For this review, I wanted to do something a little bit different. I just read Ghost World by Daniel Clowes, and immediately after, watched the film adaptation. I thought it would be cool if I talked about both the comic and the film, giving my thoughts on each of them, and comparing the two. I’ll start with talking about the book, and then go to my thoughts on the film. Hope you enjoy!
Comic Review
“I guess that’s the problem… I feel like I want to become a totally different person…” - Enid Coleslaw
Ghost World is a 1998 comedy-drama graphic novel written and illustrated by Daniel Clowes. The story was originally published in eight small segments that appeared in Clowes’ comic anthology series, Eightball, from the years 1993 through 1997. Each issue of Eightball usually included a series of self contained short stories, and a piece of a longer story which would eventually be published as a graphic novel. Ghost World was one of those longer stories.
The narrative follows two young women named Enid Coleslaw, and Rebecca Doppelmeyer. They both just graduated from high school, and spend their summer aimlessly wandering around town, gossiping, and observing people and objects that they see. It is clear from the start that neither of them really have any specific plans for their future, and they both just want to spend the rest of their lives together as best friends. But as the summer goes on, they find that the world may have other plans for them as they learn more about themselves.
I’ll start by saying that the world building in this book is excellent. This book gives you a brutally honest, and often hilarious look at what it feels like to grow up. The story is achingly beautiful, and resonated with me greatly. There were many moments in this book that I could seriously relate to, and that is one of the story’s great strengths. The way it depicts this transitional period is ridiculously accurate. I should know, as it’s a stage that I am currently experiencing in my own life. Clowes has really done something special here. He has depicted teenagers more honestly and accurately than any other writer that I’ve read has ever done before.
His dialogue is witty, funny, often very poignant and beautiful, all while remaining incredibly realistic. His art is charmingly quirky and different, and really fits the tone of the story. I especially loved the way he draws hair, and the green shading that is present throughout the whole book. His characters are wonderful, and they all are quirky, awkward, strange, and unique in their own way. The book really does a great job at showing that the ones who are considered normal, don’t really matter or stand out all that much. The so-called “beautiful people”, the ones who formed obnoxious cliques in high school and walked around with their noses in the air, they don’t matter. And this book does an excellent job at conveying that message. It shows that the ones who matter are the ones who refuse to be anything but themselves. They don’t conform to society, they live their lives the way they want to live them, and they let their freak flags fly. It shows that the “weirdos” are the ones who truly matter, and that being weird is beautiful. This book really touched me, because that’s a message that I live by, and it couldn’t have been portrayed better than the way it’s portrayed here.
There weren’t a ton of flaws in this book, but there were a few that I noticed. Some scenes were very rushed, especially at the end, and some scenes turned out really forgettable because of this. There were also some scene transitions that were very rough, and didn’t seem to flow very well. However, these were really the only things that I noticed that affected the reading experience for me.
I really think that this book is something that everyone going through the transition period after graduating high school should read, and it teaches some very valuable lessons about people. It really caused me to see the world differently, and I think it’ll do the same for you.
Grade: A-
Movie Review
“Are we in slow motion here? C’mon, what, are you hypnotized? Have some more kids, why don’t you!” - Seymour
Ghost World is a 2001 comedy-drama directed by Terry Zwigoff, and starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and Brad Renfro. It is based on the graphic novel of the same name. Like the book, the film follows Enid (Birch) and Rebecca (Johansson) as they navigate life after high school.
The acting in this film is exceptional, and you can really tell that all of the actors and actresses knew their characters very well. Coming from someone who has acted in the past, it’s very important to be in touch with your character, and to know what makes them tick. Everybody in the cast knows this, and because of this, they deliver some truly great performances. Thora Birch is absolutely magnificent as Enid, and Scarlett Johansson is really good as Rebecca. The way they play off of one another is fantastic. Brad Renfro is also really funny as the character of Josh. Dave Sheridan is hysterical as Doug, a nunchuck-wielding redneck, and Illeana Douglas is terrific as Roberta Allsworth, an eccentric art teacher. But the real star of the film is Steve Buscemi, who plays Seymour, a new character who was not in the book. (Actually that isn’t totally true. Elements of Seymour were in the book, but the character himself was not. Seymour is a combination of many different characters who were in the book, but not the film, such as Bob Skeetes, and the bearded man at the 50’s diner. Seymour even has moments in the movie that in the book were given to Josh.)
Seymour is my favorite character in the entire film, and Steve Buscemi is absolutely electrifying as him. He’s this dorky record-collector who obsesses over blues and ragtime music. When Enid and Becky first meet him, they play a cruel joke on him. But then whenever they meet again, Enid starts talking to him and trying to help him find a girlfriend. It’s really sweet to see Seymour and Enid talking together, despite each of their quirks and personality differences. Seymour is a super charming, and lovable character, and he is one of the reasons that I prefer this film over the comic. Although his arc at the end of the film doesn’t really have as much closure as I would have liked to see for his character.
Another one of the reasons I prefer the movie over the book is because of the pacing. Every scene just flows perfectly. There are countless moments where I was dying of laughter, and that is mainly due to the pacing of each joke, (although the deadpan delivery totally helps.) There is also some really well executed drama in this film that makes you really feel for the characters. The soundtrack is great, and so is the cinematography. The costuming and makeup are also terrific, and stylish. Things such as music, and camera movements are things that you just can’t get from a comic book. (However, there are certain songs that I listen to when reading certain comics that really add to the atmosphere.)
I really had very few issues with this movie. If I’m being picky, I would say there is one joke that was mildly cringey, and as I said before, Seymour’s character arc didn’t wrap up as neatly as I would have liked it to. But that’s it. Those are really the only true problems I have with this movie. I adored this movie, and think it more than lives up to the comic book. It’s cool to have a great movie adaptation of something, but it’s incredible when a film stays true to its source material, while also being completely original, and having the ability to stand on its own as a fantastic movie. Ghost World is one of those films in the latter category, and for that, I love this movie.
Rating: R
Grade: A
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