Ghost World (2001)

An Honest and Fair Portrait

Everyone knows someone like Enid. Heck, many of us were probably once like Enid. She's one of those hipper-than-thou teenagers who are already sick and tired of the mainstream culture that is force-fed to them. The problem is that Enid thinks she knows what's really cool and what's not before she's even left high school. On the one hand, I like to root for people like Enid because they are all for individuality, but, on the other hand, seeing her self-righteous attitude makes me wish life would kick her in the ass.

And, wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what happens in Ghost World. It starts when Enid (Thora Birch) and her best friend Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) graduate from high school, neither of them planning to go to college. At first, it's the usual fun-and-games -- making jokes about ex-classmates, pointing out odd people and secretly calling them names, and bitching about the shallowness of pop culture while exploring the treasures of the underground culture. Then three things happen that will rock Enid's world: Rebecca gets a job, Enid's required summer art class begins, and Enid meets Seymour (Steve Buscemi), a lonely middle-aged record collector.

At first, there's no need to panic -- these are just new developments to deal with. Slowly but surely, however, Enid's life begins to unravel. Aspects of her life that she always thought she could count on begin to change. Her aura of teenage-attitude-fueled invincibility starts to fade away. The more she tries to assert the stance that she is mentally above the majority of the people she encounters, the more life starts to prove her wrong. Existence is no longer a series of goof-offs and short cuts, and the shadow of mature responsibility begins to rear its ugly head.

Watching Enid go through these painful times is satisfying in a "that'll learn ya" kind of way, but then we also feel bad that the adult world seems poised to crush the spirit of a true independent. And that's what makes Ghost World such a mature work. Rather than go in one of two easy directions -- have us root for Enid in her fight against simplistic adult conformity, or have us sneer as Enid finds out the hard way that the world isn't a place that would let her get away with being a brat -- director Terry Zwigoff chooses to paint a sympathetic, poignant portrait of a girl who is going through a confusing and hurtful time. She is being beaten down, but she doesn't give in easily, nor should she. The film is honest and fair, and as a result the portrayal of this teenager is real and identifiable.

The relationship between Enid and Seymour is central to the story, and the movie never comes more to life than in the scenes of their interactions. Seymour is at first an object of derision to Enid, but as she gets to know him she begins to respect him, even idolize him. Seymour is a man who has always marched to the beat of his own drum, and when Enid realizes this she finds him cool. But Seymour is also quite an unhappy and lonely man. He has a healthy attitude but he also recognizes himself as an outsider whose collection of records means less and less to him as life goes on. Part of Enid's "education" here is the lesson that teaches her that she is on her way to becoming Seymour if she continues on her rebel-without-a-cause ways.

I wasn't satisfied with some of the events toward the end of the movie, but it does wrap itself up pretty neatly. Overall, I was very satisfied with the movie itself, which was quirky, extremely funny in places, and also often heartbreaking. I sincerely hope that Enid and all the people like her do indeed find their way in the world, never losing their spirit while becoming wiser. Wisdom comes with knowing that one doesn't know everything, and, for many teenagers entering adulthood, that is a tough, tough lesson to take.

Rating: 9/10

©Jeffrey Chen, Jan. 9, 2002

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