Ghost Town makes for one hell of a movie smoothie
by Doug Wagner, Arts & Entertainment Co-Editor

Back in 1990, a movie was released that made some people believe that love can triumph even after death: “Ghost.” Then, in 1999, we witnessed a unique cinematic experience with the little boy who could “see dead people,” the M. Night Shyamalan hit, “The Sixth Sense.” Now many of you probably thought that putting those two movies in a blender and having a delicious movie smoothie afterward couldn’t happen, but guess again. The new romantic comedy “Ghost Town,” starring Greg Kinner, Ricky Gervais, and Téa Leoni, is a definite must-see for anyone.
Frank (Kinnear) was one of the biggest womanizers a person could find. He was a stereotypical man who ordered for his company and laid down the law when need be, or at least that was how he worked before he was run over by a city bus. This tragic, yet seemingly deserved, act leaves him as a ghost with unfinished business. Dr. Bertram Pincus (Gervais) is a dentist who has a very interesting characteristic, especially for his chosen profession: he hates people. The man has no desire to interact with individuals on any basis whatsoever and in general seeks out whatever possible silence he can find. One day, during a very routine colonoscopy, something very shocking happens: he dies for seven minutes and then comes back to life. This life-changing experience leaves him with the ability to see the ghosts that walk the already crowded streets of New York City. This ability is a blessing for those who have unfinished business and a curse for Dr. Pincus. Frank sees this as only one thing, an opportunity to keep his wife (Leoni) safe from a man who he thinks will only take advantage of her. So he charges Pincus with the task of getting the wedding called off, and promises that if he succeeds, he can get the rest of the deceased community to leave him alone. The remainder of the movie follows Pincus as he attempts to get over his inability to communicate with people and win over this woman. But the last thing he expected was to fall in love. So, Pincus must decide what this whole business of being a rude person is really going to get him.
The best thing about this movie is the amount of dry humor that is intertwined with the plot and dialogue. However, be careful and pay close attention to what is being said because chances are, if you don’t listen, you wont be able to truly catch the hilarity of these situations. The other great thing about this film is that it shies away from the stereotypical romantic plot devices (see “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”) and makes something that you can truly understand with a genuine human connection.
The film’s plot is solid, offering a great deal of character development. It manages to hook you with the many subtleties that may not be realized if you just watch it once. The movie really succeeds in the dialogue department, with witty humor that is sure to haunt your thoughts even days after seeing the movie. My final assessment is going to be 8.5 out of 10 stars, a definite success for the new director and longtime screenwriter David Koepp.