GHOST WORLD (2001) Reviewed by Jerry Saravia Seen in August, 2001
It is rare to see a film that transports and moves me in such a way as to be breathtaking. A film that leaves me so ecstatic and excited by cinema all over again - a sublime experience in an era of dumbed-down, mediocre pictures. For the 1980's, "The Breakfast Club" was the ultimate statement about teenagers in high school. For the 1990's teen way of life, perhaps something like "American Beauty" stands as definitive about how teenagers think and talk nowadays (unless you prefer "American Pie"). But a defining statement of the world today is clearly felt in "Ghost World," an unparalleled masterpiece of pop culture attitudes and more specifically, teenage alienation and discomfort in an era of Internet hype and media hogwash. I was planning on seeing Kevin Smith's latest the following day but I just couldn't. After seeing "Ghost World," you may not want to see anything else for a few days since it gets under your skin so thoroughly that you will feel compelled to buy the graphic novel from which the film is b ased on or listen to the soundtrack or both. It is that good. Based on the comic book by Daniel Clownes, "Ghost World" is a bleak view of America today in an suburban town where 50's retro diners coexist with politically correct art teachers. It is also a world of lonely, miserable people who can't help being where they are in their station in life. Enid (Thora Birch) is the offbeat, downbeat, ironic, contradictory, sarcastic teenager who has just graduated from high school. Her best friend, Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), has also graduated and is relieved. Their relief does not translate to collegiate futures - they have their own plans. Enid and Rebecca plan to work full-time jobs and rent an apartment and basically make ironic statements on people who surround their field of vision. Enid not only spouts ironic commentary, she lives by it. She hates any and everything except for her friend Rebecca. She sees a bald man and his wife at a cafe and immediately suspects they are Satanists. Both Enid and Rebecca decide to spend their time gazing and talking. One day, Enid r esponds to a personal ad where some guy had seen a blonde and felt they shared something special. Enid pretends to be the blonde and calls for a date. The guy, Seymour (Steve Buscemi), comes to one of those 50's retro diners to meet the blonde, who is of course not present. But something curious happens - Enid follows Seymour around and begins to like the fact that he is representative of everything she doesn't hate. He is a dork in her estimation but he also loves to collect 78 rpm records of old blues singers. More importantly, Enid can relate to Seymour's loneliness.
Enid's home life is not pretty. Her father (Bob Balaban) eats jelly with relish and dates a woman she hates. He does try to support his daughter but she is unresponsive and selfish. Enid lives in her own fantasy world of irony and of dancing to Indian music - she does not see that she alienates people by hiding or being cleverly ironic. After alienating even Rebecca and Seymour, Enid feels lost - a lost soul in search of her inner self. "I don't know what I am doing," says Enid at one point and that statement sums up her life. If Enid hates any and everything and can't commit to a job, then where is her station in life? Can it be with the summer art class where she has to contend with a politically correct art teacher? Can it be the old man who waits for a bus that never comes? Who can Enid relate to now if she can't hold on to her own friends?
"Ghost World" is not likely to appeal to the same teenagers who love "American Pie" and its score of imitations. After all, Enid's preoccupation in life is not sex - she would like to belong to something but she is too honest in this media age to belong to anything she doesn't already despise. The same is true of Seymour who is offended by shouting radio deejays and modern blues songs. He may feel that times are better but he is still rooted in the past, particularly with offensive minstrel ads and old blues songs. But he is a loner too and despises society yet works for a corporation to support himself and his collection of 78's.
Thora Birch encapsulates the modern alienated and alienating teenager perfectly in Enid. She is a wonder to watch as she unfurls her commentary on screen with winking nuances and explosive fierceness, always wearing horn-rimmed glasses. Look at the scene in a zine shop where she dresses up in original punk rock clothes, combat boots and green hair and claims her fashion statement as irony - none of the clerks in the store see it that way. Birch screams, crackles, hollers, whispers, laughs and cries, and she is sarcastic not to mention touching in her weaker states where she starts to lose what she had. It is a brave, risky performance by Birch that embellishes the promise she showed in "American Beauty."
Also noteworth is Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca, also ironic in her own way but also looking ahead in the future - she does not wish to stay in the same town forever. Her dry, low monotone voice is in direct contrast to Birch's occasionally high-pitched delivery. Johansson first came to prominence in the sweet film "Manny and Lo" and here, she is maturing into a fine actress.
Finally, there is Steve Buscemi in one of his best roles as the lonesome Seymour. He connects with Enid but also wants to move on in his own station in life. The tragedy of his character is that he can't despite trying to. Buscemi is as restrained as ever and gives measured poignance to Seymour's downfall.
"Ghost World" is directed by Terry Zwigoff, who helmed the fabulous, disturbing documentary "Crumb" a few years go (there's even a nod to Crumb's rock band). This is Zwigoff's first non-documentary film and it is a great, poetic masterwork - his restraint and static camera style are perfect for the observations of this ghostly world as seen through Enid's eyes. And the ambiguous ending will haunt you for days as to where Enid's future lies. It is as moving and poetic as any film you will see this year.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml
E-mail me with any questions, comments or general complaints at faustus_08520@yahoo.com or at Faust668@aol.com
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