Richard Gere and Laura Linney mix The X-Files with The Twilight Zone in this bizarre tale of premonition. The story opens with John Klein (Richard Gere) and his wife, Mary (Debra Messing), inspecting a house. They love the location, the floor plan and the large closets, which can hold two people in a horizontal position. Everything seems perfect.

But while driving home on a dark, rural highway, Mary encounters a horrifying apparition. Startled, Mary crashes the car and ends up in the hospital. There, tests reveal a brain tumor. Sadly, Mary lasts no longer than the opening credits. With Mary gone to that big Tupperware party in the sky, John faces life alone. No more midnight drives, soothing companionship or sexual encounters of the closet kind. Life goes on.

Then, things get weird. While traveling to Washington, John finds himself in West Virginia facing a 12-gauge shotgun. But, that's not the weird part. His trip, over 400 miles in the wrong direction, only took two and a half-hours. But, that's not the weird part. Connie (Laura Linney) shows up in a cop's uniform and saves John from the crazy shotgun man. That's the weird part: Richard Gere saved by a woman.

Things get even crazier as people report strange visitations, bizarre disaster predictions and flying mothmen. Meanwhile, John and Connie continue to develop their blasé relationship.

Suddenly, John receives a typed message from his dead wife, Mary, inviting him to join her in a phone conversation. He becomes distraught and overwhelmed with conflict. Who knew ghosts could type? And the call will probably cost a fortune, since John's long distance calling plan doesn't cover charges from the Other Side. Befogged by the mystery of it all, we wonder, will John and Connie learn to interpret the cryptic warnings in time to save the town from impending disaster? Will they discover the secret of the talking sink? Will John and Connie finally put two and two (lips) together for that long awaited first kiss?

This cross between a psychic thriller and a sci-fi mystery grabs you from the beginning. The spooky story and likable characters draw you in with warmth and charm, while the tension keeps you in its grip. Sprinkled with intriguing, close-up camera work and dramatic, heart-pounding music, this movie will scare the hell out of you. I give it a "B+."

Dixie says: If they really based this movie on facts, like the opener claimed, I'm never visiting Point Pleasant, W.Va. Richard Gere and Laura Linney did a great job, as did the rest of the cast. It scared me so much, I can't answer the phone without wearing a Depends®. And now, when I go to the bathroom, I listen to my sink. I think it knows something. Furthermore, I'm getting rid of all my mirrors. They constantly lie to me. I keep seeing those horrible double chins. That can't really be me. Great movie from beginning to end. I give it an "A" for apparition.

Don & Dixie Mitchell

Don and Dixie perform stand-up comedy for a variety of clubs in Texas and Louisiana. Recently, Dixie placed in the quarter finals of Ed McMahon's Next Big Star comedy contest. Don, a nationally published freelancer, writes comedy, poetry, and articles dealing in country themes. Don and Dixie also write comedy skits and amusing movie review articles, including "Family Fun at the Movies" at simplejoy.org.

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Readers Respond

Great to see Don and Dixie back at the movies. I had ignored Mothman, but will go see it now that I've read their review!

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