Ghost (film)
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| Ghost | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Jerry Zucker |
| Produced by | Steven-Charles Jaffe Bruce Joel Rubin Lisa Weinstein |
| Written by | Bruce Joel Rubin |
| Starring | Patrick Swayze Demi Moore Whoopi Goldberg Tony Goldwyn Rick Aviles Vincent Schiavelli |
| Music by | Maurice Jarre |
| Cinematography | Adam Greenberg |
| Editing by | Walter Murch |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 13, 1990 |
| Running time | 128 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~$22,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
Ghost is a 1990 romantic comedy-drama-fantasy-thriller film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn and Rick Aviles, written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.
Stephen Root and the director's mother, Charlotte Zucker, have cameo roles, as does Phil Leeds as the hospital ghost, and Vincent Schiavelli as the "Subway Ghost," one of the film's more memorable characters.
Upon its home video release, most VHS copies of the film came in white casing, as opposed to the standard black color.
The musical theme of the movie was based on the song Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers, with the song itself played during two scenes, and its use in the movie thrust the song back into pop culture.
The film grossed more than half a billion dollars worldwide.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) are a happy and loving couple living in New York City. The only problem in their relationship is Sam's apparent lack of expression, as he can never bring himself to say "I love you" to his girlfriend, only responding to her saying it with "ditto." This bothers Molly, who feels she needs to hear him say "I love you" in return, instead of just saying "ditto" all the time.
One night, while walking back to their new apartment after going to the theatre, they encounter a thief named Willy Lopez (Rick Aviles). He pulls a gun on Sam, and in a scuffle, Sam is shot dead. Sam's soul doesn't know that he's dead, and he goes after Willy, thinking everything is fine. He comes back to see what has happened to him...he's now a ghost, and his spirit is in limbo after he refuses to be taken by the light.
Sam learns the robbery was planned when Willy sneaks into the house and rifles through his belongings. Sam follows Willy home and finds out that close friend and Sam's co-worker Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn) hired Willy to only rob Sam, to find out Sam's password to the office computer, in order to conclude a money-laundering deal. Sam lashes out in frustration at his supposed best friend, but realizes how little he can do as a ghost.
Sam feels Molly is in danger but is helpless, unable to communicate with her. He tracks down Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), a fraud psychic who discovers she really has the power to hear ghosts (though she cannot see them). She eventually agrees to help Sam, but only after Sam tortures her by singing "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am" in a bad English accent over and over again throughout the night.
Oda Mae reluctantly calls Molly and tells her she is communicating with Sam, but Molly is understandably skeptical. Molly is only convinced when Oda Mae tells her several private things that only Sam could know, most effectively Sam's use of the word "ditto."
Sam soon finds a troubled ghost haunting a subway (Vincent Schiavelli), who teaches him how to touch and move objects.
With the help of Oda Mae, Sam thwarts Carl's plan. Carl had stolen $4 million and put it in a fradulent account. With help from Oda Mae, the two withdraw the money, though Sam convinces Oda Mae to give the large check to a charity (in a well-remembered scene, a nun faints at the sight of the amount).
Carl traces the money and ends up at Molly's door, asking about Oda Mae, with Molly revealing too much. Carl realizes the presence of Sam's ghost, and telling Sam he will be back to kill Molly if he doesn't get the money back. Sam runs off to warn Oda Mae but Willy arrives soon after. Oda Mae and her sisters escape as Sam terrorizes Willy, prompting Willy to run out ino the street in a panic. After Willy is hit by a truck and dies, the shadows around him rise from the ground and take the shape of dark "bad" ghosts. These demons attack Willy and drag him away, screaming for mercy, presumably to Hell.
With Molly still unsure about Oda Mae, she is convinced again after Oda Mae slides a penny under the door and Sam tenderly uses his powers to place the penny in Molly's pocket (earlier, we see that Sam and Molly save pennies "for luck"). Sam then uses Oda Mae's body to share a passionate moment with Molly, but an outraged Carl storms in and threatens to kill Molly and Oda Mae if he does not get his money. Sam is forcefully ejected from Oda Mae's body and tries to stop Carl, but (as we also learned earlier) ghosts that use a living body, even for a short period of time, are greatly sapped of their energy.
Molly and Oda Mae escape to a loft above the apartment, with Carl in pursuit. He tries desperately to catch up with the women, and finally gets to Oda Mae, pulling out a gun. Sam's energy is restored and gets Carl to throw the gun away. and Carl foolishly swings a hanging hook at Sam. The hook passes through Sam's ghostly body, swings back, shatters an open window, which falls on and kills Carl while he was trying to escape.
Sam watches Carl's spirit rise from his dead body, and express regret to him just before the demons take Carl away. When Sam goes back Oda Mae and Molly, Molly can hear him. After saying a final goodbye to Oda Mae, he shares a final kiss with Molly and tells her he loves her...to which she responds with a playful "ditto." Sam then walks off into the bright light (presumably to Heaven).
[edit] Awards
Ghost won Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Whoopi Goldberg) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. It was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score and Best Picture. Goldberg's character of Oda Mae Brown was ranked 95 in the list of the best movie characters of all time by Premiere Magazine. [1]
[edit] Box office
US Gross Domestic Takings: US$ 217,631,306
- + Other International Takings: $288,071,282
= Gross Worldwide Takings: $505,702,588
[edit] Trivia
- The famous potter's wheel scene has been parodied by other films including The Big Hit, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear and the Futurama episode "Bendless Love". The Naked Gun 2½ parody is almost fitting because Jerry Zucker directed Ghost and was heavily involved in the production of all three Naked Gun movies, mostly as a writer. It has also appeared in the anime School Rumble.
- In the Family Guy episode "The Story on Page One," there is a scene where Peter in a flashback is a ghostbuster and interrupts the famous potter wheel scene in the movie by sucking up Patrick Swayze (though Sam was actually alive during the scene). He then says to Demi Moore, "That'd be $27.50"
- It was also parodied in an episode of Blue Collar TV. It featured Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Jeff Foxworthy going to pottery store. While molding a pot, Engvall does the famous gesture behind Foxworthy. Foxworthy then states, "Bill, this isn't Ghost."
- In the DVD_TV version of Ghost aired on AMC, it was revealed that writer Bruce Joel Rubin was heartbroken when he heard that Jerry Zucker, who made his career in comedy and movie spoofs, was hired to direct the movie because he was afraid Zucker wouldn't take the movie seriously. He was proven wrong.
- The sounds made by the "shadow demons" are the sounds of babies crying, played at a very slow speed.
- The death of Carl, played by Tony Goldwyn, was also edited due to its violent content.
- Mistah F.A.B. makes a reference to Patrick Swayze in his song "Ghost Ride it" because of this movie.
