Ghost World (2001)
Grade: B+
Cast: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Ileana Douglas, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Brad Renfro
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Rated R for language and mature themes


"Ghost World" is one of those films that aims to not be just another teen movie. And it really does succeed. The film is told with a great sense of wit and intelligence and filmed with a comic book feel (after all, it was based on one). Our main character, Enid (portrayed by Thora Birch), though, is what keeps the film from being great. Enid has one huge flaw: she way too obscure.

Enid is like a real life Daria. You know that cartoon that used to be on MTV about the girl who always seemed depressed and was looked down upon because was (as she would say) "a brain." She had a best friend that shared in her sarcastic outlook on life: the beatnik Jane. But Enid's best friend is actually a more ambitious person named Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson). The two girls share the same kind of relationship as Daria and Jane: they love each other to death, but they fight about Enid's inevitable insecurities and failure to stay true to her word.

After graduating high school (well, sort of, Enid has to take a summer school at class), the relationship between the girls is strained. For one, Enid has taken up a new best friend named Seymour (Steve Buscemi), and Rebecca has been pushed to the background; Secondly, Rebecca has a newfound responsibilty (that Enid doesn't) and holds on to her hopes and dreams of living on her own. Their relationship is one the cusp of a meltdown, but for better or worse, the two friends hold it together.

But the thing that really bothered me about this film is that I didn't really feel like I knew Enid. I couldn't feel sympathy for her because every time she needed a friend it was because she was a drama queen. Everytime she opens her mouth there is some snarky, cynical comment about guys and about modern popular music that you get a sense of her ideas, but not about her. This is, by the way, no fault of Birch's, who portrays her with an startling sense of reality. Enid SEEMS like someone you could run into on the streets, but on the page we don't learn anything about her, except for the fact that she's really bad at relationships: romantic or platonic. (Another critically acclaimed film that didn't have a fleshed out character was the Oscar winning A Beautiful Mind.)

Ultimately, the acting and the script saves "Ghost World" from fading into obscurity. The script is full of sharp and witty one-liners that usually sting. And the ending is sad, mysterious, and poignant. It feels like the right way to leave the story of Enid. This is her journey in life, and based on the film's end, she's closed one chapter and is ready to move on to the next.

Thora Birch imbibes Enid with reality, but it's not enough to save the character. What is behind her hatred of pop culture? Why can't she just realize that it's popular because people like it and that she can like what she wants? Where are all of these feelings of insecurity coming from? She has a loving father (Bob Balaban) and a great best friend, but she just seems to have the mindset of being miserable. Enid, on the page, is an enigma. Enid, in motion, is much more.

The actors that really make the film what it is are the supporting players. From the level-headed best friend played with smashing dignity by Scarlett Johansson, to the tortured Seymour who is bound for a life of lonliness. Because of Buscemi's startlingly low-key performance, he should have been nominated for the Oscar, Seymour is probably the most likeable and sympathetic character in the film. He knows that things change, but Enid thinks that everything must stay the same. In that respect, the two are perfect foils for each other, both as friends and lovers.

So, in the end, "Ghost World" doesn't turn into some regular teen movie. In fact, it's the antithesis of a teen movie. No one is made beautiful, but we do get emotional and mature catharsis. We care about (most of) the characters, and the film is lovingly made. This is a good picture, but it could have been a great one if the filmmakers would have known what to make of Enid. After seeing this movie, I can safely say that I don't know what to make of her.


-Brian Jones, July 2002