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After graduating from high school, best friends and misanthropic social outcasts Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) have no plans for their future beyond finding jobs and living together. Refusing to follow the crowd, college is not on the cards for Enid or Rebecca, who struggle to define themselves and despise everything popular. While Rebecca gets a job working at a coffee house, Enid finds it challenging to let go of the comfort of adolescence, floating aimlessly through life as she spends most of her time at a remedial art class that she must pass to obtain her high school diploma. Enid cannot hold a job for long and begins a semi-romantic relationship with a timid jazz fan named Seymour (Steve Buscemi), who is much older than her and cannot connect with other people. Enid is fascinated and intrigued by the lonely Seymour, and she tries to help him find love to fill the void in his life. However, Enid and Rebecca's different priorities and diverging lives begin to take a toll on their friendship, while Seymour finding a girlfriend threatens to drive him away from Enid.
Ghost World is not a heavily plot-driven movie, and Zwigoff maintains an unhurried pace as he observes Enid refusing to find a purpose in life and listlessly meandering while Rebecca successfully adapts to adult life. The narrative's distinct rhythm, which does not exactly conform to a regular three-act structure, reflects the vagueness of adult life after high school, with Enid defiantly remaining in her rut while things change and progress around her. In many ways, the film is about the challenges of teenagers finding their own post-adolescent identity; Enid and Rebecca define themselves by mocking people who conform to society's expectations but are in danger of becoming the same type of people they are ridiculing. With a focus on themes and mood instead of plot, Ghost World is mainly about the oddball characters and their witty interactions, and the picture soars in this respect. As expected from the director behind 2003's Bad Santa, laughs are frequent throughout Ghost World, from uproarious non-sequiturs (including a heated confrontation between a store owner and a shirtless patron) to cutting, sarcastic one-liners. The dialogue is also insightful, exploring loneliness and geekiness, and the film gleefully satirises the pretentiousness associated with the art world.
The characters inhabiting Ghost World are not easy to categorise and do not conform to recognisable character types. Additionally, the characters miraculously feel like three-dimensional people instead of caricatures, with the screenplay allowing ample breathing room for dramatic scenes and character development. Credit also goes to the actors, who brilliantly bring these people to life. Birch and Johansson are an ideal leading pair, with both young actresses nailing their characters' cynical and misanthropic dispositions while coming across as authentic instead of caricaturish. With Birch emerging as the film's protagonist, she has the most to work with, and she portrays Enid's various characteristics and quirks without missing a beat. In addition to her pronounced quirkiness and bitter sarcasm, there is an underlying sense of melancholy, with the film's events taking an emotional toll on Enid. Meanwhile, Buscemi makes for a pitch-perfect Seymour. Buscemi is a superb character actor, and this might be his finest performance to date. Modelling his character's appearance and interests after director Zwigoff, Buscemi wholly immerses himself into the role with distinct mannerisms, line deliveries and body language. Withdrawn, awkward, and painfully shy, it's a transformative performance and the furthest thing from a traditional romantic lead. According to Zwigoff, Buscemi found playing the character of Seymour so uncomfortable that he immediately changed his clothes after filming wrapped each day.
From a technical perspective, Ghost World is comparatively basic, with unspectacular cinematography and little in the way of visual flourishes. Indeed, Zwigoff mostly lets the actors and the sharp dialogue speak for themselves, and the picture's somewhat drab appearance, which is deliberately reminiscent of the comic book, may not appeal to film-goers accustomed to slick, vibrant digital photography. Your mileage may vary. However, the picture excels in the brilliantly intuitive editing and the soundtrack, with oddball old jazz records almost omnipresent whenever characters spend time in Seymour's home. There is melancholic original music courtesy of composer David Kitay, but the soundtrack is primarily diegetic, comprising of vintage, atmospheric blues tracks.
With its laid-back pacing and unconventional characters, Ghost World is not for all tastes, and it makes for a refreshing change from other, more formulaic teen movies. Not everything works, and it is easier to appreciate than outright love, but this overlooked gem nevertheless deserves your attention, especially if you enjoy thoughtful character-based movies with sharp and insightful dialogue.
7.9/10
