Dragonfly (2002)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Tom Shadyac

Writers (WGA):

Brandon Camp (story) &
Mike Thompson (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 February 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

When someone you love dies... are they gone forever?

Plot:

A grieving doctor is being contacted by his late wife through his patients near death experiences.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | South America | Hospital | Red Cross | Chicago Illinois

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Joe Darrow
Susanna Thompson	...	Emily Darrow
Joe Morton	...	Hugh Campbell
Ron Rifkin	...	Charlie Dickinson
Kathy Bates	...	Mrs. Belmont
Robert Bailey Jr.	...	Jeffrey Reardon
Jacob Smith	...	Ben
Jay Thomas	...	Hal
Lisa Banes	...	Flora
Matt Craven	...	Eric
Casey Biggs	...	Neil Darrow
Leslie Hope	...	Charisse Darrow
Peter Hansen	...	Phillip Darrow
Marybeth Fisher	...	Eulogist (as Mary Beth Fisher)
Kim Staunton	...	Intake Nurse
Liza Weil	...	Suicide Girl
Nigel Gibbs	...	Paramedic
Heidi Swedberg	...	Surgical Nurse
Jamie Sue Sherrill	...	Surgical Nurse
Samantha Smith	...	Waitress
Andy Umberger	...	Doctor
Nicholas Cascone	...	Doctor
Judith Moreland	...	I.C.U. Nurse
Jennifer Parsons	...	I.C.U. Nurse
Oni Faida Lampley	...	Private Duty Nurse
L. Scott Caldwell	...	Head Nurse
Kent Faulcon	...	Paul Reardon
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Gwyn
Justina Machado	...	Oncology Desk Nurse
William Dennis Hunt	...	Priest
Linda Hunt	...	Sister Madeline
Tom Keevers	...	Cop
Rich Komenich	...	Cop
Paul Terrell Clayton	...	Colleague (as Terrell Clayton)
Lise Simms	...	Nephrology Desk Nurse
Joseph Will	...	Medical Tech
Jerome Butler	...	Medivac Doctor
Michael Manuel	...	Tough Paramedic
Jacob Vargas	...	Victor
Henry Gerardo Cariban	...	Yanomami Native
Gilberto Herrera Chipiaje	...	Guard
Ana García	...	Elderly Native Woman
Lina Patel	...	Airline Official
Matt Champagne	...	Paramedic
Maz Jobrani	...	Paramedic
Benjamin John Parrillo	...	Paramedic
Monnae Michaell	...	Paramedic
David Doty	...	Hospital Chaplain
David Correia	...	Bus Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anne Betancourt	...	Mother (uncredited)
Rolanda Brigham	...	Guest (uncredited)
Chea Courtney	...	12-Year-Old Girl (uncredited)
Brian J. Davis	...	Michael (uncredited)
Christopher Gilbertson	...	Airport Security Guard (uncredited)
Paul Gutrecht	...	Simon (uncredited)
Jimmy Leeward	...	Cessna Pilot (uncredited)
John Lordan	...	Guest (uncredited)
Angela Mora	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Michelle Mora	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Rana Morrison	...	Julie - Nurse (uncredited)
Meg Thalken	...	Guest (uncredited)
Gillian Vigman	...	Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Tom Shadyac

Writing credits (WGA)
Brandon Camp		(story) &
Mike Thompson		(story)
David Seltzer		(screenplay) and
Brandon Camp		(screenplay) &
Mike Thompson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gary Barber	....	producer
Roger Birnbaum	....	producer
Michael Bostick	....	executive producer
James D. Brubaker	....	executive producer
Alan B. Curtiss	....	associate producer
Mark Johnson	....	producer
Arlene Kehela	....	associate producer
Tom Shadyac	....	producer
Janet L. Wattles	....	associate producer (as Janet Wattles)

Original Music by
John Debney

Cinematography by
Dean Semler

Film Editing by
Don Zimmerman

Casting by
Elizabeth Marx
Debra Zane

Production Design by
Linda DeScenna

Art Direction by
James Nedza		(as Jim Nedza)

Set Decoration by
Ric McElvin

Costume Design by
Judy L. Ruskin		(as Judy Ruskin Howell)

Makeup Department
David LeRoy Anderson	....	special makeup effects designer and creator
Chantal Boom'la	....	makeup artist
Judy Crown	....	key hair stylist: additional photography
Jackie Dobbie	....	makeup artist
Elle Elliott	....	hair stylist: Mr. Costner
Connie Grayson	....	hair technician
Alexis Kelley	....	additional hair stylist
Kerry Mendenhall	....	key hair stylist
Beth Miller	....	hair department head
Tony Mirante	....	hair stylist
Francisco X. Pérez	....	makeup artist: Mr. Costner
Marsha Shearrill	....	makeup artist
Nena Smarz	....	makeup department head
Laine Trzinski	....	hair stylist (as Elaine M. Cascio)
Thomas Floutz	....	special makeup effects artist: AFX (uncredited)
Karen Iboshi Preiser	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Shaun Smith	....	special makeup effects supervisor: AFX (uncredited)

Production Management
Daryl Kass	....	unit production manager
Janet L. Wattles	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David M. Bernstein	....	second assistant director (as David Bernstein)
Joan Cunningham	....	first assistant director: additional photography
Alan B. Curtiss	....	first assistant director
Carlos De La Torre	....	assistant director
Gary Romolo Fiorelli	....	second second assistant director
Mickey Gilbert	....	second unit director
Eric A. Pot	....	second assistant director: Chicago
L. David Silva	....	assistant director: second unit
L. David Silva	....	first assistant director
Basti Van Der Woude	....	assistant director

Art Department
Mark Boucher	....	set dresser
John J. Bradley	....	set dresser
Nancy Deren	....	set designer
Dennis DeWaay	....	construction coordinator
Alan Easley	....	set dressing gangboss
Emily Ferry	....	prop master
Nancy Gilmore	....	lead man
Lanny Henson	....	location foreman
Paul Jackson	....	on-set dresser
Mark David Kersey	....	greensman
David Ladish	....	set dresser
Christopher H. Lawrence	....	set dresser
Craig K. Lewis	....	props
David Lowery	....	storyboard artist
Jeremiah Moore III	....	art department assistant
Rich Romig	....	set designer
Tom Sharp	....	drapery foreman
Glenn Stevens	....	construction foreman
Mitch Sutton	....	art department coordinator
Dawn Swiderski	....	assistant art director
Marc Tantin	....	propmaker
Joy Taylor	....	assistant property master
Sally Thornton	....	assistant art director
Gaylene West	....	set propmaster: medical unit
Greg Wilkinson	....	assistant property master
Phil Ellman	....	greensman (uncredited)
Shannon Hart	....	buyer (uncredited)
Warren Manser	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Odin Benitez	....	sound effects supervisor
Andy Brokmeyer	....	utility sound
Paula Fairfield	....	sound editor
Richard C. Franklin	....	sound effects editor
Jonathan Fuh	....	boom operator
José Antonio García	....	production sound mixer
Avram D. Gold	....	sound effects editor
Randall Guth	....	sound effects editor
Michael Hilkene	....	supervising sound editor
Jeffrey Kaplan	....	dialogue editor
Linda Lew	....	foley recordist
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alex Riordan	....	sound utility: Chicago
Brian Risner	....	sound effects editor
Philip Rogers	....	adr recordist
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pernell L. Salinas	....	assistant sound editor
Dan Sharp	....	sound re-recordist
Brian P. Williams	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Roy Augenstein	....	special effects
Brian Bero	....	animatronic effects
Hal Bigger	....	special effects foreman
Steve Bolan	....	special effects (as Steven Bolan)
Kevin Bowers	....	special effects
Robert Cole	....	special effects
David Eland	....	special effects
John Fontana	....	special effects
G. Peter King	....	special effects
Bob Lamberth	....	special effects
Robert L. Olmstead	....	special effects foreman
Mark Rappaport	....	animatronic effects
Bruce Richter	....	special effects
Daniel Sudick	....	special effects coordinator
Thomas R. Ward	....	special effects
Tony Acosta Jr.	....	special effects technician: AFX (uncredited)
Andy Clement	....	animatronic baby effects (uncredited)
Val Crawford	....	special effects technician: AFX (uncredited)
Russell Shinkle	....	animatronic creature effects: AFX (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Adrian Banton	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Jim Bowers	....	digital matte painter
Richard Briscoe	....	digital compositor
Susie Brubaker	....	visual effects coordinator
Chris Burn	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Frazer Churchill	....	digital compositor
Dayne Cowan	....	digital effects artist
Jon Farhat	....	visual effects supervisor
Paul J. Franklin	....	3D animator: Double Negative
Gavin Graham	....	digital artist: Double Negative
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: Double Negative
Scott Hill	....	visual effects editor
Nic Hodgkinson	....	digital artist
Rudi Holzapfel	....	digital effects supervisor: Double Negative
Elie Jamaa	....	CGI supervisor
Mark Kenaston	....	digital artist
Jesper Kjölsrud	....	digital artist
Michael Kory	....	character animator
Derek Ledbetter	....	trailer digital effects
Fumi Mashimo	....	animator
Mamie McCall	....	visual effects coordinator: Illusion Arts
Kelvin McIlwain	....	matte artist
Mike Pope	....	digital compositor
Glen Pratt	....	digital artist
Martin Preston	....	CG R&D programmer
Matthew Shaw	....	video editorial
Giuliano Dionisio Vigano'	....	digital artist
Christopher Grandel	....	trailer digital effects, Howard Anderson Company (uncredited)
Julian Mann	....	crowd simulation research and development: Double Negative (uncredited)

Stunts
David Barrett	....	stunts
Brian Brown	....	stunts
Matt Byrne	....	utility stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
George Hanzawa	....	stunts
Hollis Hill	....	stunts
Kevin L. Jackson	....	stunts (as Kevin Jackson)
Jimmy Leeward	....	stunt pilot: DC-3 airplane
James C. Lewis	....	stunts (as Jim Lewis)
Michael Munoz	....	utility stunts
Jane Oshita	....	utility stunts
Jose L. Vasquez	....	stunts
Banzai Vitale	....	stunt double
Glen Yrigoyen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kyle Boorman	....	balloon light technician
Mark Connelly	....	film loader
James 'Spud' Danicic	....	second assistant camera: re-shoots
Shawn Duchscherer	....	electrician
Jeff Gatesman	....	gaffer: second unit
James J. Gilson	....	gaffer
Daniel Graff	....	lighting console operator: second unit
Matt Jackson	....	grip
Dana Kilgore	....	additional electrician
Darren Langer	....	electrician
Ken Little Jr.	....	assistant camera
Jason E. Lord	....	electrician
John Martens	....	chief rigging technician
Blake E. Matthys	....	best boy rigger: Chicago
Dwayne McClintock	....	camera operator: SpaceCam
Don McCuaig	....	director of photography: second unit
Annie McEveety	....	assistant camera
Fred L. McLane	....	assistant camera
Duane Mieliwocki	....	assistant camera
Paul Murphey	....	video assist operator
John Murphy	....	dolly grip
Reggie Newkirk	....	first assistant camera
Frank Parrish	....	assistant camera
Phil Pastuhov	....	aerial camera operator
Robert Presley	....	Steadicam operator
Robert Presley	....	camera operator
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant camera
Ingrid Semler	....	camera loader
Kelly Way	....	electrician
Maryan Zurek	....	underwater assistant camera
Doug Ednie	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Chad Darnell	....	extras casting assistant
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting: Chicago
Chadwick Struck	....	casting assistant
Judith Sunga	....	casting assistant
Wendy Washbrook	....	extras casting: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carrie Bauer	....	key costumer
Barbara Gordon	....	costumer: Kevin Costner
Leigh Leverett	....	costume supervisor
Lahly Poore	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
P.J. Burch	....	apprentice editor
Scott Hill	....	first assistant editor
Mike Stanwick	....	color timer
Dan Zimmerman	....	assistant film editor
Dean Zimmerman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jeff Atmajian	....	additional orchestrator
Frank Bennett	....	additional orchestrator
Jeff Carson	....	music editor
Jeff Carson	....	music supervisor
John Debney	....	conductor
Brad Dechter	....	supervising orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Greg Dennen	....	scoring crew
Marc Gebauer	....	scoring crew
Jim Harrison	....	supervising music editor
Jo Ann Kane	....	music preparation (as Joann Kane)
Christopher Klatman	....	additional orchestrator (as Chris Klatman)
Jon Kull	....	additional orchestrator (as John Kull)
David Marquette	....	music services scoring recordist
Michael Mason	....	score co-producer
Thomas Milano	....	supervising music editor
Shawn Murphy	....	music scoring mixer
Kathy Nelson	....	executive in charge of music: Universal Studios
Don Nemitz	....	additional orchestrator
Jay Selvester	....	scoring crew
Kirsten Smith	....	scoring crew
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Wolfgang Amadeus	....	electronic scoring mixer (uncredited)
John Debney	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Roger Bojarski Jr.	....	driver
John A. Brubaker	....	transportation captain
Vince De Amicis	....	driver: Mr. Costner
Louis Dinson	....	transportation captain
Kelly Loo	....	transportation manager
Jack Jay Reece	....	driver (as Jay Reece)
John Reed	....	transportation captain
Fred Teague	....	driver
Russ Tolliver	....	transportation captain
Kevin Warendorp	....	driver
Mike Westra	....	driver: Mr. Costner
Michael R. Cairo	....	driver: Chicago second unit (uncredited)

Other crew
Bridgett Baron	....	payroll accountant: Chicago and Hawaii
Susan Bierbaum	....	script supervisor
Wendy Bonn	....	location assistant
Wendy Bonn	....	location scout
Trisha Burton	....	script supervisor: second unit
Kim Buttlar	....	executive coordinator: Mr. Barber
Melanie Cassidy	....	location assistant
Yolanda T. Cochran	....	first assistant accountant
James Currie	....	location assistant
James Currie	....	office production assistant
Elaine Curtis	....	stand-in
Soraya Delawari Dancsecs	....	executive coordinator: Mr. Costner
Cheryl Donaldson	....	assistant to producer
Josh Eggebeen	....	production assistant
Alicia Elkort	....	construction accountant
Tyler Elliott	....	assistant location manager
Erin Engman	....	assistant production office coordinator
Ashley Fardys	....	executive coordinator: Mr. Shadyac (as Ashley Cook)
DC Ford	....	stand-in: Jerome Bates
Adam Fox	....	intern
Jenny Fumarolo	....	set production assistant: Chicago
Lisa Furia	....	second assistant accountant
Dagan Handy	....	assistant: Mr. Shadyac
Don J. Hug	....	location manager: Chicago
Fallon Johnson	....	production assistant
Ross L. Kulma	....	unit medic: Chicago
Martha Lafage	....	location assistant: second unit
Andrew Lipschultz	....	unit publicist
Tamara Maellaro	....	unit medic
Daniel Marcus	....	production assistant
Ella Marcus	....	craft service
Eric A. Mattson	....	production assistant: second unit, Chicago
James R. McAllister	....	location manager: second unit
Peter McKernan	....	aerial coordinator
Gregory Messina	....	unspecified assistant
Terri Modjallal	....	key craft service
Michael Morgenthal	....	production accountant
Deb K. Oyer	....	production coordinator
Jim Schiro	....	second assistant accountant
Rick Senteno	....	assistant chief rigging technician
Heather Sharpe	....	production office assistant
Lindsay Sloane	....	assistant: Mr. Johnson
Jack Stern	....	studio teacher
Marlena Thomas	....	executive coordinator: Mr. Birnbaum
Mark Thomason	....	double: Mr. Costner
Mark Thomason	....	photo double
Mark Thomason	....	stand-in
Mark Thomason	....	stand-in: Mr. Costner
Tyler Thornberg	....	production assistant
David Thornsberry	....	location manager
Lois Walker	....	production coordinator
Regina A. Warendorp	....	executive coordinator: Mr. Brubaker
Michael Bo Wat	....	payroll accountant
Kira Willoughby	....	assistant: Cheryl McNamara
Chris Winn	....	key craft service
Brook Worley	....	assistant to producer
Garry Wunderwald	....	location scout
Kurt Zelnak	....	travel coordinator
Debi Zimmerman	....	production secretary
J.B. Benna	....	intern (uncredited)
Mark Chambers	....	production safety (uncredited)
Randee Lynne Jensen	....	creative assistant (uncredited)
Warner Loughlin	....	acting coach (uncredited)
Shaun Smith	....	puppeteer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Spyglass Entertainment
• Gran Via
• Shady Acres Entertainment
• Kalima Productions GmbH & Co. KG
• NDE Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Spyglass Entertainment (2002) (non-USA) (theatrical) (through BVI)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Prooptiki (2002) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International Italia (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Falcon (2002) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2002) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• The Walt Disney Company (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS) (rental)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Talpa (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• AFX Studios (special makeup effects)
• Double Negative
• Illusion Arts (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Behind the Scenes Freight  shipping by
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Ritek Digital Studios  DVD created by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Im Zeichen der Libelle (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic material and mild sensuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #38748) | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Czech Republic:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Auburn, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The character Joe Darrow was written with the intention of Harrison Ford taking the part. Ford turned down the role to take a year off from movies.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Joe is walking down the hall to the nurse after seeing the dead man go into the room, the elevator behind the nurse opens, but in the next shot, it's closed. This was because of a deleted scene in which Joe's dead wife was supposed to appear in the elevator.

Quotes:

Sister Madeline: If we can create this life with what imagination, why not the next?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulse (2006/I)

Soundtrack:

Star

Interesting premise falls flat in final acts

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.