GHOST WORLD -----------
Enid (Thora Birch, "American Beauty") and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson, "The Horse Whisperer") are best friends and determined outsiders graduating from High School. While Rebecca's set on getting a job and finding an apartment that she and Enid can share, Enid's having trouble finding a direction and becomes fascinated by an older, nerdy record collector, Seymour (Steve Buscemi). Daniel Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb") adapt Clowe's graphic novel, "Ghost World."
In the film adaptation, Enid's clearly the more caustic, artistic one ('That's really gonna happen,' she states to an over eager classmate who suggest they get together during the summer), while quieter Becky is more focused. Ironically, Enid must make up art class during summer school in order to complete her diploma, where she drolly endures the antics of clueless teacher Roberta (Illeana Douglas, "Stir of Echoes"). She barely puts up with her meek, single dad (Bob Balaban, "Best in Show") and is horrified when he begins to see old flame Maxine (an almost mummified looking Teri Garr), whom she really loathes.
For entertainment, Enid and Rebecca lure a lonely-hearts loser out on a bogus date. When they run into the man again at a yard sale, Enid, to Becky's complete mystification, is intrigued and begins an odd relationship with Seymour. At this point Becky pretty much falls out of the picture.
What makes "Ghost World" worthwhile are the terrific performances from Thora Birch as the ultimate counter culture wiseass and Steve Buscemi, who finds exactly the right note for a difficult character. Seymour's pathetic, but acknowledges it (he refers to himself as a cranky eccentric specimen). Enid's fascinated because Seymour knows who he is and has housed himself in his own weird world of old 78s and vintage artifacts. Birch, sporting an overripe body and cats eye glasses, puts up a hip front to hide the fear of growing up and eventually drags Seymour into her confused state of being.
Clowes and Zwigoff throw in plenty of amusing sidelines, too. Enid and Rebecca share a crush on Josh (Brad Renfro, "Apt Pupil") and constantly torture him at the convenience store where he works and where the Greek owner is in a constant battle with a hilarious mullet-head. Enid's art teacher Roberta is hilariously out of touch, preferring a jumble of coat hangers with a pandering description to Enid's own Crumb-like artwork. Enid's stab at a job selling concessions at a movie theater is an amusing example of knowing self defeatism.
But Zwigoff allows the central story to drift away, arriving at an unsatisfying conclusion for both Enid and Seymour. Becky steps over the line into grownup land by becoming concerned with material household goods, her rebellious move of skipping college landing her in a job at a coffee shop.
Production Design by Edward T. McAvoy, Art Direction by Alan E. Muraoka, Set Decoration by Lisa Fischer and Costume Design by Mary Zophres provide the film with a desolate, retro look in well chosen L.A. locations. The film's final scene is reminiscent of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks."
"Ghost World's" ectoplasmic protagonists are haunting, but it's ethereal conclusions leave us wanting.
B
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