The Mothman Prophecies

THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES

Release date: May 23, 2002
Rating: M
Genre: Thriller
Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton, Debra Messing, Nesbitt Blaisdell
Directed by: Mark Pellington
Produced by: Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, Gary W Lucchesi, Gary Goldstein
Written by: Mark Pellington, Richard Hatem
Running time: 1 hr. 59 min.



Based on true events, "The Mothman Prophecies" examines a series of inexplicable occurrences through the eyes - and mind - of one man. Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton and Debra Messing star in this suspense-filled thriller about a man driven to extremes to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his wife's death - and how they might be connected to the strange phenomena in a town four hundred miles away.

When is life truly at its best? John Klein (Richard Gere,) a respected Washington Post journalist at the top of his game, recognizes that moment. It comes the day he and his wife Mary (Debra Messing) are house hunting and find the place of their dreams. It's a little too big, possibly a little more than he wanted to spend, but one look from Mary tells him this is it.
Then on their joyful ride home, with a gust of wind and a passing shadow, the dream is shattered. The accident should have been avoidable. When Mary slammed on the brakes...there was nothing there. For Mary, the incident was a premonition. John puts everything on hold to be with her, but his love isn't enough to keep her alive.

While removing Mary's possessions from the hospital, John remembers her last words: "You didn't see it, did you?" Then he discovers a sketchpad covered with odd drawings, variations of the same eerie apparition. John can't understand the significance of the drawings but is haunted by the unsettling images.
A couple of years later, John's grief has settled somewhat but he is clearly a man altered by tragedy. He lives his life and performs his job in a fog, an unexplainable presence always with him. While driving one night from Washington to Richmond for an assignment, he loses his way and ends up on a deserted country highway. When his car inexplicably breaks down, he walks to a nearby farmhouse. The homeowner not only threatens John but tells him he has been waiting for him. John is baffled.

Sgt. Connie Parker (Laura Linney) arrives on the scene and apologizes for the rude reception, but divulges that the entire county is on edge due to a recent series of odd disturbances. It is only now that John realizes that he is in Point Pleasant, West Virginia -- four hundred miles from where he thought he was. It is not logically possible. But here he is. How?

His curiosity piqued, John decides to stay in Point Pleasant to explore the reports of unexplained phenomena in the town. He soon realizes that they may all be related not just to each other, but also to the strange sketches Mary had been obsessively drawing just hours before her death. But what exactly is the connection? The events defy simple explanation and, even more disturbing, seem to predict impending disasters. Plane crashes, earthquakes... surely it must be a gruesome coincidence? The more he unravels, the more John begins to question his own sanity. Are there unknown forces behind the strange sightings? What terrible thing awaits the people of Point Pleasant? For John, it's a race against time to figure it out and try to prevent something terrible from happening.

- Michelle Palmer