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Dom Robinson reviews
Viewed at
UCI Filmworks, Manchester City Centre 
- Cert:
- Running time: 111 minutes
- Year: 2001
- Released: 16th November 2001
- Widescreen Ratio : 1.85:1
- Rating: 8/10
Director:
- Terry Zwigoff
(Crumb, Ghost World, Louie Bluie)
Producers:
- Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich and Russell Smith
Screenplay:
- Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff
Original Score :
- David Kitay
Cast :
- Enid: Thora Birch
Rebecca: Scarlett Johansson
Seymour: Steve Buscemi
Josh: Brad Renfro
Roberta Allsworth: Illeana Douglas
Enid’s Dad: Bob Balaban
Dana: Stacey Travis
Norman: Charles C. Stevenson Jr
Melorra: Debra Azar
Maxine: Teri Garr
Ghost World sounds like the title of another scary movie from across the pond, but it’s not. Far from it, in fact. Adapted from a comic strip that I’ve never heard of before, it’s a rich slice of Americana packed with humourous and/or intriguing moments as the cast go about their lives and we’re allowed to dip in for that brief period of time as their paths cross and eventually go their separate ways again.
The film centres around Enid (American Beauty‘s Thora Birch), a young girl who has just graduated from college with her best friend Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson). They have no plans for the summer yet, but while the latter has already taken a job for the holidays, Enid has to spend part of hers suffering summer school for extra Art lessons with quirky teacher Roberta Allsworth (Illeana Douglas).
However, things take a decidedly different turn when they trick the provider of a lonely hearts column advert into thinking his dream date will be waiting for him in the cafe that they frequent and, together with their friend and convenience store clerk Josh (Brad Renfro), they sit and watch as a rather pathetic figure in the form of Seymour (Reservoir Dogs‘ Steve Buscemi) takes his place, drinks milkshakes and finally wanders off out again to continue his non-existence.
Enid and Rebecca with Norman,
the man waiting for the bus that never comes.
Little by little, Enid’s fascination with Seymour grows and, in turn, this becomes engaging as we want to find out what will happen next as she feels bad for the trick player earlier – of which he has no knowledge – and attempts to find ways to make him happy in his own life, but of course there will be misunderstandings along the way since this is what life is based upon. However, to detail any of this would spoil the surprises, but it’s safe to say that what occurs is never boring and, while this isn’t a film that anyone would want to watch time and time again, it demands to be seen by everyone at least once.
The rest of the cast is made up of several memorable characters, even if their acts are short, including Enid’s Dad (Bob Balaban), attempting to his daughter a job but how is this possible when she’s not interested in the first place, the “striking blonde”: Dana (Stacey Travis), Enid’s potential new step-mom Maxine (an unrecognisable Teri Garr) and Norman (Charles C. Stevenson Jr), a rather confused old man who spends all day every day sat at the bus stop for which the service was discontinued two years ago.
Seymour on his lonesome.
The only sad thing about Ghost World is that it’ll be largely ignored by the majority of the cinema-going public because it’s far from a mainstream film, but as a result it won’t be for everyone and it’s not intended to be either. Those who do take interest and who take the trouble to check it out will be all the better off for it.
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.