Ghost World is a good example of a recent movie that manages to have a complex storyline reminiscent of things I am familiar with, such as noir. This doesn't mean it counts as that, but I was a little surprised after seeing it because the plot has numerous twists and turns to it. At first glance, the movie didn't seem like something I would enjoy taking a look at, for the sole reason of it being about a pair of high school graduates. The movie describes high school as "training wheels for the bicycle of real life", which is a downright laughable statement, for me anyway. Almost nothing I learned the whole time I was there is applicable in adulthood. Regardless, the high school aspect of this movie is only really visible in the first few minutes, and no mention of it is made afterward. It's largely irrelevant to the story, but at least it does let you know the main characters are finished with mandatory education. Ghost World, as stated earlier, focuses on two girls who have recently graduated, Enid and Rebecca (Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson respectively) and the various problems that they come across in the modern world. Technically, this is a comedy movie, but the humor is so deadpan and laced with expletives that most people will not find it all that funny. Still, there are some exceptions. The movie starts with Enid and Rebecca graduating high school and are left wondering how to best spend their upcoming summer. They both come to the conclusion that they need a source of income and search around for various way to make money. This is difficult for them because they're both basically loners and find it difficult to form relationships with average people. Enid also resents the fact that her friend is more attractive than her in the eyes of local boys. To make things worse, Enid learns she has to attend school even in the summer for failing an art class. Later, the girls learn about a guy named Seymour (Steve Buscemi) who enjoys collecting old records and decide to visit him. Enid buys a record from him and they start to talk to each other more and more. Unbeknownst to him though, Enid's friend Josh has been making fun of him behind his back. Because she's antisocial, Enid finds a unique interest in Seymour because he essentially has her same mindset. He fills his life with material possessions because he can't relate to anyone. While this is going on, Enid shows up at her remedial art class, which is very awkward to watch. The students make various pieces of "art" and bring them in for examination. One depicts someone smashing another person's head with a large hammer, and the teacher remarks she thought it was supposed to represent the kid's father. After visiting Seymour's house again, Enid comes across an antique painting he owns, which is a racist caricature made into a logo for a chicken restaurant chain. Realizing she's taking a big risk by doing this, Enid decides to borrow it and bring it to her art class. The other students are understandably shocked, but Roberta (the teacher) likes it because she thinks it's a commentary on racism. This is where Enid's fortune really takes a turn for the worse. Seymour (on Enid's advice) starts seeing a girl named Dana, who says she doesn't like Laurel and Hardy movies because the "fat one is always mean to the skinny one." Enid is now envious because she's not the woman in Seymour's relationship. Rebecca's efforts to find a job finally pay off, which means she and Enid can no longer spend as much time together. In a way, this turns them against each other. Then comes a final blow. Enid's teacher takes it upon herself to display the caricature Enid took from Seymour's house at a local art show, and people are so offended by it that Roberta is forced to give Enid an F for the class. Not only that, but her promised scholarship goes out the window. All this bad luck and misfortune forces Enid to return to Seymour's house, even though she told him not to call her ever again. Seymour opts to let Enid stay with him, which requires him excluding Dana from his life. He also discovers from Rebecca that Enid drew crude, mocking images of him in a book she owns. Enraged, he drives to the store where Enid's friend works and tries to assault him, but is attacked and hospitalized. Enid goes there to tell him she is sorry, and informs him the later pages of the book depict him in a much more positive way. He just happened to skip over them. At the end, Enid sees a man we have been introduced to earlier in the movie. His name is Norman, and he waits on a bench for a bus that is out of service. Somehow, a bus suddenly shows up and he steps on. Enid goes to where he was previously waiting, gets on a second bus, and it drives away. Quite a complicated movie which a strange and mysterious ending. Many have theorized as to what the ending means, but in my opinion, it's an allegory for killing oneself. Towards the end, Enid has all these bad things happen to her, and can't seem to get a break. She even inadvertently ruins Seymour's relationship with Dana. She feels like nobody wants her around or likes her, so I think the ending implies she is dead. This would make sense considering the title of the movie. Ghost World was directed by Terry Zwigoff, who also did the dark and humorous documentary on the life of Robert Crumb in 1994. Ghost World shares many similarities with that film, since they both feature a strong presence of dry humor and laughing at other people's expense. Crumb is also involved in this movie because the drawings of Seymour in Enid's book resemble his style greatly. To summarize, Ghost World is a strange and somewhat depressing movie to watch. There are lots of moments in it that just make me cringe to the point of not wanting to continue watching, simply because they're a little too relatable. A good instance of this is when Seymour is talking to Enid at a diner, and Dana appears suddenly, causing him to spill his drink on himself. I've been in too many situations like that and it hurts to watch. There's also a post credit scene that shows Seymour actually winning the fight he has in the store against Enid's friend and the manager. The acting and dialogue in this movie is also quite good, even if it is meant to make the audience feel extremely self-conscious. Thora Birch as Enid resembles me in many respects because she can't seem to get along with many people and prefers to be alone. Scarlett Johansson is a lot more sociable than her counterpart, which ends up making Enid jealous and annoyed. Steve Buscemi here reminds me a lot of various people I know who are into the business of collecting things nobody seems to want, such as old books or cameras. He's also probably the funniest character because it doesn't take much to set him off. To summarize, Ghost World is not what I would consider a groundbreaking movie, but it is entertaining at least. My main gripe with it is that it was so difficult to watch because the fights, confrontations, and arguments the characters get into are too relatable.
Review of Ghost World
