GHOST WORLD
Released: August 3, 2001
Based on the underground comic book by Daniel Clowes, "Ghost World" is a both a dark comedy and a very well observed drama about two teenage girls, Enid (Thora Birch, from "American Beauty") and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson, superb in Robert Redford's "The Horse Whisperer"), who are out of sync with the world around them. After graduating from high school, they face an unpleasant immediate future: crappy jobs and slim prospects for romance. While Rebecca gets a job at the local coffee franchise and starts saving for the apartment they always planned on, Enid becomes involved with an alienated malcontent named Seymour (played by the brilliant Steve Buscemi). Seymour is an introverted record collector geek who works as an executive of a fast food chicken restaurant. As fate would have it, Seymour and Enid meet up in a rather odd manner and find each other as a welcome beacon in a world that otherwise easily dismisses them. I will not go into great detail on what happens next but I will say that "Ghost World" is truly a cinematic breath of fresh air. After an assortment of stupid Hollywood fare this year, only a few movies will warrant remembering and "Ghost World" is definitely one of those. Directed by Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb") in his first non-documentary feature, he has assembled a movie almost effortlessly pure and genuine. And by that I mean that I don't think I've seen a movie recently where the characters are so well written. Not only are the characters "real" (you KNOW these people in your own life - hell, you may even BE one of these people!). The dialogue is not forced and always rings true. Birch, who shows her acting talents in their finest form to date, plays Enid with such conviction and it's easy to see why Zwigoff cast her. Johansson is another rising star. She practically carried "The Horse Whisperer". It is sad that her character wasn't given more room but this really is Enid's movie, plus Seymour's. It's about the timeless tale of people on the fringe who desperately want to belong in a world that so often isolates people away from each other. There are no easy answers in real life and "Ghost World" never allows itself to become a generic love story nor a typical teen angst blitz. The cast is incredible. The already mentioned Buscemi, Birch and Johansson are wonderfully supported by Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas (as an art teacher hell bent on disecting art into easy to digest meanings), Bob Balaban (as Birch's almost entirely disconnected Father) and the unbilled Teri Garr. Be sure to stick around to the very end of the credits as there's a hilarious bonus to savor. Co-produced by John Malkovich, who I did not have a clue was executive producer of 1988's "The Accidental Tourist"...
111 Minutes
United Artists/MGM