Genre Grandeur – Ghost World (2001) – Moody Moppet

For this month’s first review for Genre Grandeur – Graphic Novel Film Adaptations, here’s a review of Ghost World (2001) by Reut of Moody Moppet

Thanks again to Vern of the Video Vortex for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Audrey of 1001 Movies and Beyond and she has chosen the genre of Movie Musicals.

Please get me your submissions by the 25th of June by sending them to MusicalAudrey@movierob.net

Try to think out of the box! Great choice Audrey!

Let’s see what Reut thought of this movie:

_________________________________

I have admitted before and I’ll admit again, blogging is something I love doing but can’t keep up with. It’s never easy, especially for an ADD (attention deficit disorder) like me. Glad to say that MovieRob’s Genre Grandeur is one thing that always gets me going back to reviewing movies and writing. Thanks Rob for keeping me in the loop.

This time we’re covering our favorite Graphic Novels that have been adapted for the screen. A cool theme chosen by Vern of the Video Vortex.

Ghost World (2001)

  

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Starring: Steve Buscemi, Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro, and Illeana Douglas.

Enid and Becky are two teenage outsiders that recently graduated from high-school. As they deal with the prospects of growing up, they’re mainly busy walking around looking for stuff to do, hassle their mutual love interest, Josh, and pull a prank on a middle aged dork, just to find out it’s about to change their lives.

Our protagonist, Enid (Thora Birch) is quirky with a flair for vintage be it clothes, hair, interior style and music. She has the coolest room ever. Enid is capricious, artistic, and adores everything that is odd. She mocks what doesn’t suite her and constantly goes out of her way to make others look like idiots. It’s hard to like her and yet, this falling between the cracks adolescent manages to draw empathy, at least mine. Her friend Becky is anything but the Scarlett Johansson we know, a mere sidekick succumbed to her besty’s whimsies. When Seymour, a pathetic middle aged record collector slides in the picture after they’ve both played a mean trick on him, Enid discovers the dude is actually pretty cool and befriends him. Seymour is the underdog of his time. A loner that lives with a roommate and yet still kind of answers to his mother, goes from one bad relationship to another only to be smitten by a beautiful young girl, who, for some reason, takes an interest in him.

“I can’t relate to 99% of humanity.” is probably THE most accurate movie line of all times.

Ghost World has the right blend of melancholy, humor and teen ennui in it. It’s is just brilliant and funny, and sad simultaneously which makes it to be anything but a mainstream movie that attempts to tack a happy ending on it and simply tells it like it is. It’s equipped with the attitude, soundtrack, and cast – a fabulous adaptation to the graphic novel by the same name written by Daniel Clowes. Director Terry Zwigoff remarkably translates the novel into live action and chooses the right actors to do a job well done. Thora Birch is a perfect Enid as she intentionally gains a few pounds to embrace the role, not enough words to adore Steve Buscemi’s Seymour and Scarlett is a perfect Beckly, right before she metamorphoses into a sex icon.

As it soon celebrates 16 years, Ghost world became a cult movie, a generational touchstone, if you will (Daniel Clowes). Its eccentricity, quirkiness and cartoon-ish mood really touched me and I seriously can’t wait to check out the novel. Next up on my agenda.