Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

If you're prone to cry at movies, and you haven't seen Ghost, then you'd best be well equipped when you do see it, because you're gonna get creamed.

Ghost is, without a doubt in my mind, one of the greatest movies ever produced. It's upbeat enough that it will hold your interest, yet slow-paced enough that you have time to savor the really good moments. While listed as a drama movie, Ghost delivers more than a fair share of fantasy, action, mystery, suspense, and best of all, comedy!

Fantasy

Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) are the perfect couple. There's the first fantasy for ya. Sam is suddenly murdered one night, leaving Molly all alone. The catch is that Sam's ghost passed up Heaven to stay behind, for whatever reason. Perhaps because he heard his wife wailing over his dead body, "Sam, don't you leave me, Sam!"

In this new "world", everything is the same, except that nobody else can hear or see Sam. Except for other ghosts, and the viewers, thank goodness! He can move through objects, and of course he can follow anyone anywhere without them being the smarter about it. If he finds out anything interesting in the process, though (such as WHY he was murdered), he can't tell anyone because no one can hear him! Who's he gonna call, Ghostbusters?

Ghost is not necessarily a movie about religion or spirituality. It doesn't shove its beliefs down anyone's throat. It just says that this might be how it is. Ghost gives a plausible answer to the questions we all ask, no matter what our religion may be.

Action

From Sam's murder to his run-in with "the Subway Ghost" to the incredible last half hour, Ghost is no pushover in the action department. Like E.T., it reserves much of its action for the grand finale, but it's pretty decent. It's not your Saving Private Ryan kind of action, but it's not exactly Steel Magnolias either. (No offense to you Steel Magnolias fans!) It's about a 6 out of 10. You'll definitely want the "good guys" to win.

Mystery

Someone else is involved in the murder besides the one who actually committed the crime of murdering Sam Wheat. It's pretty obvious who it is from the beginning, so I don't know whether telling you this will give it away any sooner when you watch it. The thing is that even if you do figure it out, you may instinctively pretend not to know, or at least shove away that 99.5% certainty, just to feel more a part of Sam, putting yourself in his shoes until he finally does find out.

Suspense

One of Ghost's greatest strengths is in its suspense factor. Imagine for a minute, that you've just been murdered. You are hanging out around your house while your significant other is gone. The person who just murdered you comes into your house. You scream and swear at him, but to no avail. Anyway, while he's rummaging through your stuff, your significant other comes home. Neither of them will see, hear or feel anything that you try. What do you do?

Worse yet, imagine your significant other actually falling for the one who is involved with the killer. They're right there on your couch, on the verge of kissing. And all you can do is stand there and watch.

Comedy

Ghost is livened up in a large part due to its comedy. An otherwise relatively dark movie comes to life because of Oda May Brown, played brilliantly by Whoopi Goldberg. Oda May Brown is a spiritual advisor with a short fuse, who is blessed (or cursed) with an ability to commune with the deceased. Kind of like Lydia on Beetlejuice. Sam stops by in desperation one afternoon, just in time to catch Oda May faking her ability, comforting a lonely Latino lady for a pretty penny. Sam makes some smart remarks, and guess what. She hears them. It is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a movie.

So Sam's only way to communicate with his wife is through a complete stranger! But first, Sam has to convince her to help him (another funny scene), and on top of that, help her convince his wife that he's really there, by telling Oda May about things that only he and Molly would know about. The resulting scenes are both funny and touching all at once.

Ghost is the ideal way to pacify that aching need in all of us, to believe that there's more to this world than what we see. If you haven't seen this movie, all I can say is you don't know what you're missing.

I guess you might say, what you don't see can't hurt you. You'll never think it again!

As MrsNormanMaine would say...
Haunted subway trains. Reebok shoebox. Ghost-seeing cats. Whoopi Goldberg appearing in a closet. Elevator coughing. Analyzing "I love you". Double jaw punch. Heaven up close. Hell up close. "BOO" in a mirror. Ditto.

My top 10 Ghost quotes

10.) "Sometimes we need to believe."

9.) "Do you hear me? You stay away from her!"

8.) "I get a little gas from time to time. That's all. Gas."

7.) "Hey Molly! I know about the green underwear that you wrote your name in! (murmuring to Sam) I'd never get over that one, I can tell you that."

6.) "It's amazing, Molly. The love inside, you take it with you."

5.) "Please make sure this goes right up to the third floor file because I have a transfusion to make."

4.) "Now do you believe in ghosts?"

3.) "Show me how you do that! I wanna learn and I'm not leaving until you teach me."

2.) "They're gonna kill you Carl. You and Willy both. You're gonna be fertilizer. They're gonna bury you right next to Jimmy Hoffa. Heh heh heh."

1.) "Just think of it this way. You'll go to Heaven."

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8