"Ghost" is a 1990 American supernatural romance film directed by Jerry Zucker, written by Bruce Joel Rubin, and starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tony Goldwyn. The story follows Sam Wheat (Swayze), a banker who is murdered and becomes a ghost. He tries to save his girlfriend, Molly Jensen (Moore), from the person who killed him (Goldwyn), with the help of a psychic named Oda Mae Brown (Goldberg).

The film was released in theaters on July 13, 1990, by Paramount Pictures. It was a commercial success, earning $505 million worldwide with a budget of $22–23 million. At the time, it was the highest-grossing film of 1990 and the third-highest-grossing movie ever made. It became unexpectedly popular, outperforming many other big summer films. The movie was also very successful on home video, becoming the most rented film in the United States in 1991. Some critics had mixed opinions about the film, but they praised the music and the actors' performances.

"Ghost" received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Screenplay. It won two awards: Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg and Best Original Screenplay for Bruce Joel Rubin.

Plot

Banker Sam Wheat and his artist girlfriend Molly Jensen move into a Tribeca loft. Sam's best friend and co-worker, Carl Bruner, helps them move in. One night, the couple is attacked on the street by a thief. Although Sam seems to chase the thief away, he returns to find Molly holding his bloodied body. Sam realizes he has died. A bright light shines down on Sam, but he stays with Molly. The light disappears, and Sam becomes a ghost. He remains by Molly's side, unable to touch the physical world. Other ghosts he meets are not helpful.

Later, the thief breaks into Molly's apartment. Sam scares the thief by making Molly's cat scratch his face. While chasing the thief, Sam is attacked by a ghost on a subway train who can move objects. Sam follows the thief to his apartment and learns the man's name is Willie Lopez. Willie targeted Sam on purpose. Sam meets Oda Mae Brown, a fake psychic who claims to talk to the dead. Sam realizes she can hear him and asks her to warn Molly she is in danger. Oda Mae agrees reluctantly.

Oda Mae struggles to convince Molly the afterlife is real. However, Molly believes when Sam tells Oda Mae to say "ditto," a phrase Sam used whenever Molly said she loved him. Molly tells the police and Carl about Willie Lopez, but the police ignore her story and reveal Oda Mae's history of fraud, making Molly feel sad.

Meanwhile, Sam follows Carl and discovers Carl hired Willie to steal Sam's book of bank passwords. Carl needed the passwords to hide $4 million in drug money through an account named "Rita Miller" for his criminal bosses. Carl breaks into Molly's apartment, steals the book, and tries to seduce Molly. Sam accidentally knocks over a picture frame, angering him. Sam returns to the subway and convinces the ghost to teach him how to focus his emotions and interact with the physical world.

Sam visits Oda Mae, who now helps many ghosts contact the living. He convinces her to pretend to be Rita Miller to withdraw the drug money. Oda Mae donates the money to charity. Molly sees the transaction at the bank. Carl panics when the money is missing, and Sam uses his powers to torment him. Carl visits Molly and accidentally reveals Oda Mae withdrew the money. While Molly is upstairs, Sam attacks Carl until Carl threatens to kill Molly if the money is not returned that night.

Carl and Willie go to confront Oda Mae, but Sam warns her to hide. Sam scares Willie, causing him to run into the street and be hit by a car. Shadowy figures drag Willie's ghost away.

Oda Mae and Sam return to Molly's apartment. Sam levitates a penny to prove he is real. After Molly calls the police, Oda Mae lets Sam possess her so he can dance with Molly. The possession weakens Sam, and he cannot help when Carl breaks into the apartment. Carl takes Oda Mae and Molly hostage and demands the money. Sam recovers in time to attack Carl. In a panic, Carl swings a metal hook toward Sam and tries to escape through a window. The hook hits the window, shattering it and killing Carl. Shadowy figures drag Carl's ghost away.

As Sam checks on Molly and Oda Mae, the bright light returns, allowing them to see and hear him. Sam thanks Oda Mae for her help and kisses Molly, telling her he loves her. Molly replies, "Ditto," and Sam walks into the light.

Cast

• Patrick Swayze as Sam Wheat, a banker who is murdered and, as a ghost, tries to warn Molly about a danger that is coming.
• Demi Moore as Molly Jensen, Sam's girlfriend, and an artist, who feels very sad after his death.
• Whoopi Goldberg as Oda Mae Brown, a medium who at first cannot talk to the dead but can hear Sam and agrees to help him save Molly.
• Tony Goldwyn as Carl Bruner, a dishonest banker who seems to be Sam's friend but is actually responsible for his death.
• Rick Aviles as Willie Lopez, Carl's helper.
• Vincent Schiavelli as Subway Ghost.
• Armelia McQueen as Oda Mae's Sister, Clara Brown.
• Gail Boggs as Oda Mae's Sister, Louise Brown.
• Phil Leeds as Emergency Room Ghost.
• Augie Blunt as Orlando.
• Stephen Root as Police Sergeant.
• Bruce Jarchow as Lyle Ferguson.

Production

Ghost was the first movie Jerry Zucker directed alone, and also his first serious film. Before this, he worked with his brothers, Jerry and Jim, on movies that made fun of other films. Zucker said he chose to direct Ghost because he wanted to make a good movie, not to move away from comedy or start a new career. The film was first offered to Frank Oz and Miloš Forman, but both left the project. Frank Oz left because the budget did not match his vision, and Miloš Forman was not chosen by the studio, Paramount, after disagreements with the writer, Bruce Joel Rubin. When Rubin learned Zucker would direct the film and wanted to change his script, he worried Zucker might make it a comedy. However, after meeting Zucker and seeing how thoughtful he was, Rubin felt more confident.

Many actors were considered for the role of Sam Wheat, including Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Paul Hogan, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Kline, Alec Baldwin, and Tom Cruise. Bruce Willis turned down the role because he did not understand the script and later said he regretted his decision. Michael J. Fox also thought the film would not work and later wished he had taken the part. Zucker did not want Patrick Swayze for the role at first, but Rubin convinced him to audition after seeing Swayze speak about his late father in an interview. After Swayze auditioned, Zucker changed his mind. For the role of Molly Jensen, Michelle Pfeiffer, Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and Nicole Kidman were considered. Demi Moore was chosen because she was the preferred choice of Zucker and Rubin. For the role of Oda Mae Brown, Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, and Oprah Winfrey were either considered or auditioned. Zucker and Rubin were not interested in casting Whoopi Goldberg at first, but Swayze supported her for the role.

Zucker said that ideas from radio host Dennis Prager helped him add a moral message to the script. Rubin explained that he wanted to tell a ghost story from the ghost’s perspective. He said he got the idea after watching a play of Hamlet, where a ghost asks for revenge. He thought, "What if this story happened in the 20th century?"

Filming for Ghost began in July 1989. Many scenes were shot at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. The interior of Sam and Molly’s loft was built as a copy of artist Michele Oka Doner’s home, using plans she provided. She did not allow filming in her actual loft, so it was recreated in a nearby unused space in her neighborhood. The loft had details like radiators around columns, open stairs, and a house-shaped refrigerator enclosure. Other scenes were filmed at 102 Prince Street in Lower Manhattan. Exterior scenes were shot in New York City, especially in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Soho, and Wall Street, for about five weeks. The film used about 100 special effects. Demi Moore’s famous short haircut, called the "boy cut," was designed by a hair stylist named John Sahag. A magazine called her the only woman since Audrey Hepburn who could pull off that style and still look feminine.

The final scene used digital video effects. Originally, the plan was to show Patrick Swayze kissing Demi Moore and walking toward a blue screen. However, the special effects team used a system called "Harry" to combine different shots, including ones taken on an animation stand and with a special camera.

The music for Ghost was written by French composer Maurice Jarre. His work was nominated for an Academy Award in 1990, though it did not win. The film also includes the song "Unchained Melody," which was written in 1955. The song appears in both instrumental and vocal forms in the movie. The vocal version was recorded by Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers in 1965.

The soundtrack was released worldwide by Milan Records but sold in North America by Varèse Sarabande. It was reissued with two extra tracks in 1995 and later included in a special edition with an interview with Maurice Jarre. Music websites gave the soundtrack three out of five stars.

Release

The movie Ghost was originally planned to be released on July 27, 1990, but its release was moved up two weeks to July 13, 1990. The film became an unexpected box-office success, making $505.7 million in total sales with a budget of $22–$23 million. It debuted at number 2 behind Die Hard 2 during its first weekend, but then reached the top of the box office during its second weekend. For two months, the film regularly held the number 1 and number 2 spots at the box office and remained in the top five until November 1990.

It was the highest-grossing film of 1990. Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 51.46 million tickets in the United States. In the UK, the film spent eight consecutive weeks at number one at the box office and became the highest-grossing film of all time in the UK, surpassing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with a total gross of £23.3 million. This record lasted for three years until Jurassic Park surpassed it in 1993. The film also spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the Australian box office. At the time, it was the highest-grossing film in Indonesia with a total of $3.6 million and the highest-grossing foreign film in the Philippines.

Demi Moore, who starred in Ghost, and Bruce Willis, who starred in Die Hard 2, were married at the time. Their films each reached the number 1 and number 2 spots at the box office, a feat that was not repeated for married couples until Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends with Us in 2024.

The film was released on VHS and LaserDisc in the United States on March 21, 1991. It sold a record 646,000 VHS rentals, breaking the record previously held by Die Hard 2, and 66,040 LaserDiscs. It was the top video rental of 1991 in the United States and earned $40 million for Paramount. When the video was sold in the fall, it generated an additional $25 million in sales.

The film was released on DVD in 2001, Blu-ray in 2008, and Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2024.

Reception

Most of the reviews for Ghost were mixed. Critics did not strongly praise the film, but it was the top movie in the United States in 1990 and became one of the most financially successful films ever made.

When Ghost was first released, critics had different opinions about it. According to the review website Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 78 professional reviews were positive, with an average score of 6.9 out of 10. The site’s summary stated that Ghost combines a heartfelt romance with comedy, horror, and mystery, making it a memorable film from its time. Another review site, Metacritic, gave Ghost a score of 52 out of 100 based on 17 critics, which means the reviews were mixed or average. Audience members who saw the film in theaters gave it an "A" grade, the highest possible score on a scale from "A+" to "F."

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Ghost two-and-a-half stars out of four. He said the film was not much worse than other ghost movies, but he criticized some parts, such as the forced action scene, a scene with demons from hell, and the slow development of the character Molly. He also noted that a scene where the ghost of Sam touches Molly was not shown logically, which he believed could have been more meaningful.

David Ansen of Newsweek thought the ending was too emotional but praised the film for being lively and creative, even though it borrowed ideas from other movies. Variety magazine described Ghost as a strange film that sometimes felt too serious and other times had fun, quirky moments. Whoopi Goldberg, who played a key character, received praise from critics. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said Goldberg portrayed her character’s emotions and personality very well, and that this role was a good match for her talents. Even critics who disliked the film often praised Goldberg’s performance.

In 2002, Ghost was ranked #19 on AFI’s list of the 100 most passionate films of all time.

Legacy

The pottery wheel scene from the movie became very famous and is often called "one of the most iconic moments of '90s cinema." It has also been mimicked in other movies and shows, such as The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (produced by Jerry Zucker and directed by his brother David Zucker), the British animated film Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death, and the TV series Two and a Half Men.

The movie inspired a musical stage version called Ghost: The Musical. The show first opened in Manchester, UK, in March 2011. It later moved to London, where it premiered on July 19, 2011. In November 2010, Paramount and Shochiku released a Japanese remake of Ghost, titled Ghost: In Your Arms Again (Gōsuto Mouichido Dakishimetai). This version stars Nanako Matsushima, South Korean actor Song Seung-heon, and actress Kirin Kiki. In this film, the ghost is a woman played by Matsushima.

On January 17, 2023, Vanity Fair reported that Channing Tatum and his company, Free Association, bought the rights to the movie from Paramount. Tatum announced plans to produce and star in a new version of the film, with him playing the role originally performed by Patrick Swayze.

The 2023 BET+ original film The Reading includes a tribute to the movie. It honors the story by naming a minor character "Oda M. Brown."