Ghost Dad (1990)

A widowed father tries to support his children after he becomes a ghost in an accident.

Director:

Sidney Poitier

Writers:

Brent Maddock (story), S.S. Wilson (story)

Stars:

Bill Cosby, Kimberly Russell, Denise Nicholas

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Cosby	...	Elliot Hopper
Kimberly Russell	...	Diane Hopper
Denise Nicholas	...	Joan
Ian Bannen	...	Sir Edith Moser
Christine Ebersole	...	Carol
Barry Corbin	...	Mr. Emery Collins
Salim Grant	...	Danny Hopper
Brooke Fontaine	...	Amanda Hopper
Dakin Matthews	...	Mr. Seymour
Dana Ashbrook	...	Tony Ricker
Omar Gooding	...	Stuart
Raynor Scheine	...	Curtis Burch, the Cabbie
Arnold Stang	...	Mr. Cohen, Elderly Patient
Brian Stokes Mitchell	...	Teacher (as Brian Mitchell)
Lisa Mene Nemacheck	...	Jonelle

Storyline

Elliot Hopper, a widower with three children, is currently working on a deal. His late wife's illness was very expensive and this deal could bring them out of the red. But he gets into a cab that the maniac driver crashes, and the next thing he realizes is that he's floating around and landing in the lab of a scientist who studies the paranormal. He asks the scientist to send him back so he can finish the deal and make sure his children will be taken care of when he's gone for good.

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Plot Keywords:

ghost | bedtime story | scientist | teen angst | waking up from a coma | 

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Taglines:

Bill Cosby as you've never seen him before... invisible.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, trying to get the devil worshiping cab driver to pull over, Elliot proclaims that he is Satan and orders the driver to stop the cab. Cosby in fact played one of Satan's henchmen in The Devil and Max Devlin (1981).

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Goofs

The song "Miss You Much," by Terry Lewis, is credited to Jerry Lewis in the end credits.

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Quotes

Elliot Hopper: But I've got to make it to Thursday. It's for my children. My wife died a few years ago and I'm all they have left. Please, Sir "Edith."
Sir Edith Moser: Sir "Edd-ith." Moser.
Elliot Hopper: But on... on the book it's spelled "Edith."
Sir Edith Moser: But it's pronounced "Edd-ith."
Elliot Hopper: That's a girl's name.
Sir Edith Moser: Look here, it is not a girl's name. Edith is a boy's name.
Elliot Hopper: Who were you named after?
Sir Edith Moser: I was named after my grandmamma!
Elliot Hopper: And they called her "Edd-ith?"
Sir Edith Moser: No! Her name is "Edith!"
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Road/Ninja Assassin/Old Dogs (2009)

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Soundtracks

Cues
from the motion pictures Neighbors (1981) and Big Trouble (1986)
Composed by Bill Conti
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

User Reviews

The HOLY GRAIL of Supernatural Comedies

After the colossal artistic and commercial triumph of Leonard: Part 6, "The Cos" decided to make his next film a more organic, "Art-House" picture and proves once again that he has the cinematic midas touch. In a premise that might seem silly in other hands, Cosby and director Sidney Portier deftly weave a tightly knit tapestry of familial melodrama and undead hijinks. The lush cinematography lends a documentary feel to the proceedings, a much needed dose of gritty reality which helps immeasurably when dealing with the afterlife. Cosby's bravura performance is both ferocious and demure in equal measure, but always REAL. Also, the underlying message of fatherly responsibility seems remarkably apt in these times of the "Baby Boy" syndrome. An often overlooked masterpiece in the Cosby canon, Ghost Dad is without a doubt a labour of love from one of the cinemas greatest pioneers.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ghost Dad

Filming Locations:

Boise, Idaho, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,803,480, 1 July 1990

Gross USA:

$24,707,633

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,421,633

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, SAH Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1