Casper (1995)

**Casper** is a film that went to theaters May 26, 1995.

## Description

Following the death of her father, neurotic and spoiled heiress Carrigan Crittenden discovers he has only left her Whipstaff Manor in Friendship, Maine. Carrigan and her attorney Dibs discover a vast treasure allegedly is in the manor, but they find it is haunted by a friendly ghost named Casper and his obnoxious prankster uncles, the Ghostly Trio, who scare the two off the property. A lonely Casper watches a news report of paranormal therapist Dr. James Harvey, instantly smitten with his teenage daughter Kat, and inspires Carrigan to summon Dr. Harvey to Whipstaff. Harvey and Kat have an estranged relationship due to the former’s reputation, and searching for the ghost of his late wife Amelia. Moving into Whipstaff, Kat and her father quickly encounter Casper, who tries to befriend them, while his uncles try to scare them out of the house.

After befriending Casper over breakfast, Kat goes to school and becomes popular when her class agree to host their Halloween party at Whipstaff upon learning she lives there. Amber, Kat’s classmate, envious of Kat stealing her spotlight, plots with her boyfriend Vic to humiliate Kat during the party. Harvey attempts to have therapy sessions with the Ghostly Trio, who reveal they know Amelia, but when they pull a prank on him, Harvey becomes dispassionate, encouraging the trio to take him out for a night on the town. At a bar, Harvey gets drunk and falls down a manhole. Meanwhile, Kat learns Casper has no memory of his life, and unlocks his old bedroom to remind him. Casper comes across a sled, recalling his father bought it for him, only for Casper to have died of an illness and became a ghost to keep his father company. A newspaper article reveals that Casper’s father built a machine called Lazarus, which could bring the dead back to life.

Casper and Kat venture down into the manor’s basement, discovering Lazarus. Carrigan and Dibs sneak in, stealing the formula that powers Lazarus and plot to use the machine to essentially become immortals and commit crimes. However, the two attempt to kill each other as an experiment; as a result, Carrigan falls off a cliff to her death and rises as a ghost. She confronts Casper and Kat, launching Dibs out of a window when he tries to double-cross her. Casper tricks her into stating that she has no unfinished business on Earth, causing Carrigan to be involuntarily ejected into the afterlife. The alleged treasure is revealed to be Casper’s prized baseball signed by Duke Snider. Harvey, now a ghost, and Casper's uncles appear, and seeing Kat in despair, Casper sacrifices his last chance for life to restore Harvey.

The Halloween party kicks off upstairs, and Amber and Vic’s prank is thwarted by the three ghostly uncles. Casper is visited by Amelia’s ghost, who briefly transforms him into a human as a reward for his sacrifice until ten o’clock. Casper dances with Kat, while Amelia speaks with Harvey, revealing that she was so content alive that she had no unfinished business, encouraging him to move on. Amelia departs as the clock chimes ten, and Casper transforms back into a ghost and playfully scares off the party guests, leaving him, and the Harveys to dance to the ghost uncles' music.