Casper

Casper – Young Casper is lonely. No-one comes to visit his home, Whipstaff Manor. It probably doesn’t help that he is a ghost and has three mean-spirited dead uncles who haunt the place. But when it appears the dilapidated building might hide some treasure, greedy Carrigan hires paranormal therapist Dr. Harvey to deal with the problem. Dr. Harvey moves in with Kat, his teenage daughter. With evil ghostly uncles to contend with and Carrigan rapidly losing patience, who will get to the bottom of the Whipstaff Manor mystery first, and what will become of Casper.

Casper (1995) – Director: Brad Silberling

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5716375

Rating: PG

Running Length: 101 mins

Starring: Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty

Genre: Horror, Comedy

REVIEW: ‘CASPER’

Based on the Harvey Comic character of Casper the Friendly Ghost, ‘Casper’ was an immensely popular movie on release. The mix of bereavement, comic over-exaggerated baddies and (lite) growing into teenagerhood created a movie that appealed to many different age ranges. Casper doesn’t remember his life, but he knows he is lonely. So when he sees an advert for a paranormal therapist Dr. Harvey (who gives relief to the ‘living impaired’) and his 13 year old daughter, he manipulates them into coming to Whipstaff Manor to keep him company.

Whilst all singing and dancing animated fare may be the norm now, back in 1995 having fully animated characters fill the screen with their human counterparts was still new, fresh, and an astounding technological achievement. ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit!’ did it with traditional animation, but Casper was the first to have a fully CGI character in a live action movie. Paired with the Stooges-esque ‘Ghostly Trio’ of cackling ‘evil’ uncles, there is plenty of room for slapstick laughs. They lack any real character, of course. Same as how Carrigan (Moriarty) is an almost panto level of greedy (Whipstaff Manor apparently contains a treasure of some sort and she is determined to find it!), and her lacky (Eric Idle) is just….a lacky. This is a broad-strokes-by-numbers level. But they do the job of moving the plot along and adding some good gags, so does it really matter?

What Casper does well is strike the balance between comic childish appeal and lightly done tragedy. When Casper talks about his death the emotion is genuine. When 13 year old Kat longs for her dead mother the raw emotion is contained underneath, letting out just enough sadness for the tone of a children’s movie. Praise goes to a young Christina Ricci in a much deserved starring role here. Similarly, Bill Pullman is the kooky ‘dad’ that causes embarrassment but is full of love that gives such films their ‘awww’ factor.

You could say Casper is overly saccharine but there is a reason it is so fondly remembered by those who watched it at the time. It permeates warmth and fun throughout.

CONTENT: IS ‘CASPER’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

Two boys sneak into a spooky house because they are worried that otherwise they will be called “chicken” They run away screaming when startled. Later, other people approach the house which is shot from a scary angle with lightning flashes around it.

The ‘bad’ ghosts appear in the form of a whirlwind. Their faces loom, distorted, towards the camera and they have red eyes. They cackle maniacally.

A priest is sent into the house to perform an exorcism. He enters, a horrible noise is heard, and he comes out. His neck is twisted and his head is facing the wrong way. He talks to other people in a calm way and is apparently unhurt.

The three mean ghosts, (the ‘Ghostly Trio’) bully Casper, the friendly ghost. They twang him into the sky to get rid of him.

The Ghostly Trio appear behind Dr Harvey. They roar directly at the camera with red eyes and sharp teeth which causes him to pass out. They then all dive into his mouth and haunt him by making him see different (celebrity) faces in the mirror. The Clint Eastwood face says, “I’m gonna kill you, your momma, and all her bridge playing friends.” This culminates in the ‘Tales From The Crypt’ Crypt Keeper face which slaps its cheeks and screams. This is all treated as a comedy moment.

Dr Harvey opens the curtains so that light shines on the Ghostly Trio. They chorus ‘I’m melting! I’m melting!” and slowly dissolve. They form one single blob and an eye rises up out of the gloop and pops, wetly.

When talking to Dr Harvey the ghosts claim to know the ghost of his dead wife. They talk to him with all sincerity and say they can find her. The door knocks and Dr. Harvey is led to believe his wife is behind the door. The door opens with bright lighting and thick mystical smoke. But the ‘woman’ behind is quickly revealed to be one of the ghosts all dressed up and pretending. He kisses Dr. Harvey with a big smooch and the scene ends. We don’t see the direct emotional repercussions but the next scene to feature Dr. Harvey shows him wordlessly packing his things and ignoring the ghosts, clearly hurt by their deception.

Kat talks about her dead mother with Casper whilst sat on her bed. The scene is brief but sad.

Kat talks to her father about her having a date. He looks worried and says that he thinks they need to talk about….before Kat cuts him off by saying that it’s a, “…little late for that.” He asks., “how late?!” before she realises what she’s said and reassures him by saying, “Oh! Not THAT late!” However, Kat is supposed to be 13 years old so this is quite an adult and inappropriate joke.

Casper tells Kat about his death in a short but emotional speech. He says he was out sledging and didn’t go home. That it got late. Got dark. Got cold. And he got sick. Kat asks him, “What’s it like to die?” to which he responds, “It’s like being born, only backwards.”

A woman tries to kill her companion in an effort to make him into a ghost. She chases him around with an axe and then in her car. She crashes and comes to the edge of a cliff without realising. She opens the car door and plunges to her death.

The Ghostly Trio have come to enjoy the company of Dr. Harvey and so conspire to kill him so that he will become a ghost and stay with them forever. They stalk behind him with guns and a broken bottle. However, circumstances change but the end result is the same. The moment is brief but next time Kat see’s her father, who is now a ghost, she gets upset and cries. Very soon after action is taken to make matters ok.

One character is thrown through a window but we don’t see them fall.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘CASPER’ FOR KIDS?

‘Casper’ is aimed squarely at kids. Kat, as a 13 year old slightly eye-rolling teen gives those 13 and a little younger their on-screen proxy, and Casper’s childish exuberance (combined with the Ghostly Trio’s slapstick antics) appeals to a younger still age range. There are some emotive moments (detailed above) so if your child is likely to be upset by such things then parental supervision is advised. In all, we would recommend ‘Casper’ as suitable for children aged 6 and above.

• Violence: 1/5 (mostly slapstick. no injury detail or suffering)
• Emotional Distress: 3/5 (Kat misses her deceased mother. Casper talks about what death feels like and his father’s emotional distress)
• Fear Factor: 2/5 (the Ghostly Trio’s introduction may frighten younger viewers)
• Sexual Content: 1/5 (mild and unlikely to be understood by younger children)
• Bad Language: 0/5
• Dialogue 2/5 (talk of death and loss)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of bereavement, loss of a parent, single parenting, loneliness, subservience, peer pressure, bullying, popularity, greed, and unfinished business.

Words by Michael Record

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