Ghost World (film)
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Ghost World is a 2001 film by Terry Zwigoff, based on a graphic novel (comic book) by Daniel Clowes, also titled Ghost World. It stars Thora Birch, Steve Buscemi, and Scarlett Johansson. Although the picture didn't perform well in theaters, it was praised by critics and established a cult following.
Plot
The story focuses on the relationship of two teenage friends, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), who are outside of the normal high school social order in suburban Los Angeles.
After graduating from high school, Enid spends the summer trying to find middle-aged outsider Seymour (Steve Buscemi) a girlfriend while Rebecca works at a Starbucks-type coffee shop trying to earn enough money to rent an apartment. Enid plans to move out of her father's house and share an apartment with Rebecca, but Enid does not live up to her monetary responsibilities the way Rebecca does. With Enid's help, Seymour musters the courage to date (and later dump) Dana, a woman he is attracted to. By the end of the summer, Rebecca rents the apartment without Enid, while Enid is stuck trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.
Cast
- Thora Birch as Enid, an artistic, cynical teenager
- Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca, Enid's best friend
- Steve Buscemi as Seymour
- Brad Renfro as Josh
- Illeana Douglas as Roberta Allsworth, Enid's art teacher
- Bob Balaban as Enid's father
- Stacey Travis as Dana
- Teri Garr as Maxine
- Dave Sheridan as Doug, an eccentric loiterer
Goofs
- Continuity: The broken sculpture gains and loses pieces at random.
- Continuity: The amount of malt liquor in the bottle on top of the car varies.
- Continuity: The amount of liquor in the bottle on top of Doug's car magically increases, and the bottle changes positions on the car several times.
- Continuity: When in the diner after Enid buys the record, it shifts from the table down to the bench beside her between shots.
- Continuity: When Enid and Rebecca are laughing at Seymour's name, Rebecca puts her hand over her mouth. In the next shot she has her arms crossed.
Alternate Versions
- In the theatrical trailer, when Seymour is asked by Enid if he would go out with anyone, he says "As long as she's breathing". In the movie, he replies with a non-comedic answer.
Trivia
- The opening sequence of the film includes a clip from the 1966 Bollywood musical Gumnaam, in which the famous singer Mohammed Rafi sings the lively dance tune "Jaan Pehechaan Ho."
- The Coon Chicken Inn was a real restaurant chain, founded in 1925 in Salt Lake City. However, it folded in the late '50s and never changed its name to Cook's Chicken, as in the film. The second Coon Chicken Inn opened in Seattle in 1929, on Lake City Way, the same street where the original Ghost World comic's publishing company, Fantagraphics Books, sits today. Located directly across the street from the former location of the restaurant is a "Cook's Auto Rebuild."
- Besides being an adaptation of the comic book of the same name, originally serialized in Eightball magazine, Ghost World includes some material from other Eightball shorts such as "Art School Confidential". The character played by Steve Buscemi does not appear in the comic and was made significant at Zwigoff's suggestion. Another change includes Rebecca having a rather diminished role compared to her role in the comic, which gave a more balanced amount of attention to both girls.
- Seymour's room was modeled after director Terry Zwigoff's own — particularly the shelved record collection, pinup art and historical memorabilia.
- When Enid asks Seymour's opinion of a certain blues record, the audience can see that it is by Robert Crumb's Cheap Suit Serenaders, of which Zwigoff was a member. Seymour says that it isn't very good.
- The Coon Chicken Inn mascot painting used in the film was made by Robert Crumb.
- Enid's notebook was created for the film by Sophie Crumb, Robert Crumb's and Aline Kominsky-Crumb's daughter.
- Interested in directing Ghost World as a feature film for some time, Zwigoff sat in on an acting class in San Francisco. Zwigoff said that after the class had wrapped up, he had approached the instructor and asked if she could hold a crash course for him in how to direct actors.
External links
- [Official Site]
- [}}}] at Rotten Tomatoes
- [}}}] at Box Office Mojo
- [Essay: 'Ghost World' is the movie of a generation]
- [Daniel Clowes interview]
- [Terry Zwigoff interview]
- [The Comics Journal review (compares it to the graphic novel]
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