Now do you believe in ghosts?

Rating: 8/10 (22 April 2009)

Sam Wheat is killed during a botched mugging but his spirit is stuck in spirit world limbo. Watching over his left behind lover, Molly, it becomes clear that there is far more to his killing than it at first seemed. Enlisting the help of kooky psychic Oda Mae Brown, Sam must protect the now in danger Molly whilst simultaneously getting to the bottom of his murder.
Ghost is a multi genre offering, not just purely a romantic weepy that its detractors would have you believe. Romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, comedy and no little bit of spooky shenanigans all fuse together to form Jerry Zucker's monster box office smash of 1990. Made for $22 million, it has gone on to make a staggering $517 million worldwide, proof positive that the public by and large will buy into a simple story as long as it's put together well with the afore mentioned elements. The central theme of true love reaching from beyond the grave to prove itself eternal is something that most folk find endearing in a non sickly kind of way, with it naturally helped by having a cast list firing on all cylinders.
Tho Jerry Zucker's (Airplane/Top Secret) direction is uneven, it's to be expected when this is after all his first solo feature, he is however well served by his stars. Patrick Swayze wasn't wanted for the part of Sam Wheat, but he fought tooth and nail for the project and nailed the role with gusto and emotionally driven force. Demi Moore as Molly was never lovelier, trimmed short hair to reveal a gorgeous young face, her feeding off of Swayze's energy provides the film with its credible impetus. Whoopi Goldberg as Oda Mae turns in an Oscar winning performance, wonderfully funny, yet also at times sympathetic without over stretching the essence of the piece, while Tony Goldwyn and Vincent Schiavelli also provide two memorable (for the right reasons) performances. The effects work of course looks amazing for its time, none more so when the dark side of death is fully realised via shadows in the films most creepy moments, whilst the editing (Walter Murch) and screenplay (Oscar winning by Bruce Rubin) is from the top draw.
So yes it's safe to say that me, a butch middle aged bloke, is personally a fan of Ghost, there's a little bit of corn in there, especially in one particular dance sequence, but mainly the film is a pure delight. Helped by Maurice Jarre's hauntingly sweet score and boosted by the use of the magnificent Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers, Ghost is a film to revel in if you are prepared to let it get deep inside of you. 8/10