"Ghost" - Do you believe?

Rating: 8/10 (10 July 2005)

The best thing that can be said about "Ghost" is that it's starkly earnest in the portrayal of two people whose love for one another is boundless, not even by death. So when Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) coos to her yuppie boyfriend Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) that she loves him, to which he dimly replies "Ditto," it's genuine romance - it's the real McCoy.
"Ghost" was the romantic hit of 1990 and was directed amiably by Jerry Zucker (of "Airplane!" infamy) and written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also scripted "Jacob's Ladder" that same year, which was another film that questioned the paranormal activity that is life after death. "Ghost" contains many of the comedic elements on display in Zucker's earlier "Airplane!" hit but remains pretty loyal to the seriousness of its subject matter.
Sam has led a pretty charmed life: he has a beautiful girlfriend, a trustworthy friend Carl (Tony Goldwyn), a well-paying job as a Wall Street banker, and a brand-spanking new apartment with the woman he loves. But Sam's charmed life comes to an abrupt end one night when he's gunned down during an attempted robbery by Willie Lopez (Rick Aviles) - "he's Puerto Rican."
But the movie's not over, as Sam is left to roam the streets of New York City alone and without any way to communicate with the living. He can't be seen or heard by living people, so he spends his days walking the streets and watching carefully over the grieving Molly as she attempts to piece together her life without him. Between doing this and that, Sam eventually learns the identity of his assailant and where he lives but cannot do anything about it.
But when all hope seems lost, Sam wanders into a shop run by a storefront psychic named Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), who likes to swindle grieving people out of their money by convincing them that she can talk with the dead. It's from their dynamic interactions that much of the film's comedic elements are derived.
Oda Mae is shocked when she finds that she really can hear Sam (but can't see him) and he uses her as a medium so that he can communicate with Molly and inform her that she's in danger. (He's able to convince Oda Mae to help him by singing "Henry the Eight I Am.") Sam, with Oda Mae's help, gradually learns that his death was no random street mugging, and that he was murdered: Willie had been instructed by a mysterious third party to kill Sam and then retrieve his wallet, as he was on the verge of uncovering a money laundering scheme involving drug dealers.
"Ghost" does boast one of the most compelling and moving love stories ever told. The story is effective and is certainly a revealing and engaging look at the afterlife. The acting is powerful and profound, as each of the performers fill out their roles with perfect glee and believable emotions. The special effects are dated, but are also quite effective as well in showing us the processes in the afterlife, as it turns out that spirits can interact with the living and doesn't even attempt to spare us the darker sides of death.
Since Sam lacks a physical human body, he cannot move objects. But with the help of the tragic ghost (Vincent Schiavelli) that haunts the New York subway, Sam is able to physically interact with the living. He learns that by controlling one's emotions and then letting them erupt like a reactor, he can physically move an animate or inanimate object.
Do you believe in ghosts? I believe in karma, and I do believe in life after death. These are all elements in the story that are fleshed out well in Rubin's imaginative script, brought to life by the actors and the guidance of Zucker's direction. I do believe that the ladies might need tissues to wipe away the tears too, as the film's ending would prove.
"Ghost," I believe, is one of the best love stories I've ever seen. It's funny, it's heartwarming, and it's all done in a believable fashion. Love is grand, and it's forever; "Ghost" will make you believe.
8/10