Synopsis: They’re high school graduates – and the world’s got hell to pay! Hot new talents Thora Birch (American Beauty) and Scarlett Johansson (The Horse Whisperer) “sneak into your heart and stay there” (Rolling Stone) in this “uproariously funny” (Premiere) comedy from the acclaimed director of Crumb. With Brad Renfro (Deuces Wild), Illeana Douglas (Stir of Echoes) and Steve Buscemi (Fargo) in “the best role of his career” (Movieline), this “whip-smart comedy” is “a surprise gem” (People)!

When their classmates head for college, Enid (Birch) and Rebecca (Johansson) focus their energies on tormenting those around them! From a goofy convenience store clerk (Renfro) to an eccentric art teacher (Douglas), these two saboteurs wreak havoc on all those who cross their paths. But when they zero in on an oddball loner (Buscemi) looking for Miss Right, their seemingly innocent meddling threatens to shatter one of their hearts… not to mention their lifelong friendship!
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Ghost World 8.0

‘Ghost World’ is the story of two girls who are floating through life, post-high school/pre-adulthood. They hang out together, meet up with various acquaintances (and other oddball characters), and essentially try to find their way in a world they’d much rather shun. Despite years of friendship and good intentions, however, they are slowly growing apart; things are changing and they will never be the same again.

Based on the cult graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, the film version features the perfect cast in the form of Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi. There are others, to be sure, and all are brilliantly chosen for their respective roles, but this trio is the anchor of the story, which is about an encounter between the two girls and Buscemi’s geeky record collector – a character so desperate and genuinely ill-fitting as to elicit a few globs of sympathy.

It should be noted that this focus is particular to the film. Whereas the book is a series of vignettes that encapsulate the essence of the two girls’ friendship, the film focuses primarily on the slow disintegration of their relationship and of the Thora Birch character’s fascination with Buscemi’s Seymour – a character who doesn’t even exist in the original graphic novel. It may have been a shock to some fans of the book, but the adaptation is so masterfully done (by the original author, no less!) that the film feels more like a companion piece than a mutation. In fact, both stand on their own and complement each other surprisingly well.

‘Ghost World’ is cynical, funny and engaging – despite the main characters’ general sense of detachment. It is also angsty and devoid of real answers or of a clear sense of resolution. But this is exactly what makes it so breathtakingly poignant: it echoes the reality of many teenagers and adults, adrift in a world that doesn’t suit them, as they try their best to find the one untrodden road which will lead them to happiness.