plot progresses. Most people considered three hundred possibilities to unravel the mystery together with Costner's character, so it was easy to understand how the film would end even before it ended.

Starting from a not so original premise, the differential of Dragonfly is how it was conducted. With a brilliant direction fully involved with a perfect understanding of the script, director Tom Shadyac (Patch Adams) uses his intelligence to capture the best images and extract from the scene the goal it had. The movie editing also stands out, as we can see by watching the deleted scenes that are in the extras. Perhaps if they had been placed in the story, it would have misrepresented the charisma she wins from the public by exaggerating the surrealist of the supernatural world.

Written by newcomers Mike Thompson and Brandon Camp, the film's plot has moments that are hard to believe and digest. Which, at first, would not be the biggest problem with Dragonfly, since one of the functions of cinema is to make us believe in impossible stories. However, difficult plots need improved direction, that special touch that involves the viewer and makes him accept with an open heart what is being shown on the screen. That doesn't happen in The Dragonfly. Tom Shadyac returns to present the same heavy-handed direction that he had already demonstrated in Ace Ventura, Patch Addams and The Nutty Professor. Subtlety isn't really your forte. Burning lamps and other ghostly signs pop up without any finesse. The script doesn't help either: it repeats information needlessly and inflates unnecessary characters with a plot in itself that is already quite baroque. What is the role, for example, of that trauma therapist whom Joe meets over a family dinner? And why does the long-awaited and heralded sister Madeline have such a low profile when she finally shows up?

Another big problem with the movie are those worn and predictable "clues" that are presented to the audience. Examples: when Joe skeptically tells a suicidal girl that there is nothing but death, it is obvious that by the end of the movie he will have proof of the supernatural. When he tells a friend that his deceased wife's macaw used to greet her as she enters the house, it is more than obvious that the greeting will come sooner or later. And so on. Do audiences still fall into these tiresome Hollywood movie script traps? The worst, however, Dragonfly leaves it to the end. Joe jumps off a gigantic cliff, falls into a rapid and is dragged by it, almost dies trapped in the wreckage of a bus stuck at the bottom of the river, is saved by a native, survives, runs off towards an indigenous village... everything this without your shirt even coming out of your pants. Let there be elegance! And all without losing or spoiling a photograph that was in his pocket. There is credibility!

Unfortunately, the great Kathy Bates, winner of the deserved Academy Award for Best Actress, in 1991, for "Misery", USA, 1990), is restricted to a supporting role. As for the protagonist, despite Costner's limitations, this seems to be the perfect role for him. Confused and tormented, the character wanders through life in search of answers to his questions. The protagonist holds the spectator in the eternal promise of "more to see" of the images, as he embarks on an investigation in which he must always overcome obstacles and overcome goals. In this case, the scientific explanations that Costner's colleagues give him for such extrasensory phenomena and the reflections of the neighbor incarnated by Kathy Bates work as obstacles - reason's obstacles to the free enjoyment of belief. And the spiritual advice given by the nun played by Linda Hunt works as beacons. The more Costner's belief grows in the possibility that his wife is sending him messages from the beyond, the closer he comes, in effect, to solving the mystery in question. The mystical revelation cannot take place here without an investigative rationalization, without an elucidation.

Anyone who can only see what is being presented in each scene of the film may not admire him so much, but at the same time he will be running away from one of the lessons he teaches. Dragonfly is a love story never told before, which shows bold boundaries between the world of the living and the dead. Furthermore, the film shows how to believe in something that is not being observed by the eyes and that issues are carried beyond the life we lead in this world. As unhappy as some parts involving the supernatural and the real have been, they don't get in the way of the plot. Perhaps those who don't believe in the supernatural or who aren't open to new insights into the matter are unconvinced by the story, but the plot's true purpose has been achieved in such a peculiar way that any slip it commits may be considered irrelevant. Anyway, the film differs from others in the genre and those who watch it tend to feel and see life in a different way, in a more refined and less stereotyped way. The character's sensitivity contrasting his spiteful way of being, makes Dr. Darrow one of the best performances ever performed by Costner, in an engaging and emotional plot.

The feeling is that the plot could have rendered a good supernatural thriller in the hands of a director of the caliber of an M. Night Shyamalan, for example, but that it got lost in simplistic and worn out formulas. Still, the plot is very efficient. It's easy to step into the story and get involved in Joe's search for his wife, making us feel anxious and tense, rooting for the protagonist's success. However, the great intelligence of the script is in the balance of doubt posed by the pessimism and disbelief of people around Joe, not to mention all the subjectivity of the characters' actions.

It's a harrowing film, and at the same time it thrills and inspires its audience, mainly through the illuminated soundtrack (one of the most beautiful and enigmatic I've ever heard) composed by John Debney. A rarity of the genre loved by many, and which deserved to be more valued by critics. Very few movies have managed to balance suspense and drama as satisfactorily as Dragonfly.

Although I find the topic of the communication with the dead very interesting and also the overall plot quite ok the film is realised too conventional with a lot of predictable wannabe thrilling or just plain boring parts.