This was the movie they chose to feature with Illeana Douglas’ book signing. A rather odd choice since she was only a supporting character, the protagonist’s Summer art teacher but when Illeana appeared, she was funny.
After seeing Ghost World, it has quickly become a personal favorite and a rather successful adaptation of a comic-book story. This is saying a lot due to Scarlett Johansson being present; the queen of mumble core, even when she plays Black Widow in the Marvel flicks it’s mush mouth. Thora Birch’s performance as Enid is what sold me on really liking the story.
Ghost begins with Enid and Becca’s high school graduation. They’re thrilled to be done! The no longer need to see all those phonies and assholes who were their classmates. Next up, getting their own apartment. When they open up the diplomas Enid discovers she didn’t graduate. In order to move on, she must take a remedial art class which is weird, Enid has talent as you’ll see in the sketchbook she often takes with her.
Summer drags out. Enid’s art class is annoying. The teacher is an ex-performance art type who dotes on another student devoid of originality. Becca lands a job at a Starbucks-like shop and starts to ask Enid when will she have work in order to cover half of the rent. Enid you’ll discover cannot maintain employment thanks to her personality. Then Enid’s father gets back together with a woman she despises. It’s looking pretty awful.
Not entirely. Before everything began to snowball in the previous paragraph, Enid initiates a prank that evolves into a project. While sketching random strangers in a local diner, she convinces Becca and another friend (Josh, he has a car) into answering a personals ad. The objective, get the lovelorn’s hopes up and observe his disappointment from a distance. After seeing this man being stood up, Enid and Becca follow him to his apartment to see how sad his life really is. Eventually Enid works up the courage to speak to him through a garage sale. His name is Seymour and he loves old 78s of Blues performances from the Twenties and Thirties. Seymour’s pathetic nature inspires Enid to play matchmaker. Afterwards, things don’t go as planned.
What really pulled me into the story was Enid. Although I can’t relate to her continuously shifting Hipster fashions and Indie-cred styled bedroom, she has the universal attitude of early adulthood…everybody and everything sucks. In the end, the mindset is a cover for one’s own personal doubts and insecurities. It really comes into play as Enid and Becca drift apart over the weeks. Becca wants to grow up, be more “mainstream.” Enid I think is trying put off the future since it isn’t going the way she hoped in high school. Another factor is how the filmmakers did a superb job capturing the inanity of supporting characters: a flock of brohs thinking about listening to Reggae, a “genuine” Blues band called Blueshammer; and a Britney Spears type trying to buy Enid’s used dress. Sure it was shot in 2000-1 so the fashion/music is dated but stupidity transcends time. I’m confident my nephew can pick up the “villains” in a John Hughes movie even if most people have Morrissey’s hairstyle.
I put Ghost World in the same company as Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Pretty in Pink, The Chocolate War, Spanking the Monkey and Better Off Dead. I’m sure there’s more I could name from outside the Eighties, I’m just in a hurry.