Ghost (1990)
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The story
After being murdered by a criminal, banker Sam Wheat remains as a ghost, unable to interact with the physical world. He remains by the side of his girlfriend, Molly, who is unaware of his presence. To protect her from the man who killed him, Sam seeks out Oda Mae Brown, a psychic medium who can hear him. Together, they attempt to communicate his warnings to Molly while Sam struggles to overcome his limitations as a spirit to uncover the truth behind his death and ensure her safety.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Banker Sam Wheat and his girlfriend Molly Jensen move into a loft where Sam is murdered by a mugger named Willie Lopez, who was hired by Sam's 'friend' Carl Bruner to steal bank passwords. As a ghost, Sam remains with Molly and eventually discovers that Oda Mae Brown, a psychic, can hear him. He enlists her help to warn Molly of the danger. While Carl attempts to manipulate Molly and steal the passwords, Sam works to communicate with her, eventually learning to interact with the physical world. He manages to get Oda Mae to pose as a business contact to move money, and later, he uses his abilities to torment Carl. After a confrontation where Carl is killed by a falling piece of glass, Sam and Oda Mae manage to get Molly to see him. In the final moments, after a brief possession of Oda Mae allows him to dance with Molly, Sam is finally able to move on to the afterlife.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jerry Zucker
- Writers
- Bruce Joel Rubin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Patrick Swayze · Sam Wheat; Demi Moore · Molly Jensen; Whoopi Goldberg · Oda Mae Brown; Tony Goldwyn · Carl Bruner; Rick Aviles · Willie Lopez; Sharon Breslau Cornell · Cemetery Ghost; Vincent Schiavelli · Subway Ghost; Armelia McQueen · Oda Mae's Sister, Clara Brown
- Genres
- supernatural romance; fantasy drama; romance; mystery
- Tone and mood
- romantic; supernatural; somber; wacky
- Premise and plot tags
- ghost; romance; mystery; supernatural
- Reception
- The film was a sleeper hit that received mixed reviews from critics but was praised for its score and performances, particularly by Whoopi Goldberg.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 52 · scale: 100 · review count: 17; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was the highest-grossing film of 1990.; The film was the most rented film of 1991 in the United States.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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