Review - Ghost Town

Studio/Production Company: DreamWorks Pictures
Director: David Koepp
Release Date: September 19, 2008 (theatrical), December 23, 2008 (DVD)
Genre: Comedy
Strong Points: Strong performances by the cast, led by the talented Ricky Gervais; smart script is met with smart directing; characters are strongly written and developed.
Weak Points: Laughs start slowly, but build throughout the film.
Technical Score: B
Artistic Score: B+
Final Score (not an average): B+
Content Rating: PG-13
Moral Warnings: Mild sexual dialogue, including one scene with descriptive mention of a mummified reproductive organ; 3 F-words; mild cursing; several mentions of a ghost character being disloyal to his wife while alive.


Ghost Town is based around a concept that would uniformly be found in a horror film - a man is able to see and talk to dead people. Indeed, it's very (or exactly) reminiscent of the concept in M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense. And while Ghost Town easily could have made jokes with spoofs of films like The Sixth Sense, it surprisingly doesn't.

Director David Koepp decides to take it in another direction. There is nothing comically scary about his dead characters. We do not see them as transparent beings. The only thing that visually separates them visually from the living characters around them is their ability to walk through walls. And, for some reason, every time a living person walks through a dead one, the living sneezes. Ultimately, it adds feeling and real character to these "ghosts," and it allows the film to stand on its own two legs without making fun of popular horror films. Those expecting spoofs will not find them here. And that's in no way disappointing.

According to the post-life mythology presented in Ghost Town, if those that die still had important unfinished business on earth at the time of death, their trip to the afterlife is put on hold. Instead, they are left to roam the world until they are able to right their wrongs, impart their message, or complete whatever task they were in the process of at the time of death. Unfortunately, as they are unable to interact with the living in any way, their options are somewhat limited. It is not surprising, then, that when a certain dentist by the name of Bertram Pincus (played by Gervais) comes back from the dead with the ability to speak with both the living and expired, it causes quite a commotion.

Pincus, however, is a narcissist, and borders on being a hermit; he loves himself and wants nothing to do with anyone else. When the dead begin to pester him, he is far from pleased, and in no way interested in aiding them get to the afterlife. But on the promise that they'll all leave him alone, he decides to help out one ghost (Greg Kinnear) who believes that his last task on earth is to prevent his widow (Tea Leoni) from marrying a bad man. Pincus becomes infatuated with the widow, and intends to present himself as an alternative. Thus a romantic comedy is born.

Ghost Town could have been carried on the shoulders of Ricky Gervais' talent, but it's not. That isn't to say that Gervais isn't perfect for his role. His comedic timing is great throughout the film, and he even manages to bring out some serious acting in moments that require a fair display of emotion. But he is well aided by the supporting cast, all of whom fit just as well in their roles as Gervais does in his. Tea Leoni is particularly worthy of note as she brings surprising depth to her character. Granted, she doesn't give an Oscar-worthy performance, but the film doesn't call for one. She acts in a way that she is able to breathe life and freshness into a role that is typically devoid of such.

In addition to strong performances from the cast, the elements that set Ghost Town above the others in its genre is the combination of a smart script and smart directing. The dialogue is quick-witted and intelligent, the characters generally (though not always) shy away from cliches, and the development of both character and story feels natural. The laughing doesn't start right off the bat, and when first watching it I began to get worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but once the laughs do arrive they are never far off. From there on out, Koepp keeps a firm pace that balances between laughs and plot.

In terms of moral content, Ghost Town is rated PG-13, but it doesn't push the rating to the max. I was surprised to count three F-words (one I only noticed because I was watching with the subtitles on), but that's the only instance where the content seemed a bit much. There is some casual swearing here and there, as well as some sexual references. The ghost Pincus chooses to help was disloyal in life, and this serves as a small part of the plot. Beyond this is the aspect of the afterlife being represented in a way not matching common Christian thought, but this is obviously for comedic and plot purposes.

Overall, Ghost Town is easily one of the better comedies of 2008. Strong performances by the cast, met by a well-written script and smart directing by David Koepp, set it above the norm of its genre. With a fresh and heartwarming story, Ghost Town should definitely be considered if one is in the hunt for a good romantic comedy.

-Zachary Mellgren (zak@revolve21.com)