Casper (1995)
God, I’d kill for a pinky
In honor of Spooky Season, I’ve decided to watch as many Halloween-themed movies as possible, whether it’s horror, rom-com (are there Halloween rom-com?), or iconic family classics.
First things first: Is there any role that Christina Ricci doesn’t annihilate — in a good way? Her talent, even as a child knows no bounds.
I love her. I want to be her.
Second: Bill Pullman is god-tier. A forever stud.
Anyway, onto the movie review:
Casper is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.
With witty dialogue, a cute premise, and fantastic actors,
it’s not a surprise that Casper has stayed a fall favorite for almost 30 years.
One thing I noticed is that at the beginning of the film, Casper travels through the electrical wires, instead of floating around town. I’m not up-to-date on my ghost lore, but I thought it was a nice touch to include that as a way to show the different ways ghosts navigate this plane.
It would be easy to make a movie about 4 ghosts living in a house a little sketchy when you add a teenage girl falling in love with one of them, but the adorable moments of Casper kissing Kat on the cheek before curling up at the foot of her bed like a cat makes it such a sweet, tender moment that you’re rooting for these star-crossed crushes just like the first time you watched it.
The dialogue in this movie is fantastic. It’s the perfect blend of snark and wit that makes it appropriate for all ages.
“So, I have until midnight?”
“Make it 10.”
“Cinderella got until midnight!”
“Cinderella wasn’t a 12-year-old boy.”
and —
Sweetheart, I think it’s time we talked…”
“It’s a little late for that, Dad.”
“How late?”
“Don’t worry, not that late.”
I love the dynamic of James and Kat, it’s the ideal father-daughter relationship. When Kat asked for a Halloween costume, I appreciated the honesty of Dr. Harvey’s response that until getting paid the card was worthless. I thought it was such a good example of respecting a teen as an intelligent young adult who understands how the world works, while still maintaining the parent dynamic of being a provider and not letting her worry.
I thought having the Lazarus machine turn on with a button hidden within a copy of Frankenstein was also genius.
Set in a picturesque Maine town, featuring a haunted mansion with a full-amusement park rollercoaster ride, and a fantastic cast — Casper is a heart-warming movie whose attention to detail makes it a stand-out classic.
