From the first appearance of "Ghost" on the big screen, audiences were captivated. Women came for the romance and the men came for the action. "Ghost" is a tale about how a man who is murdered stays on Earth to watch his girlfriend who is in mortal danger from his murderer. Whether it is the emotionally deep characters or the spellbinding twists and turns, it still enthralls audiences to this day.

What separates a deeply moving movie from a cheesy movie, is the performances. This movie is definitely the former. Patrick Swayzee is "Sam Wheat," the murdered boyfriend who desperately seeks contact with his girlfriend, so as to keep her from danger. What Swayzee brings to "Sam" is a strengthened moral center that plays off his vulnerability well.

His girlfriend, "Molly Jensen," is played by Demi Moore. "Molly" longs for a connection with the deceased "Sam," but doubts the validity of it. Anyone whom is familiar with Moore's acting knows that she brings to her characters a sadness that does not compromise her strength. "Molly" was no exception.

The most talented performance was Whoopi Goldberg as "Oda Mae Brown," the fake psychic turned real by "Sam's" appearance. She portrays her comedy with a natural outlandishness that highlights her performance and at the same time brings much needed comic relief to an otherwise intense picture. If anyone doubts it, take a look at the bank scene and doubt no more.

With the precision and fluidity of Jerry Zucker's directing, this film has twice the heart and excitement than it would if directed by a lesser director. Every scene furthers the plot line in such a way that they embellish the story and makes us care for the characters. For instance, not only is the pottery scene one of the most sensual scenes in cinema, but it helps us fall in love with the relationship, so we can believe it.

Directing aside, the script could have held on its own. The dialog flows with such a natural slant, that you really believe what they are saying. The scenes with Goldberg are the best, mostly due to her improvisational skills, but also due in part to the screenwriter's flexibility. Another words, it was definitely not one of those movies in which the actors sound like they are from a different planet.  The only thing really lacking technically is the graphics, but a different era produces lesser graphics.

"Ghost" teaches the audience to live and love in the moment. While things shift and change in our lives, one always wonders "what if I did this" or "why did I do that?" "Sam" never got to tell "Molly" that he loved her when he was alive. "Molly" never wanted to talk about marriage. The important part is to live in the moment.

"Sam" also teaches the audience that strength comes from love and what we know is right. "Oda Mae" runs from every tense situation that comes her way. When she meets "Sam" he teaches her that she has the strength within herself to be a good person who helps others in need.

---