Ghost World (2001) Review

Ghost World (2001)

Ghost World follows Enid, who is seeking a new direction in life. A direction that leads her and her friend Rebecca to a lonely man named Seymour, who will greatly complicate their lives moving forward. 

From the opening scene, it’s evident that this isn’t your typical coming of age story. It chronicles the journey of two particularly perceptive outcasts who plainly see through the facade of their juvenile peers and want nothing to do with it. For Rebecca, this self-ostracizing is just a passing phasing, as she adapts and assimilates into the adult world like the rest of us. For Enid however, you get the strong impression this is always going to be her way of life, existing on the fringes of her own little “ghost world” so to speak. She’s in search for something with meaning, something real, especially in our often contrived and plastic existence where no one is happy, yet everyone puts on a smile. It’s an existence where sterile hip-hop music is used to celebrate a high school graduation, authentic 50s diners are anything but, and a white "blues" band sings about picking cotton all day long. It’s all very contrived, all far removed from its source. 

So in looking for meaning, of course it’s not the  business major going off to college, it’s Seymour she finds, a middle-aged loner, who is far more interesting to her than any of the tacky relationships that have come before. And it’s not because of his taste in music or similar outlook on life. It’s because he’s honest. That honesty isn’t enough to save Enid from the constant curveballs life throws though. She will always be dealt a bad hand because she’ll never be quite happy of anything good that does come her way; it’ll likely disappoint her in thy end, like everyone else. 

We also get a pretty good cast here, starring Illeana Douglas, Dave Sheridan, Brad Renfro, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and Thora Birch. Aside from being a total style icon, Birch really captures the skepticism and cynicism of someone wiser behind her years, a trait that makes her connection with Buscemi so authentic. 

Ghost World, directed by Terry Zwigoff, is a fascinating criticism of the shallow world we live in and a commentary on the small group of people who don't, and probably never will, quite fit into this world. 

8.2/10