The film opens with John and Mary Klein (Richard Gere and Debra Messing) purchasing their dream home. For John, an ace reporter at the Washington Post, happines has finally been achieved - but it's a fleeting thing. On the way home, the Kleins are in a car accident. Mary leaves behind a cryptic puzzle for her husband - drawings of a strange, moth-like creature and a question: "You didn't see it, did you?" Two years later, John has come to terms with his grief, barely. He has immersed himself in work. While driving to Richmond to interview a would-be Presidental candidate, he loses his way and inexplicably arrives in the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virgina, more than 400 miles from where he expects to be. There, from a local cop, Connie Parker (Laura Linney), he learns that a number of strange things have been happening in and around town. As John investigates, he becomes convinced that what he first believed to be hallucinations may be warnings of impending tragedy.
This is easily Richard Gere's best performance in a decade. Although Hollywood keeps on insisting on pairing him with actresses at least 20 years his junior, Gere's manages to prove that he can do more than look sauve, mouth dialogue and act woodenly. He fits comfortably into the role of emotionally wounded John Klein. Gere takes the character from a state of normalcy to the brink of frantic paranoia. Laura Linney provides a reliable compaion for Gere - strong, smart and solidly anchored in reality. It doesn't hurt that there a spark between them (and that the screenplay doesn't force a romance, which would have been out of place, into the open). Debra Messing provides support as the John's wife and veteran actor Alan Bates stands out in his role as former physics professor turned author and expert in the paranormal.
The Mothman Prophecies is loosely based on the 1975 book by John Keel, which relates events that transpired in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia in late 1966 and 1967. For the film, the time frame has been transposed to the present day. Ultimately, however, the skill evident in crafting The Mothman Propheicies reduces the the "based on real events" caption to a marketing ploy. The truth or fiction of the underlying story is inconsequential. This compelling picture offers enough mystery and suspense to keep the average viewer involved to the end.