"‘Why don't you go haunt a house? Rattle some chains or something.’"
THE CAST:
Director Jerry Zucker did not know much about Patrick Swayze so he and writer Bruce Rubin went to see Road House. After the movie Zucker said that Swayze would have the part 'over his dead body'. So the part was offered to many actors including Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, David Duchovny, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage, and even Mickey Rourke but all turned it down because they felt it would be too cheesy. So after all the refusals Zucker decided since Swayze was so interested he would let him audition, he was cast on the spot. I really could not imagine anyone else in the part but I have often wondered what it would have been like with say Tom Cruise or Johnny Depp in the part of Sam Wheat.
Whoopi Goldberg was perfect in the part of Oda Mae Brown. She has Patrick Swayze to thank for the part because at first, like with Swayze, they were not interested in Goldberg. But with a lot of convincing, the Producers finally came around to believing she was a good fit and cast her. Her performance in this film won her an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Of course everyone knows Demi Moore is plays the other key character in this movie. I realize she received a lot of praise for the film, but I am just lukewarm about her performance. It was decent but to me there was just something missing. She just did not have the 'passion' that we see from Swayze and Goldberg.
Other supporting actors of note are Tony Goldwyn (Carl Bruner), Rick Aviles (Willie Lopez) and Vincent Schiavelli (Subway Ghost); all were convincing as well as enjoyable.
THE GOOD:
The best thing about Ghost is that it is not purely a romance. It contains mystery, crime, fantasy and comedy. Yes overall it is a love story but it is extremely well written so it is not sappy as one would expect. There are the occasional 'eye-rolling' moments, but not too many. I enjoyed the fact the seriousness of the film was broken up by the interjection of comedy done brilliantly by Goldberg. Ghost is a very well written film earning it an Oscar for Best Writing (Bruce Joel Rubin). It was nominated for Best Picture but lost to Dances with Wolves, clearly the better picture. Ghost was nominated as well for Best Music, Original Score. This the film clearly deserved because the music is great with 'Unchained Melody' being the most prominent.
THE BAD:
I try to take into consideration when the film was made when I watch it but I cannot help but think the special effects could have been done better, even in 1990. The thing that always bothered me was how cheaply the 'bad spirits' were visually. It just did not work for me and looked as if it was overlaid hand drawings. I know the technology existed to give them a better look 19 years ago. There is also the big scene where Sam joins Molly as she is molding clay. They get clay all over them, begin kissing, etc. and then the next scene they are both clean and no clay anywhere. To me this pretty much ruined the scene. There are several other flaws and continuity errors but nothing that are noticeable if you don't look too hard.
THE STORY (may contain spoilers):
Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen have just remodeled a loft in Manhattan and are contemplating marriage. They are madly in love and look forward to their future together. Sam works at a local bank and Molly works on ceramic art, looking for her big break. Then one night after going to the theater they are mugged by a thief who accidently shoots and kills Sam. Sam's spirit does not go into the light but decides to stay with Molly for as long as he can. Soon Sam realizes that now Molly is in danger and must find a way to communicate with her. But can he find someone before her time runs out and she is killed as well?
SPECIAL FEATURES: Special Collector's Edition DVD
Commentary by director Jerry Zucker and writer Bruce Joel Rubin
Ghost stories: The making of a classic
Inside the paranormal
Alchemy of a love scene
Cinema's great romances
Theatrical trailer
Photo Gallery
REPLAY VALUE:
Above average replay value for Ghost, it is one that you can watch many times a year and enjoy each time.
BOTTOM LINE:
Ghost has been deemed a classic and one of the best love stories of all time. While it is a very good film, putting it into both of those categories is difficult for me; I just do not consider it 'one of the greats'. No matter how many times I watch this movie it always makes me cry in the end. It is a very touching love story but has other elements making it entertaining throughout. I recommend it highly because of that fact and is a very good film no matter if you are male or female. If you have not seen it, I am sure you can find it for purchase for about the amount of a rental. Remember however it was made in 1990, so do not expect flawless photography or special effects.
Thanks for reading.
DVD Release Dates
1 Comments
5 Comments
But, overall, I still love this movie, and almost cried. lol