Watch Ghost
- 2012
- 1 Season
-
7.9 (595)
'Ghost' is the quintessential 90s paranormal romance, one that is now recognized as a modern classic in the genre. Long before Bella and Edward, there were Demi and Patrick. Don't forget Whoopi Goldberg, fresh off her 'The Color Purple' Oscar snub. She went on to win for Best Supporting Actress, and indeed turns in one of the most memorable performances 'Ghost' has to offer. The plot of 'Ghost' is pretty straightforward, and not the least bit original, though ironically it also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The story of gifted potter Molly Jensen losing her one true love, Sam Wheat, and connecting with him beyond death by the power of love was long ago played out in Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'. 'Ghost' borrows quite a few elements from classic Gothic fiction, love transcending death and interspersed with psychic phenomena being just a few. But the year 1990, when 'Ghost' was released, was noted in part for its downward glare at the 80s, and 'Ghost' represents this shift in cultural modes. Even Demi sports a trendy, short haircut, in stark contrast to the shoulder-padded, huge-haired 80s heroines of film and television. That 'Ghost' features two female leads bespeaks much of the 90s also, the decade of Girl Power. Patrick Swayze's character is calmly masculine, though he still moves like the dancer he was in real life. Between young Demi and athletic Patrick, the flesh-bearing scenes abound, and one in particular in which a cuddling, fondling Patrick and Demi sit at a spinning wheel, caressing an unformed mound of clay, has passed into pop culture cinematic legend. 'Ghost' offers a few interesting plot devices to keep the story moving. Not only has Sam Wheat been killed by his best friend, who's putting the moves on Molly, but much of the movie follows Sam as he navigates the Great In Between world, a sort of purgatory-prison full of restless spirits who have unfinished business. He practices walking through walls and enlists the help of a fake psychic, Oda Mae, played by Whoopi Goldberg. Oda Mae successfully assists Sam, redeeming her own sketchy past in the process.
