It's many years since I last watched Ghost, but as my daughter is working her way through a list of films she wants to watch, this was one we had to watch as a family as Mr B and I both love it and wanted to share it with her.
I was expecting it to have aged badly, as so many films from the 80s and 90s have, but was pleasantly surprised that actually it didn't seem to have. Yes, there was some casual sexual harassment in the office, but that was the only thing which really stood out to me, and frankly is still far too commonplace. Molly (Demi Moore) is a strong character throughout the film; we all know the famous pottery scene with Unchained Melody in the background, but it's clear that she is a successful artist, and her resiliance and determination are key to the storyline. For a film made in 1990, that seems to be quite an achievement and perhaps says something about the quality of the storytelling and script.
Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore are a wonderful pairing as Sam and Molly, but Whoopi Goldberg absolutely steals the show as Oda Mae Brown, the fraudulent medium who is shocked to discover that after all the years of faking it, she now suddenly is actually hearing voices from beyond the grave! The poignancy and humour she brings to the character are wonderful; she makes Oda Mae a real person with her own life and personality, not just a charlatan exploiting other people's grief for her own gain.
Tony Goldwyn has had a long film career since this, his third movie role, in which he was Carl Bruner - Sam's 'friend' and as it turns out, a lying, cheating thief (and more!). I'm half convinced this film is the reason I have negative associations with that name!
For me, the special effects have stood up reasonably well to the test of time; yes, they'd be better if the film was made now, but they certainly didn't feel distracting to me (beyond the regular question that if ghosts can pass through solid surfaces, how do they travel on the subway, or sit on chairs?) I still find the dark shadowy spirits creepy as they come to collect 'bad' people's souls, and had to close my eyes for one particular death as I've had to ever since I first saw it - but that's definitely a me issue, not a problem with the film at all.
So in short, I still strongly recommend this film - hugely enjoyable, sad and funny, and an absolute classic must-watch.
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