Ghost World Review – A Comic Book Creatively Brought To Life
Being a teenager is a mixture of rage, boys, huge life decisions, and being at odds with your parents. And Ghost World is one of the most authentic and refreshing representations of post high school life, when you’re still figuring things out.
Released in 2001, Enid and Rebecca are played by real-life teens Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson. The film was adapted from the 1990s comic book series by Daniel Clowes. Now, that the movie has turned 25 years, I’ve had a re-watch and found myself back into the life of our complicated and socially awkward protagonists.
Rundown of Ghost World – What you need to know:
- Genre: Comedy, Drama / Coming-of-age
- Stars: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro
- Runtime: 1h 51m
- Creators: Directed by Terry Zwigoff; written by Terry Zwigoff
- Release date: 2001
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video and YouTube
What is Ghost World about?
Ghost World follows our two protagonists, Enid and Rebecca. They are best friends who have just graduated from high school. Neither of them wants to go to college. Rebecca is keen to work and save up for an apartment, while Enid struggles to hold down a job and is forced to take art classes over the summer. After an unexpected day at a cafe, Enid finds an ad in the newspaper in which a lonely, middle-aged man named Seymour asks a woman he recently met to contact him. However, Enid makes a prank phone call to Seymour, pretending to be the woman and inviting him to meet her at a diner. The two eventually become friends. But Enid’s life soon spirals out of control, and she is left feeling lonely and unhappy. The film is vulnerable and honest about the struggles of Enid, who is considered an outcast and feels unlovable. It explores loneliness, friendship, growing up and feeling disconnected from the world.
What I liked about it:
Enid and Rebecca’s friendship in Ghost World is very much like the kind of friendship you would experienced at least once in your lifetime. Rebecca is focused on planning for the future but Enid is impulsive, detached, and less interested in having her life figured out. They are both trying to do what is best for them and their life and approach it in completely different ways. They have an understanding of their differences and don’t rely on constant communication or the perfect understanding.
Confusing kindness and attention for romantic feelings. As I’ve mentioned in the synopsis, Enid becomes attracted to Seymour because of how he is able to be there for her. Having become emotionally and physically detached from her parents, she finds comfort in his company. She visits his home, becomes fascinated by his taste in music, and becomes hugely interested in his social life. While Seymour does not establish clear boundaries for their time together, he also doesn’t encourage a romantic relationship. However, Enid begins to see him as a possibility for a closer relationship. This subject matter is very important to show how uncertain and confused Enid’s feelings are. With her relationship with Seymour, we see she craves attention, connection and acceptance, leading her to realise what she truly wants and needs. I think this is such an important issue the film tackles.
The colours and clothing. Ghost world really feels brought alive form the comic book with the costumes and the lighting to the hairstyles. The comic book is a cherished pop culture pice which fans can appreciate.
With the actors being so young it feels very authentic to the storyline nowadays most actors in teen dramas or films are years older than the characters that they play on screen. Scarlett Johnson was 16 at the time, while Thora Birch was 19.
What I didn’t like about it:
I didn’t particularly enjoy the ending of the movie. As I felt it was a bit abrupt despite it working with the storyline. There’s a lot of speculation on what the ending meant, and that is ultimately up to the viewers’ interpretation.
Overall Thoughts:
Ghost World is the type of film teenagers should watch while growing up. It’s not like the films and TV shows we see today which include unrealistic love triangles and picture-perfect homes. Ghost World portrays the awkwardness of growing up and feeling like an outsider. Espeically with Enid, we see her struggles that are relatable. It a film that still holds relevance today.
