Ghost World (2001)

With only the plan of moving in together after high school, two unusually devious friends seek direction in life. As a mere gag, they respond to a man's newspaper ad for a date, only to find it will greatly complicate their lives.

Director:

Terry Zwigoff

Writers:

Daniel Clowes (comic book), Daniel Clowes

Stars:

Steve Buscemi, Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 28 wins & 55 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thora Birch	...	Enid
Scarlett Johansson	...	Rebecca
Steve Buscemi	...	Seymour
Brad Renfro	...	Josh
Illeana Douglas	...	Roberta Allsworth
Bob Balaban	...	Enid's Dad
Stacey Travis	...	Dana
Charles C. Stevenson Jr.	...	Norman
Dave Sheridan	...	Doug
Tom McGowan	...	Joe
Debra Azar	...	Melora
Brian George	...	Sidewinder Boss
Pat Healy	...	John Ellis
Rini Bell	...	Graduation Speaker
T.J. Thyne	...	Todd

Storyline

This is the story of Enid and Rebecca after they finish the high school. Both have problems relating to people and they spend their time hanging around and bothering creeps. When they meet Seymour who is a social outsider who loves to collect old 78 records, Enid's life will change forever.

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Plot Keywords:

older man young girl relationship | older man younger woman | mini skirt | short skirt | female best friends | 

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Taglines:

Il y a une vie après le lycée... (France)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and some sexual content

Details

Country:

USA UK Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prízracný svet

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$98,791, 22 July 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,217,849

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,543,544

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists,Granada Film Productions,Jersey Shore

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second film released in 2001 that features the two stars at the Quality Cafe sitting at the same booth, the other one was Training Day (2001).

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Goofs

The amount of malt liquor in the bottle on top of the car varies.

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Quotes

[At the graduation ball]
Todd: Hey, Rebecca.
Rebecca: Oh, hi.
Todd: So, we finally...
Enid: What about me? Am I not even here?
Todd: Hey, Enid.
[he turns back to Rebecca]
Todd: So, we finally made it, huh?
Rebecca: Yeah.
Todd: So, uh, where are you going to go to college?
[...]

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Crazy Credits

After all the credits roll, there's another take of the scene where Seymour (Steve Buscemi) gets attacked by Doug in the minimart. Only this time, Buscemi's characer easily wins the fight, choking Doug with his own weapon, and stomps out triumphantly. He finishes with a bunch of Mr. Pink type dialogue.

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Connections

References SLC Punk! (1998)

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Soundtracks

Devil Got My Woman
Written by Skip James (as Nehemiah "Skip" James)
Performed by Skip James
Courtesy of Yazoo Records

User Reviews

Deadpan comic revulsion

Two female high school grads plan to get jobs and hang together, but bonds become frayed and paths separate after one of the girls ends up on an unintended journey of self-discovery. From the comic-book which takes a perverse delight in celebrating the geeky side of all of us, "Ghost World" is profane and cynical, but also surprisingly blithe and bright. I rather enjoyed it but realize it's not for every taste. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson are incredibly rich and vivid in their roles (low-keyed, deadpan, but not blanks); their love-hate friendship is convincing and blessedly free of melodramatics--even they seem to cherish the personality conflicts that come up, it may give them more ammunition. As for the ending, I'm not sure whether it is ingenious or a cop-out, but it did leave me touched (in a bemused, nostalgic way). A movie with much to offer. ***1/2 from ****