Ghostlight

I was invited to an industry screening, but recommend paying your way in to see this gem. It opened in June with very little buzz, but apparently is going wider now. Writer Kelly O'Sullivan directed it with her partner Alex Thompson. I missed their first film, the much lauded Saint Frances.

The Mueller family uses a community theater production of "Romeo and Juliet" as a cathartic vessel to soothe the pain of their son's suicide. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his death involve a lawsuit and a pivotal deposition. The writer skillfully withheld the shocking details until very late, as most storytelling is about secrets. Father Dan (Kieth Kupferer) is a construction worker in the Chicago area. His relationship with his wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) is worsening by the day. Their fifteen year old daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) had a fight at school, is suspended and sees a mandated therapist at $150 an hour. Dan had a fight at work with a motorist and almost had to take a mandatory leave. Waitress Rita (Dolly De Leon) saw this and, out of both pity and necessity, asked him to join her theater production, meeting nights and weekends because everyone has jobs. Dan is of course a lousy actor. But after the original Romeo quits, Rita talks him into the role opposite her Juliet. It's a much more age congruent match. They were planning to stage their sole performance in the cramped rehearsal space in the heart of town. But Sharon is a schoolteacher and persuades the powers that be to gift them the gym.

It's such a terrific feel good movie, with a fair amount of angst and bitterness swirled in. Dan, Sharon and Daisy are a family in real life. This really cemented their performances beyond what a normal cast would achieve. Kupferer has a ton of theater experience, which he employs to great effect. Dolly De Leon is fantastic as Rita. She continues to produce excellent work after her Triangle of Sadness breakthrough and Between the Temples. The physical disparity between the hulking Romeo and petite Juliet is a source of easy laughs, but that all fades once they are in character. It's always a joy to see theater and film converge, as in Vanya on 42nd Street or Birdman. A raft of rave film festival reviews are entirely accurate.

Ghostlight masterfully captures a family's journey through life with authentic performances and a compelling story, making it a must-see drama. The film can be a bit of a slow burn at times, but it is still an immensely moving character study on an ordinary dad who struggles to open up about his emotions. Each character in the film is uniquely complex and likeable. Yet, every single character still feels like someone you would know in real life. There are no Hollywood stars, extravagant sets, or lavish locations. Instead, the film is an accurate representation of real life, and so, it becomes extraordinarily relatable.

A blue collar construction worker in Chicago with a volatile temper and a dysfunctional family is asked to fill in when a tiny community theater attempts to stage Romeo and Juliet.

A touching, complicated movie about family and art and fathers and children. One of the best movies of 2024.

And, my favorite movie genre. How art is made:

'Topsy-Turvy' 'Day for Night' 'Tropic Thunder' 'Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story'

Ultimately, indeed, The play goes on.

A great local Chicago actor stars in the movie, and slowly, grudgingly, as Romeo: Keith Kupferer.

What a great face. What a great presence. Costarring his daughter.

When the play within the movie begins, the curtain opens, and these familiar words heard by audiences for 497 years are spoken:

'Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge, break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.'

A fantastic movie that I recommend you see.

Can a beautifully sung "Oh! What A Beautiful Morning" portend anything but a good dose of tragedy, heartbreak, and reconciliation? Filmmakers Sullivan and Thomas chose wisely to incorporate three character-defining songs from "Oklahoma," the aforementioned "Morning", "Out of My Dreams," and "I Can't Say No." These are seamlessly juxtaposed with a slowly revealed family tragedy, a lawsuit, and a community theater production of "Romeo and Juliet."

The family is in mourning. This family of three runs the range: the stoic mother, the pressure cooker of rage father, and the belligerant teenaged daughter. None of them can discuss the recent tragic death of a son.

A serendipitous meeting shoves father Dan into participating in a community theater production of "Romeo and Juliet." The transformative magic of theater, stepping into someone else's shoes, is the catalyst for Dan's reckoning with himself, and his family.

Slowly, and not without some good doses of humor, the story and the characters unfold. The tragedy is as horrifying as the conclusion of "Romeo and Juliet." The sure-handed direction and the keen script is brought to life by the first-rate cast of characters.

Highly recommended.

This film is pure storytelling without any pretense or formality. It beautifully captures the magic of theater, portraying the ups and downs of life while attempting to navigate its challenges. It's a humble piece of cinema, showing great respect for the medium, the audience, and the range of emotions. Despite focusing on the family's difficult situation, the movie delves deep into human emotions, establishing an intimate connection with the audience throughout. It's a remarkable example of independent cinema focused on authentic storytelling, something that's hard to come by in today's film landscape.