Rating: 
Summary: a thought-provoking film
Review: A fascinating look into the life of two disenchanted, cynical teens. This movie is not for everyone. Those who didn't like the movie seemed to be unable to identify with the characters/subject matter.Everything seems to work for the film. There is not a single contrived moment in the film. Instead we have a very natural and realistic story that could very well take place in reality.
Those who complained about the tedium, the uneventfulness of the film seem to expect a film to *do* something for them, whether that is accomplished by spectacular special effects, a fast-paced eventful storyline, etc.. In that case there are so many other movies that will fit your bill there. There was much going on in the film that was subtle yet quite powerful and beautiful at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: A hilarious, yet touching comedy
Review: Probably the best praise I can offer for "Ghost World," directed by Terry Zwigoff, is that the film had me laughing heartily from the start nearly to the end. Yes, it's a great comedy. But it's also a surprisingly melancholy and touching character study that is graced with superb performances by an excellent cast. "Ghost World" tells the story of Enid (played by Thora Birch) and her best friend Rebecca (Scarlett Johannson), recent high school grads who are struggling through this transitional phase in their lives. Early in the film the girls, who scorn much of "mainstream" society, play a cruel joke on an eccentric loner named Seymour (Steve Buscemi). But what begins as a joke leads into a quirky, engaging relationship between Seymour and Enid. The main story is well complemented by some equally quirky subplots, all of which blend together to form an effective larger story. "Ghost World" is filled with witty, funny, irony-laden dialogue. And these great words are delivered with flair by the wonderful cast. Birch really shines as an offbeat leading lady; her performance has bite, but she's also appealing and vulnerable. Johannson complements her well as pal Rebecca, and Ileana Douglas is a lot of fun as Enid's politically conscious summer school art teacher. And I can't say enough good things about Steve Buscemi as Seymour. He takes what could have been a stereotypical antisocial loser and instead brings real depth and humanity to the character. The great script and performances are well enhanced by thoughtful, inventive production details; "Ghost World" is almost as much fun to look at as it is to listen to. This is a really outstanding film that effectively deals with such universal issues as alienation, nonconformity, friendship, and the transition to young adulthood.
Rating:
Summary: Full of angst, insight and dark humor. A must-see!
Review: Ghost World , a dark comedy about teen angst, serves as an antidote to all those mindless Hollywood teen comedies and/or dramas that sprout up in multiplexes like summer weeds. Be forewarned that this antidote is far stronger than many viewers can tolerate. Consider the tag line that appeared on its theatrical posters: "Accentuate the Negative" Movies about the alienation that some teenagers feel can be traced back fifty years to the James Dean classic, Rebel Without a Cause. Prior to this film, pathologically unhappy kids were always depicted as residents of slums and orphanages. Suddenly, here was a movie that showed kids growing up lost and miserable in a middle-class environment. The idea that the American Dream had a dark side was controversial then. It still is. In Ghost World, Enid and Rebecca [brilliantly played by Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson] are best friends who are just graduating from high school. They're of the super cool, intelligent group that sees beyond the hype and myths of our consumer driven society. As the movie plainly shows, those who see the world too clearly can end up even more clueless than those who see it through a mental fog can. It points out that belief in false values can be more comforting than belief in no values at all. This, of course, presents one of the great conundrums of life in suburbia. Enid and Rebecca's plans for the summer include getting an apartment together. Rebecca is the more realistic of the two. She gets a job and goes about looking for a place for them to live. Enid is paralyzed from seeing little of meaning in her life. Her assessment of the world around her is accurate, but her attitude starts to cause a rift in her relationship with Rebecca. The girls alleviate their boredom by play mind games with people. When they read a pathetic personal ad in the newspaper, they decide to contact the nerdy-sounding guy who placed it. This turns out to be Seymour [Steve Buscemi], who collects old 78 rpm records, hasn't had a date in years, has forgotten how to carry on a normal [meaning banal] conversation, and has made a lifestyle out of alienation. Enid has found her soul mate, but can two such searching souls ever truly bond with another person? Director Zwigoff, who in real life is not unacquainted with alienation, has made an ingeniously original movie. The subject matter may be dark, but it is never brooding. Humor abounds in nearly every scene, although much of it is the kind that some people don't understand or don't appreciate. Too dry, too scathing, etc. Ghost World is based on a famous underground comic book 'novel', which may be why the world it shows often seems to be coming from some alternate reality. The place the girls live in exists in its own time and space. Everything's just a little too bright, a little too strange, a little too off center. I liked this odd point of view. It made the black humor more palatable. This city wasn't like the one I live in. Or was it? I couldn't really solve my problems the way Enid did at the end. Or could I? Is her world science fiction, or is the real fiction the world we have created? Some people will always dismiss the problems that cause teenagers who have been given 'everything' to see their lives as lacking in meaning. Ghost World doesn't provide answers or solutions. It does do its quirky best to show us that there are valid reasons why some people see life's illusions too clearly, both in the movie's world and in the real one. It also says that such people are not necessarily as weak as they appear. They can and do go on to lead useful, productive lives. But first they must find their way out of the mess they were born into.
Rating:
Summary: Smart and funny.
Review: I went to see this movie with my girlfriend, and I thought it was really good, so I had to go to the video store and see it again. Plus, with the DVD, you get all the extra stuff. I go to the store, and they have a mere two copies of this movie, and yet "Zoolander" takes up half the wall. What's wrong with this picture? This is probably one of the best movies I've seen in a while. It's about this girl (Thora Birch) who has just gotten out of high school, and she's basically trying to figure out what to do with her life. She befriends this reclusive weird guy (Steve Buschemi, great actor), and tries to help him improve his social life. But, through doing this, she realizes that she has no life of her own, and must come to terms with how lonely she really is. Her parents don't understand her, her friends no longer have time for her, and plus she has to take this weird art class, where the teacher just makes fun of everything she does. The movie gets a little dreary toward the end, but it never loses your attention. You really care about the characters, and you never really know what'll happen next. My only complaint is that Scarlet Johansen wasn't in it more. She and Thora are really funny together ("Let's follow that guy, and see where he goes"), and plus she's a babe. She kind of disappears after the first 20 minutes or so. Oh, well. This movie probably isn't for everybody, but if you feel like you're going to jump out a window the next time another "American Pie" movie comes out, this is definitely for you.
Rating:
Summary: Best movie of the year!!!
Review: I knew I I've seen Thora Birch before.......she carried "American Beauty"! Lets not forget Illeana Douglas from Robert Redford's "Horse Whisper" either. This movie is as good......it will be in my collection!!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant film, DVD could do with some work
Review: I never saw this film when it was first released, but I bought the graphic novel at the time(both excellent in their own different ways) to be ready for when the DVD came out. Now, the film may be based on the graphic novel(BIG Clowes fan), but they are pretty much two separate pieces of work. While the film focuses heavily on Enid and Seymour, the graphic novel does feature the 50's diner scene where they set up Seymour, but that's his only appearance. Instead, it is rather more about Enid and Rebecca. There are a number of key scenes in the film though, just not in order that they were placed in the book(the one scene I really would've liked to have seen in the film, is Dan Clowes book signing) The performances given in this film are top-notch. Thora Birch is amazing. She looks like she stepped right out of the graphic novel, they are so alike in appearance. Steve Buscemi gives off what must be the finest role he has done yet. Brad Renfro is great as the unfortunate target of Enid and Rebecca, Josh, and Scarlett Johansson is superb as Enid's best friend, Rebecca. When it comes to DVD extras, unfortunately, this disc lacks in them. It has the following: Deleted and alternative scenes
an 11 1/2 minute featurette with cast and crew
Full length video that is used to introduce the film- "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" - Gumnaam(1965)- which was the best extra. I just love it!!
Trailer It would have been nice if there was audio commentary by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff as well as a gallery reprinting the original covers to the Eightball comics as well as the collected editions.
Rating: 
Summary: What to do after highschool?
Review: When I first saw this movie I was not overly impressed but after a second viewing I have to say that it was not the fault of the movie but mine. I wasn't paying attention to the sardonic humor or the pathos played out in Thora Birch's performance as well as Steve Bushemi's. The premise is pretty simple, two life long friends graduate and try to find their place in the world around them. Enid, (Thora Birch's) charecter pretty much is the focus and she isn't sure of anything, so she goofs off and in the interm meets Steve Bushemi through a cruel trick.
I found that I kept thinking of this movie after it ended. I think alot of people fantasize about doing the exact same thing as Enid does as the film closes. Ghost World will definitley enter into your waking world and it does so with a witty florish and a memorable finish.
Can you tell that I am still in the throw of the Olympics? All the ice skating fried my brain!
Rating:
Summary: best film of 2001!
Review: Anyone who gives this film less than 5 stars is a complete... Ghost World is the best, most original, most surprisingly funny and moving film of 2001. Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes are geniuses! The entire cast, extras included, are brilliant. Enough said.
Rating: 
Summary: Not What I Expected
Review: I missed _Ghost World_ in the theatre. At the time I was sorry, but after seeing it on video, I'm glad I didn't spend the money to see it on the big screen. _Ghost World_ is essentially the story of the summer after high school graduation experiences of Enid (Thora Birch), a young woman who spends most of her time keeping a picture journal and complaining about how stupid people are. Early in the movie she answers a personal ad placed by Blues collector Seymour (Steve Buscemi), pretending to be a woman he once met in an airport. After she follows him home from this false blind date, the two become friends, after a fashion. Enid makes it her mission to prove to the world that Seymour is not so much of a dork as she first thought by fixing his non-existent love life. Though the performances are quite good, I found it very hard to relate to the characters, who seemed one-dimensional and passionless. Enid is supposed to be some sort of misunderstood societal misfit, but we know this only because we are told that it is so. Her actions seem pointless and even cruel, making it hard to sympathise with her. She suffers a lot and is obviously a quite unhappy person, but her unhappiness is inaccessible. She hates her stepmother, but we never are shown why. She is made to attend a summer art class where her work is denigrated as irrelevant, but we never hear her defend herself, or understand what her point of view is. Mainly, the world is stupid and awful because Enid says it is so, but without hearing her perspective on what she values and what life means to her the message loses its meaning and takes on a tone that is self indulgent and even whiny. Enid's friend, Rebecca, seems mainly to exist to be uncomfortable at Enid's various schemes and to attract attention from men who don't even realise Enid exists. But Rebecca is also dull and wimpy. She goes along with things that she disapproves of and keeps hoping that Enid will turn into something that she's obviously not. The friends' big fight is a let down; not enough is said and the conflict is too easily resolved. I would have liked Rebecca to have had more to say for herself, but she just seemed to float through the movie never evincing any real personality. Seymour, the inhibited collector of Blues '78s, is remarkably without feeling, even about his hobby. He resists Enid's attempts to convince him that he really is an interesting person to the point where we just want to cave in and say, "Okay, you're dull." He becomes involved with a woman who shares none of his interests, but the relationship, if it can be called that, is so much of a tangent to the rest of the action that when he ends it we don't feel anything at all. _Ghost World_ offers no sense of progress or change. It's easy to believe that these people will continue forever in their pointless lives without ever coming to terms with themselves or the world around them. I found it really boring to watch, and when it was over I felt cheated.
Rating:
Summary: Check the personal ads...
Review: Hidden beneath this modern comedy is an important social commentary. The story revolves around 2 post high school girls who consider themselves 'different' from everyone around them. When Rebecca (Scarlet Johannson) turns her back on this by taking a job, her friendship with Enid (Thora Birch) becomes strained. But Enid has since made friends with Seymour, who was once a target of her attacks. Steve Buscemi is just great as Seymour, an LP collecting geek who has adapted his life to his loneliness. Enid finds an attraction to the forty-something Seymour, initially from guilt. Also from guilt, she helps Seymour contact the girl of his dreams as described in his personal ad. When that relationship works out, matchmaker Enid again is alone against her desires. A very reflective film that many will relate with, GHOST WORLD's real star is its sharp screenplay. The film is not for everyone, however as its hero is rebelling against mostly everything. But, most will be able to appreciate the young girl's depression.
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