I am DB Cooper Movie Review

“I am DB Cooper” is a documentary about DB Cooper, the only unsolved case of a skyjacking in US history. The events of November 1971 have been painstakingly researched by the FBI and local police. There was no trace of a passenger called ‘Dan Cooper’ after he had gotten ransom money and a parachute. The man disappeared off the plane over the Columbia River in Washington. No trace, until maybe now?

In 2018, a couple of Bail Bondsmen – brothers Mike and Carlos Rocha – get involved with a person charged with an assault. This older fellow is named Rodney Bonnifield. Rodney has had a colorful life, if you believe everything that he says. Once the brothers get him as a client, Rodney decides to come clean on another escapade from his youth. He says that he was DB Cooper — all those years ago.

Now, anybody who had read all the books and studied all the known material about the hijacking could claim to be the notorious lone hijacker. Mike and Carlos are dubious, of course. But they listen to current-day Rodney tell about all these details that perhaps only the real DB Cooper might know about. Rodney is getting up in the years, and he says that now he has nothing to hide. Rodney tells the story, and swears it is the truth.

Back in the late 1960’s the young Rodney Bonnifield (played by Ryan Cory) was thrill-seeker and small-time criminal. He loved his fast cars and loose women, and also loved getting juiced up on drugs. For all of his expensive habits, he turned to stealing and robbery. Many times he would involve his close friend, a fellow named Marty McDonald (played by Chris Grounds). He worked at not working – so he could spend his time enjoying himself.

He did have one great love, a local girl named Ramona Lisa Capps (played by Sharmila Sahni). She was his soul mate, or at least he thought. She got fed up with Rodney and his lifestyle. Even if he could shower her with money, she knew that most all of the cash belonged to somebody else. At least it did, until Rodney and Marty did another stick-up. Ramona and Rodney were set to get married, and she was going to have his child.

She thought that would calm Rodney down and get him into a more stable life. But Rodney left to find work in California, and there he continued his big party. Most of his money was spent on drinks and drugs. Ramona was sick of it, and she told him that she no longer wanted him. Oh, and the baby is probably not yours.

Rodney Bonnifield was furious. So just before Thanksgiving Day 1971, he drove back up to confront Ramona. He could not find her in Seattle, so he drove down to Portland. After doing too much cocaine, he booked a flight on the Northwest Orient plane to Seattle.  He gave his name as ‘Dan Cooper’, and the rest is history.

Then back in more recent years, Mike and Carlos Rocha (the Bail Bondsmen) have gotten to know the more mature Rodney Bonnifield. His stories might be fanciful, but he does seem to know several details about incident that might be true. Of course, once the ‘DB Cooper’ event happened, Rodney could never go back there.

Rodney could never get back to the edge of the Columbia River where he claims to have buried almost all of the cash loot from the hijacking. The FBI and the police were searching every square inch of every county along the banks. Then in 1980, when several thousands of dollars where found, Rodney knew the heat was back on.

There were other stories that Rodney told them about his adventures after the hijacking. He claims to have met and had a love interest in singer Rita Coolidge (played by Rainee Blake). He claims he explained the whole story to Rita, and she wrote a song about his exploits. Rodney had many stories, and the way he told them made people believe that all of them were true. Or at least, all of them were true in Rodney’s eyes.

The Brothers Rocha get set up for an expedition to the location around where Rodney Bonnifield claims is the exact place where he buried all the money. This is the part where the truth will be told, and where the entire tale will be shown in its glory. Or is this the time that will show that all that comes out of Rodney’s  mouth is just one elaborate story? Is there any real Gold, or only Fool’s Gold?

“I am DB Cooper” is a pretty unusual addition to the mythology that surrounds DB Cooper. Perhaps the crazy stories that Rodney Bonnifield tells are all true. Or maybe they are just his own way of coping with his own life. Either way, the tales told are wild and full of incredible detail. His convincing manner was enough to make Mike and Carlos Rocha to take Rodney on at least one last journey for glory.

Should you watch this and be convinced yourself, then you will know the most intimate details about how the whole thing went down. If you still remain skeptical, then at least you have been treated to an amazing story. Maybe it will be revealed to have been an elaborate hoax. Or just maybe – you have just met someone who can correctly claim – “I am DB Cooper”.