Number 13 — CASPER
For the month of October, we’re counting down the best horror movies of 1995! Check back every day for a new entry in the list.
Nostalgia is a curious thing. Sometimes you revisit something you loved as a kid—a movie, TV show, or music video—and it still holds up. Other times, you realize it’s a product of its era, enjoyable for what it was, but less impactful now. You may find yourself wondering what they were thinking back then.
CASPER (1995) is somewhere in the middle-good nostalgia, but not a classic that everyone will enjoy now. When it arrived in theaters as a kid, it was impressive to see on screen CGI ghosts interacting with real actors. Casper himself was funny and relatable; he’s not scary, he’s a friendly ghost just like the old cartoon. The film has a little bit of a WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? (1988) vibe, which also had some mature themes. It’s probably not a coincidence that Steven Spielberg helped produce both films, and both films share the same cinematographer, Dean Cundey.
Despite some great filmmakers behind the camera, cast, and special effects, CASPER (1995) is a little all over the place. You must really overlook the wild plot. Supposedly, there is treasure in the home of Casper, sought by the film’s annoying villains, and Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman) drags his teenage daughter, Kat (Christina Ricci), around the country as a “paranormal therapist” who is then hired to help get rid of Casper and his horrible uncles, the Ghostly Trio. Looking back, it doesn’t really make any sense, and Dr. Harvey’s character is an irresponsible father. Aside from moving his daughter to supposedly nine different schools in two years, his character allows a school dance at this haunted house for some reason, which is hilarious. There are also some random cameos, including one from Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, and Dan Aykroyd’s character, Ray Stantz, from the Ghostbusters films. The tone of the movie goes from goofy, scary, to overtly dramatic. Is Casper trying to get a friend or falling in love with Kat? It’s a little confusing. However, the central theme is about dying and why ghosts exist. That is the best part of this film.
Even though the film has its flaws, the reason it is still very watchable is that the characters deal with death realistically and the problems we have with letting go of loved ones, moving on, and dealing with our own mortality. Very mature themes for a family film based on a cartoon ghost. Credit the central actors Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci, who give great performances playing a father and daughter trying to deal with the loss of their beloved wife and mother. The subject of paranormal can be laughed at, but what if we could find a way to talk to our loved ones? How far would you go to find that answer? Are ghosts really spirits that have unfinished business? Those are questions that many can relate whether you are an adult or a child, because we all deal with loss.
The filmmakers also made Casper very empathetic with the backstory that he tragically died as a child and can’t initially remember his previous life. He must make a difficult sacrifice in the film and come to terms with who is now a ghost. That is a lot of great character development for a CGI character. Whether you are a ghost, teenager, or a widower, loneliness is a real emotion that many individuals can resonate with, and the characters’ journeys demonstrate there is hope and they are not alone.
There is one aspect of the film that is not talked about enough. When I first saw this film at 10 years old and I remembered it so well, and that is the musical score. Every dramatic and melancholy scene is accompanied by a phenomenal score by the late, great Academy Award-winning film composer James Horner. The piano musical cues are so memorable that they elevate every scene. He has done it before for other great animated family films like AN AMERICAN TAIL (1986) and THE LAND BEFORE TIME (1998). He may be most known for the score for TITANIC (1997) and many other more noteworthy films, but this is one of his most underrated scores, and it’s a shame he was gone too soon.
I hope CASPER (1995) continues to be seen by new generations. It was recently re-released in theaters for its 30th anniversary, and a staple on Netflix as well, so hopefully it will. It may not be for everyone, but I believe it will always resonate with young viewers because its overall message of dealing with death at a young age is an important one, even though it's shared in a story that is a little clunky. As for older generations who first saw it in theaters and later repeatedly watched it on VHS, it still resonates because, as we get older, we still must learn to deal with death, and Casper is a “friendly” reminder that we eventually must let go, and that’s okay.
