A quick glance – heck, a comprehensive study – at director Tom Shadyac’s body of work would not prepare you for “Dragonfly,” a humorless though not entirely suspense-free drama about an atheist wrestling with the notion that his deceased wife may be contacting him from the great beyond. In fact, Shadyac’s prior work skewers more toward the vulgar (“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”), the excessive (“The Nutty Professor”) and the downright schmaltzy (“Patch Adams”).
“Dragonfly,” on the other hand, tilts toward the metaphysical as it tackles tough topics like reincarnation, mourning, and the existence of an afterlife. Such are the issues that consume Dr. Joe Darrow (Kevin Costner) after his wife, Emily (Susanna Thompson), is killed in a bus crash while volunteering in Venezuela. An oncology doctor who worked closely with children, Emily made Joe promise he’d tend to her young patients if ever she were to pass on. And Joe keeps his word, but several peculiar occurrences convince the skeptical doctor that Emily is trying to reach him through the ailing children’s near-death experiences. Eventually, Joe evens suspects that Emily isn’t dead at all but still alive, possibly in a coma, somewhere in Venezuela“Dragonfly” relies on too many conveniences to further Joe’s investigations. However, these calculating devices are dropped like hot rocks once the film allows Emily to contact Joe directly – which occurs in yet another startling scene.Shadyac repeatedly mishandles the film’s gripping premise, attempting to stretch a supernatural twist across a two-hour feature. Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson’s screenplay alternates from marginally predictable to mildly engrossing, and there’s more than enough foreshadowing here to gag a rhino. Still, when the action starts to grind to a shuffle, “Dragonfly” manages to work in a genuine jolt or creepy aside that gets the heart pumping.Ultimately, “Dragonfly” succeeds in spite of itself, and why not? If “Crossing Over” host John Edward has taught us anything, its that people will go to great lengths for the chance to speak to a deceased lover one last time. And for once, I’d have to agree with him.Grade: C+THE EXTRASAfter a mandatory “Scorpion King” trailer (huh?), Universal finally allows you to settle in to their comprehensive “Dragonfly” DVD. The supplements are standard, but nicely produced and informative for fans of the film.Shadyac sits for a screen-specific audio commentary here, and it’s very entertaining and packed with tidbits. Shadyac’s a lively fellow, and he’s extremely honest about his film (for better and for worse).His enthusiasm carries over to the behind-the-scenes “Spotlight on Location” feature. Actors, filmmakers and assorted production people speak up during interviews, though very little exposition reveals facts about the actual piece. Go back to the commentary for that, as there’s very little here. Same goes with the deleted scenes. Most revolve around Costner’s bizarre dreams, though few surpass what we get to see in the final film.The most interesting featurette is author Betty Eadie’s recount of her own near-death experience. It’s chilling, and compliments this material perfectly. The remainder of the disc fills up with production notes, cast and crew biographies, and promos for new (and old) Universal DVD releases. Tidy, but none too thrilling.Grade: B-OVERALL EXPERIENCE: C+Director Tom Shadyac’s enthusiasm and honesty for his flawed film nearly saves “Dragonfly” from eternal damnation. If you liked the film (and some did), the DVD is a nice transfer. Not a bad pick up.By Sean O’ConnellJuly 30, 2002