Dustin Davis, commonly referred to as Dusty is one of the recurring characters of the film Twister. He is portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Biography[]
Dusty has a very friendly, goofy, and at times possesses a somewhat dark-humor personality especially with his fascination of tornadoes.
Although he's somewhat aloof and easy going he is also extremely loyal and will do anything to help his friends. He was concerned for Aunt Meg's safety when he found out the F4 tornado was going to hit Wakita head on and rushed Bill Harding to leave so they could check on her. When he saw that her house was starting to collapse, he didn't hesitate and rushed to the window to see if they needed help. When Bill asked for an ambulance, he immediately took charge and yelled for one of the guys to bring one up.
Bill trusted him to keep Melissa Reeves safe while he chased tornadoes with Jo, always putting her in Dusty's vehicle which is ironic because she didn't enjoy his company.
When Bill shows up with Melissa, Dusty becomes visibly excited and screams "it's the extreme!" Bill has Melissa hang out with Dusty while he goes to get the divorce papers from Jo.
While waiting for the storm to start at the diner, he walks up to Bill and acknowledges the sky is turning green, which is an indication of tornado weather. Bill tells him to "saddle up" the team, to which Dusty replies with "you got it boss" even though Bill had just recently reunited with them.
As they rush to engage the twister, Dusty plays loud music over his PA system and voices his excitement on the radio. After Jo's truck is lifted by the tornado and thrown in front of Melissa while she was driving Bill’s truck, he runs up to make sure she is ok. Once he realizes she is ok, he voices to her how she just missed the truck and yells "that's awesome!"
He briefly talks with Jo, asking what it was like, being so close to the twister. When Dr. Miller's team arrives on the scene (late as usual) he calls them losers but only after giving the driver a kiss.
He has a close relationship with Aunt Meg, giving her a kiss when they show up at her house for food. He explains to Melissa why Bill is "the extreme" and says that Jonas will rue the day he messed with Bill. He seems impressed when he finds out Aunt Meg slaughters her own cattle and says her gravy is practically its own food group. When he leaves Aunt Meg's house, she gives him a large bag of steak and says it's just for him. Bill has Melissa ride with Dusty, to his excitement and to her displeasure.
He witnesses Melissa overhear Bill confess his feelings for Jo over the radio and seems empathetic towards her, even though she called him and his team crazy.
when the F4 hits the movie theatre they are resting at, he rushes to alert Bill and Jo that it's heading right for them. He gets the team inside the auto shop and then makes sure Bill, Melissa and Jo make it inside in time. He is seen trying to grab a hose that is knocked loose while they are taking cover in the pit.
He finds out the F4 is going to hit Wakita head on and becomes concerned for Aunt Meg's safety, rushing Bill to get moving. He takes part in the rescue of Aunt Meg, helping her escape the collapsing house. He learns that NSSL is predicting an F5 and hesitantly informs Jo while she is with Aunt Meg in an ambulance. When he finds out that Bill and Jo want to get prepped so they can battle the F5 he regains his smile and states "we're gone!"
While Bill and Jo battle the F5, he hangs back with the team who are now piled in his bus since some of their vehicles were destroyed. He is witness to the death of Dr. Miller, watching in horror as the truck is impaled, picked up and explodes after it crashes into the ground.
He is seen becoming excited as they collect data from the instrument pack, Dorothy, that was successfully deployed into the F5. He tries to contact Bill and Jo that the F5 is shifting but to no avail as they don't have their radio. After the tornado leaves, he pulls up to see his victorious leaders bask in the success of their mission and plays rock paper scissors with Joey as the camera pans out.
Trivia[]
- Dusty's vehicle is a 1985 GMC Vandura.
- He inadvertently plays a part in Melissa being annoyed with Bill’s interest in chasing tornadoes.
- He wears an Oklahoma University hat which implies he went to school there or more likely, he's a fan of one of the school's sports teams.