

Fun and entertaining from top to bottom, Ghost is one of those pictures that packs in a bunch of iconic scenes with some hokey romance and corny action sequences. It’s admittedly a bit of a mixed bag, but I couldn’t help but enjoy every single moment. Directed by Jerry Zucker, Ghost recently inspired a musical version that premiered at the Manchester Opera House in March of 2011. The 1990 picture was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Zucker is perhaps best known for his work with his brother David and Jim Abrahams in spoof pictures like Airplane! and Naked Gun. Ghost is certainly a step in a different direction for the director, but there are still elements of raucous humour to be experienced. There are also sequences that seem ripe for parody, like the famed pottery sequence that would eventually be mimicked in Naked Gun 2 ½, a movie Zucker wrote.
Patrick Swayze stars as banker Sam Wheat. He’s dating Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) and they’re deeply in love, even though he can’t say it yet. One day at work, Sam discovers some discrepancies in an account and confides in a friend (Tony Goldwyn) about them. Soon after, Sam is attacked by a thug (Rick Aviles) and murdered.
Sam, now a ghost, can’t be seen or heard by Molly any longer. Forced to watch her grieve, he finds a con artist/psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) and finds out that he can communicate to his love through her. The psychic soon becomes instrumental in helping Sam discover that what happened to him was more than a mere mugging.
It’s true that Ghost is very formulaic, but it’s also true that the flick plays those formulas well. The use of “Unchained Melody” in the love scene that everybody knows about is a stunning decision, something that helps the sequence soar to heights of romance seldom seen on screen. The use of the song later on in a few key moments is smart, especially toward the end of the picture when it is used to frame a moment of divine peace.
The action and comedy sequences are designed to offer more layers and they work to an extent. They don’t dilute the romance like they could have, which is a plus, but sometimes things get a little hokey and out of hand. Still, Goldberg’s performance is essential comic viewing and she more than earned her Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
It’s satisfying to see the movie’s villains get their just desserts because they were instrumental in tearing down the great love story. They interrupt the love we witness in the beginning, so there’s something gratifying about watching Sam get his vengeance. While the concluding action sequence is all kinds of standard procedure, complete with rousing score, I couldn’t help but enjoy it.
Ghost is one of those movies that could be a lot better, but it still strangely works as an entertaining, silly, romantic flick. It’s an audience pleaser for a reason, packing action, romance and comedy into one package. While it is a little overlong and could use a little more quality direction, Ghost is still worth checking out for its love scene and some truly funny material with Whoopi’s “psychic.”