Director takes wrong approach with 'Mothman'

Julien R. Fielding

With "The Mothman Prophecies" director Mark Pellington said he wasn't interested in making a creature, sci-fi or supernatural film. Instead, he was interested in making a "psychological mystery with surreal overtones."

He should have taken the supernatural route, because what he comes up with borders on long-winded and sleep-inducing. The only thing mysterious about it is how it's managed to make any money at the box office.

"Mothman" is based on John A. Keel's 1975 book of the same name that chronicles the yearlong events that transpired in Point Pleasant, W.V., beginning in 1966. Sightings were varied, but many reported seeing a giant butterfly like creature, about 6 feet long, perching in trees or just flying around. Others witnessed large red lights in the sky, and a policeman picked up strange sounds on his radio.

The events made national news - it was a copy editor who coined the creature the "moth-man" - and prompted visitors to descend on the town. The sightings ended in 1967 when the town's Silver Bridge collapsed into the Ohio River. Forty-six people died.

Screenwriter Richard Hatem brings the material up to the present day and changes the profession of the lead character, now named John Klein (Richard Gere), to a Washington Post journalist.

We first encounter Klein while house hunting with his red-haired wife, Mary (Debra Messing). The Kleins are a couple in love, embarking on a life together.

Then the unimaginable happens.

While driving home, Mary sees something that makes her swerve off the road, her head smashing into the window. In the hospital it is discovered she has a brain tumor. Suddenly, Klein's world comes crashing around him.

Then, on a visit to the hospital, Klein's wife speaks the words that will continue to haunt him: "You didn't see it, did you?" After she dies and Klein is collecting her things, he finds something even more disturbing - his wife's sketches of a winged figure with glowing red eyes.

Years pass and Klein still is deeply affected by his wife's death.

One night while driving from Washington, D.C., to Richmond, Va., for an interview, his car begins to act strangely, then breaks down. He walks to a nearby farmhouse for help, then is surprised when the homeowner, Gordon Smallwood (Will Patton), sticks a gun in his face. He's been waiting for Klein, he says.

Sgt. Connie Parker (Laura Linney) arrives to allay the situation, then later confides that the townspeople recently have been on edge; there's been an increase in strange reports. Then she drops the biggest surprise - Klein has traveled 400 miles in a short space of time.

The journalist ignores pleas to return to work, staying in the town to investigate the sightings and to find out how they might be connected to his wife's visions.

"The Mothman Prophecies" suffers from a many problems, most notably a rambling script that doesn't know what it wants to be.

It also finds a major fault in its lead actor.

Gere is, for the most part, a bland actor. He never seems quite connected to the material. It's as if someone woke him up, then started rolling the cameras. Although I admire all Gere's done for the Tibetan cause, I doubt he would have gotten as far with a different face. (And even the one he has isn't that spectacular.)

Messing was the primary reason I conceded to see "Mothman." From the trailers you believe she's a main character, however she's only on screen about 10 minutes. And that's being generous. Other than smiling and acting lovely, she isn't given much else to do.

Linney and Patton are the best things going for the film. She brings a human touch to the subject matter and Patton makes it creepy, but neither could save this Titanic.

The story probably could have worked well as an episode of "The X-Files," and I'm surprised Chris Carter never stumbled upon it. He, at least, would have made good use of the UFO aspects or creature with wings bit. And David Duchovny would have made the hour-long episode entertaining.

What bothers me most about Pellington is he makes it sound as if sci-fi, supernatural or creature films are somehow cheap and tawdry; as if they are beneath him. They aren't. Making a quality horror film is a near impossibility, just look at the shelves next time you're at the video store.

So if he would have succeeded, he would have reaped big rewards. Instead, he makes a "heady" film few can stay awake through.

The scare factor of the story resides in this mythical Mothman, a being that dredges up iconography of angels and winged devils

Just read the details of a report filed in September 2001:

"The bird's head was estimated to be about 3 feet long, about as large as a small dog. When the bird was first observed, the witness stated, 'I wouldn't say it was flapping its wings gracefully, but almost horrifically flapping its wings very slowly, then gliding above the passing big rig trucks.' The creature seemed to be following the truck traffic, passing overhead at about 50 to 60 feet."

Makes my hair stand on end.

Hatem, who also penned "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory," doesn't stay focused enough to make the story work. It's a mystery, then it's horror, then it's about a town going insane ... and so on.

While he was writing the story, he should have been asking himself: Where am I going? And what is the point? In addition, I'm still unsure why we needed all the initial exposition about Mary and her vision. Hatem should have just jumped right into the action.

Finally, Pellington and cinematographer Fred Murphy make the mistake of getting too artsy, with too many close ups and weird camera tricks. Sometimes those things work, sometimes they distract, as is the case with "Mothman."

If your standards aren't very high when it comes to scary movies, and you're a diehard fan of Gere, give "Mothman" a try. If you're a little more discerning, avoid it as you might an outbreak of ebola.

Director takes wrong approach with 'Mothman' was originally published in Daily Nonpareil on 7 February, 2002. © Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil LLC