Comic book films have become a ubiquitous presence in our cinemas, but it wasn’t too long ago that these were a bit fewer and far between after wearing out their welcome in the in the late nineties. One of the rare examples of a good film to come out of that dark time that gave us such guilty pleasures as Spawn and Judge Dredd (1995) was Terry Zwigoff’s engrossing documentary Crumb. This candid portrait of the notorious underground cartoonist R. Crumb and his family shares more than a few themes with his follow-up Ghost World, an adaption of the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes released today on Blu-ray thanks to Criterion. Coming in at the tail end of the indie boom of the ‘90s, the film starred then “it” girl Thora Birch, who was fresh off her role in American Beauty, and a young 15-year-old unknown by the name of Scarlett Johansson.
The best way to describe Ghost World is a bittersweet coming of age story, set against a desolate suburban backdrop. The film follows two best friends and consummate outsiders Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) who graduate from high school only to be faced with just what comes next. Choosing to get an apartment together as opposed to going college, while Rebecca moves full speed ahead into the future, Enid can’t seem to let go as she struggles with finding her identity. It doesn’t help that she discovers at graduation she has to take a remedial summer art class, which makes it even harder to leave childish things behind. It’s during this transitional summer that a prank gone wrong ignites an unlikely friendship between Enid and Seymour (Steve Buscemi), a much older crotchety record collector and blues obsessive, with whom Enid becomes morbidly fascinated.
How this relationship develops, as Enid and Rebecca slowly drift apart, is the strange heart and soul of Ghost World. The film has a rare complexity that manages to perfectly capture what its like for someone who doesn’t quite fit in growing up, crafted by someone in on the joke. The funny part is when I first saw Ghost World in the theater in 2001 I was still in college, and probably identified more with Enid’s point of view. Now almost 16 years later watching the film now I definitely commiserate with Seymour on more than a few subjects. Thora Birch, who seemingly disappeared from Hollywood after her turn as Enid the apathetic narcissist who is somehow consummately likable, is simply sublime in the role. You watch Ghost World and it’s almost impossible to comprehend what happened next for the actress, especially in contrast to her fresh faced co-star.
Thanks to Johansson as Rebecca and the other inhabitants of Clowes’ “World,” we get characters that resonate and feel more like complete thoughts and less like one-dimensional throwaways. While in Ghost World, you feel like in a very Lynch way, at almost any time, the story could leave Enid and find an equally fascinating narrative with someone else. This reality is compounded thanks to Terry Zwigoff’s documentary style of the film with a camera that tends to linger a bit too much. This choice also echoes the film’s graphic novel source as the scenes play out in an almost stationary panel with characters dealing out Clowes’ razor sharp dialogue that perfectly channels the inner monologue of every outsider. Ghost World still feels as poignant and as relevant as it did when it was released thanks to the timelessness of Enid’s struggle, and thanks to Criterion hopefully even more will be able to find solace in it.
I hate to say this, but the film looks better than I have ever seen it, even on 35mm, thanks to Criterion’s newly restored 4k transfer coupled with a 5.1 DTS-HD track. The transfer here is bright and super crisp, highlighting the film’s vibrant color palette. It’s definitely leaps and bounds better than MGM’s previous DVD and gives you the opportunity to fully appreciate the little details in the film, like the amazing production design, when you freeze frame in Enid’s room or Seymour’s apartment that was furnished mostly from Zwigoff’s personal collection. There is just so much hidden in every nook and cranny that thanks to this stunning presentation fans will get to explore.
Criterion’s release is a thorough package bringing back existing extras and supplementing them with even more. The high point for me personally was the 40-minute documentary on the making of the film culled from recent interviews with Scarlett Johansson, Illeana Douglas, and Thora Birch. Given Thora’s disappearance from Hollywood, not only is it a pleasant surprise just to see her, but also to hear some of her thoughts and reflection on the role that had her on the cusp of so much more. Much like the film, it’s bittersweet as her musings are intercut with Johansson, who has since gone on to be one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood. Scarlett, who was only 14 when she got the script, reminisces fondly on her part in the film that has since become a touchstone for the young women in her life, while Birch is almost the opposite.
Ghost World also comes with a commentary by comic creator and co-writer Daniel Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff, who are joined by producer Lianne Halfon. There also deleted scenes and an extended excerpt from Gumnaam (1965), the Bollywood film that plays during the opening credits. You also get a mini Eightball comic and a booklet featuring a bit about the music of the film by Terry Zwigoff, and an essay on the film by Howard Hampton. Interspersed in the booklet is some of the artwork by Clowes, created for the film and probably the most ironic thing you could imagine given the anti corporate message of Ghost World. There are a few poster concepts included that definitely feel like whoever did them didn’t even bother to watch the film. The feel just cribbed from every other bad teen comedy that was currently in theaters at the time.
Ghost World feels less like a film and more like an album that when you hear it, manages to bring back that sweet nostalgia of what it felt like at that time in your life. For those just discovering this great film or for those long time fans, this is definitely the best way to experience it thanks to this wonderfully comprehensive special edition. It’s a film that is as awkward as it is truthful about growing up knowing you just don’t fit in and trying to figure it all out.
