A Ghost Story (2017)

In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife.

Director:

David Lowery

Writer:

David Lowery

Stars:

Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, McColm Cephas Jr.

12 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Casey Affleck	...	C
Rooney Mara	...	M
McColm Cephas Jr.	...	Little Boy
Kenneisha Thompson	...	Doctor
Grover Coulson	...	Man in Wheelchair
Liz Cardenas	...	Linda (as Liz Cardenas Franke)
Barlow Jacobs	...	Gentleman Caller
Richard Krause	...	Mover
Dagger Salazar	...	Mover
Sonia Acevedo	...	Maria
Carlos Bermudez	...	Carlos
Yasmina Gutierrez	...	Yasmina
Kimberly Fiddes	...	Making Out
Daniel Escudero	...	Making Out
Kesha	...	Spirit Girl (as Kesha Sebert)

Storyline

Resonating with vibrant memories and silent echoes of a shared life, the old house is somehow connected to "C", a sensitive composer who is hesitant of leaving it, while his loving wife "M", on the other hand, is keen on moving out, having an indecipherable but grim premonition of danger. Sadly, disaster soon strikes, and C's untethered spectre which detaches from the lifeless body, rises from the mortician's table, and in a swift decision, decides to linger in this dimension to faithfully follow the grieving M back to the old house. As silent as a shadow and as invisible as the air, C's unappeasable phantom observes M's denial and depression gradually turn to acceptance and even hope, as time unravels, moving forward through the decades. In this earth, man struggles to leave his legacy behind. Is this the way to immortality?

---

Plot Keywords:

death of husband | loss of husband | grief | loss | loneliness | 

---

Taglines:

It's all about time.

---

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief language and a disturbing image

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Lowery wrote the film as a reaction to the 2015 New Yorker article The Really Big One by Kathryn Schulz. The article discusses potential natural disasters that could destroy humanity much in the same vein as the monologue given by the Prognosticator in the middle of the dance party who predicts that humanity as a whole is doomed.

---

Goofs

When the couple first investigates the noise from the piano in the middle of the night, Casey Affleck is barefoot. Near the end of the movie when the scene is revisited, he's wearing socks.

---

Quotes

Ghost 2: Hello.
Ghost 1: Hi.
Ghost 2: I'm waiting for someone.
Ghost 1: Who?
Ghost 2: I don't remember.

---

Connections

Featured in Half in the Bag: 2017 Movie Catch-up: Part 2 (2018)

---

Soundtracks

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, op. 125
(uncredited)
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

The Most Existential Film in Recent Memory

This minimalist fantasy-drama by David Lowery portrays the journey of a deceased man's ghost who returns to the home where he and his wife lived together up until his untimely and tragic death. To describe the ghost's psychology in this journey might be giving away too much. The plot is straightforward but it addresses themes of human existence and eternity in a way that many big-budget films don't even try.

The ghost's simplistic form might seem odd or laughable at first. This was not the case with me. I found the ghost's emergence and entry into the film to be seamless and thoroughly convincing. The narrative initially dissects local aspects of the plot, such as what type of relationship the man had with his wife and who he seemed to be as a person. Then it proceeds to become something much more ambitious- waxing philosophical on how we spend our time on Earth and what meaning, if any, we should hope to derive from it. The film's augmentation in scope can be risky for a small, unpretentious work, but in the end, it resonates quite well.

As for the performances, everyone here is great but Rooney Mara is exceptionally understated here, not the least for the scene where she eats an entire pie in a moment of intense pain. She is able to convey the grave reality of mourning without ever resorting to histrionics or conventional acting displays. She is low-key and completely effective here, as is Casey Affleck who portrays the detached husband. They worked with director Lowery in the lesser film "Ain't Them Bodies Saints", but here their collaboration reaches greater heights.

As simple as this ghost appears, there is never a dearth of sympathy or doubt about its presence. The film's uses of long takes and pregnant silence create an unexpected degree of tension. It deploys a soundtrack that is alternately mournful and quirky. And for all the melancholy mood that pervades, there are discreet moments of humor, making for a bittersweet cinematic work of art. Strongly recommended.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

27 July 2017 (Australia)

Also Known As:

A Ghost Story

Filming Locations:

Irving, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$104,030, 9 July 2017

Gross USA:

$1,596,371

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,951,683

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sailor Bear, Zero Trans Fat Productions, Ideaman Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1