Cult classic, Ghost World, is a must-watch film for movie enthusiasts or incoming graduates.
2001’s Ghost World, directed by Terry Zwigoff, a film starring Thora Birch and Scarlet Johansson as social outcast best friends Enid and Rebecca respectively and following them as they embark on living life after high school with no actual plans for their future through their cynical way of living, facing controversy between their slightly codependent friendship, finding and keeping jobs, and relationship difficulties.
We are introduced to Enid and Rebecca’s friendship as they exit their high school graduation, still accompanying their caps and gowns while Enid discovers her diploma has been withheld from her unless she takes a remedial art course over the summer.
Ghost World excellently writes Enid and Rebecca’s friendship, portraying the turmoil and dislike between the girls only growing as the film progresses and both girls fall out.
Enid, Rebecca and their friend Josh in the midst of their boredness, decide to look through the personal advertisements in their local newspaper, seeing an advertisement by a desperate older man named Seymour, played by Steve Buscemi, searching to contact a woman he met at an airport recently. The girls decide to call the number and prank the man by setting him up to meet at a diner.
Seymour arrives at the diner and the group make fun of him from a distance, eventually Enid begins to feel bad for Seymour and convinces her friends to follow him home as he leaves. They trace him back to his apartment where they dig through his mail box and leave.
Enid returns to the apartment again, joined by Rebecca, finding Seymour selling old records at a garage sale. Enid makes quick conversation with Seymour and befriends him before buying a record from him. Enid’s newfound friendship with Seymour comes with her attempting to help him find women to date. Rebecca quickly becomes annoyed with this friendship as Enid spends more and more time with Seymour and pushes off actually being responsible and life, eventually building up to their falling out.
Ghost World is great in every facet, with excellent performances from the actors, Thora Birch brings another depth to the already dull character of Enid, portraying her many issues and flaws in such a lively matter while still keeping her cynical and boring personality. The writers’ ability to tackle ambiguous emotions and themes make the film keep the audience interested and engaged. In short, Ghost World is a must watch film, it’s witty, unapologetically crude and realistic.
