"Ghost World" (2001)

"Ghost World" Movie Poster

Thanks to Kyle again for another great movie recommendation. At the Longwood library, I have always passed over this movie in search of others. But I figured, since "Ghost World" has such a strong cult following, and it stars two up-and-coming actresses at the time, I should probably see it.

One of the first things that intrigued me was the cover of the DVD. Not to be stereotypical, but the two girls on the cover immediately struck me as outcasts, with their funky and mismatched clothes, odd shoes and one of the girl's close-cropped, blue-streaked hair. The tagline "Accentuate the negative" also got my attention. I knew that I would be in for an interesting time watching this movie.

"Ghost World" was rated R for strong language and some sexual content. It was made with a $7 million budget and runs for 111 minutes. It was released in the U.S. on July 20, 2001. Despite rave reviews, the movie only grossed $8.7 million.

Speaking of reviews, "Ghost World" fared very well with critics, despite its low number of box office receipts. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 92% percent rating, while Metacritic sports a score of 88. Roger Ebert gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, writing, "I wanted to hug this movie. It takes such a risky journey and never steps wrong. It creates specific, original, believable, loveable characters, and meanders with them through their inconsolable days, never losing its sense of humor." Entertainment Weekly gave "Ghost World" an A-.

I didn't realize that "Ghost World" had originated as a graphic novel, which makes this movie even more interesting and intriguing.

The trailer can be both on the library's DVD and here on YouTube. The beginning automatically swept me in, with the upbeat music and the hilariousness of a bare-chested, very chiseled man swinging nunchucks outside a convenience store. "I can't believe we made it," one girl exclaims. One of the outcasts, in thick black-framed glasses and a very out-of-date dress, says sarcastically, "We graduated high school. How totally amazing."

"Ghost World. The Underground Comic Book Comes to Life," a voice-over reads as the same bare-chested, sunburnt man nunchucks the store manager's mop in the parking lot, as the outcasts and the teenaged store clerk (Brad Renfro) watch and laugh.

The movie stars a young Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson as best friends Enid and Rebecca, set in the summer after their high school graduation. Despite being social outcasts, Becky is more popular than Enid. Enid's diploma is awarded on the condition that she take a remedial art class, though she is a talented artist.

As the summer begins, the two girls meet a lonely man, Seymour (Steve Buscemi) through way of a personal ad. Playing a prank, Enid poses as the girl Seymour wants to make contact with. The girls have fun watching Seymour sit alone at a diner waiting for Enid to show up, but then Enid and Seymour become good friends.

Meanwhile, they continue to wreak havoc on others around them. Enid is frustrated with her art teacher Roberta's (Illeana Douglas) snide comments and discrimination against Enid, in favor of the other students. Enid, to get back at Roberta, asks Seymour to lend her a poster of an ugly caricatured black man, which Seymour's company used as a racist promotional art tool. When Enid presents it to the class, Roberta is so impressed she offers Enid a college scholarship.

Unfortunately, that is not all the havoc Enid and Becky cause or the trouble they get into. The entire summer is full of adventure and hilarity as these two social outcasts learn about themselves and the others around them.

Birch and Johansson are fabulous up-and-coming actresses, playing their parts almost seamlessly. It's like they transported themselves back to their own high school days and played the characters Enid and Becky as if they were those exact social outcasts in high school. (Hopefully this makes sense, readers!)

Buscemi is the perfect actor to play Seymour. He and Enid together are basically the epitome of loneliness, and his comedic outbursts just add to the humor of the characters and movie.

Overall, though I was skeptical at first, I really enjoyed this movie. It makes me interested in other lesser-known movies about social outcasts in high school, so if you have any suggestions or recommendations, please let me know!

As always, please leave comments, especially feedback and any movie suggestions!

Thanks for reading!

-Laura Beth :)