Ghost Dad (1990)

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 ... See full summary »

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:

He's been walking through doors. He's been falling through floors. He's been going through a lot lately, but he's still Dad.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Raven-Symoné auditioned for the role of Amanda Hopper. She was rejected as "too young', but Bill Cosby' liked her so much he cast her as Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show (1984).

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Goofs

When Elliot's daughters first see him as a ghost, their hair changes between shots.

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Quotes

Amanda Hopper: Daddy, Joan said you can go bleep bleep yourself. She said you guys need to talk and she'll fill in the bleeps later.
Elliot Hopper: Okay, honey. Thank you.
[Somebody knocks on the front door]
Elliot Hopper: That must be Joan coming over to fill in the bleeps.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Alice in Wonderland (2014)

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Soundtracks

Everytime I Say Goodbye
Written by Carl Sturken (as Carl Shuken), Evan Rogers and Paul Barry
Performed by Cheryl Lynn
Courtesy of Virgin Records

User Reviews

Family Formula

Bill Cosby. He's been around so long... is there a person in the world today that doesn't like/respect/acknowledge him? So naturally Bill (like a lot of celebrities) has a very shielded career. He knows his territory and plays to it. It seems very unlikely you'll ever see Bill in anything less than good old fashioned family friendly programming. That's his territory. Bill will always be Bill.

So unsurprisingly Ghost Dad breaks no new grounds for Bill Cosby or that haven't been tread before in other similar entries. It's what it was meant to be - a harmless film for the whole family. It's been made to offend no one. If you didn't know by the title - well let me spill the paint bucket for you. Bill Cosby is the caring husband and father trying to keep his daughters content and maintain the family's happy existence. So what a cramp it put's in his style when - oops, he's dead. Hence, Ghost Dad.

So being the good father he is - his protective side takes over as he tries to protect his daughters from the woes of life - all the while trying to 'stay alive'. He can be seen with minimal light you see. Which leads to a bunch of silly scenes some reminiscent of "The Invisible Man". Cosby is fun and though the movie is predictable it shouldn't hurt you to take in a viewing. It might not be the best offering of home family entertainment, but in a field so large you could do worse.

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