Casper (film)
1995 American fantasy film directed by Brad Silberling
Casper is a 1995 American fantasy-comedy film starring Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman and based on the cartoon and Harvey Comics character Casper the Friendly Ghost. The ghosts featured in the film were created through computer-generated imagery.
Fred Rogers
edit- Did you ever feel the way Priscilla Cow felt that you did like to be completely different?
Almost everybody feels like that once in a while. But, most of the time I hope you can be glad to be yourself. That's really something to celebrate.
Terry Murphy
edit- More on the Pentagon playboys as the story unfolds. But, now... step aside, Sigmund.
Casper
edit- Hi! I'm Casper!
- There's a girl...on my bed...Yes!
- [to Kat] Can I keep you?
- Well, can he do this? [imitates Arnold Schwarzenegger] Come with me if you want to live.
- [dances with Kat in his moment of being alive] I told you I was a good dancer.
- If you scream, you'll wake my uncles, who get angry.
- [After he changes back into a ghost in front of Kat's classmates] Uh.. [Chuckles sheepishly] ...boo?
Kathleen "Kat" Harvey
edit- [to her father] You're not gonna find her. Mom's not a ghost, Dad.
- [Dr. Harvey carries her out of the room after seeing Casper] I can walk, you know.
Dr. James Harvey
edit- You can call them ghosts, if you'd like, or as I like to call them, "the living-impaired".
Dialogue
edit- [The sun falls slowly toward the horizon, turning the heavens dark orange and casting strange shadows on the ground. High into the dusk rises Whipstaff Manor. A tall, eerie-looking mansion, Whipstaff stands at the sharp edge of a sharp cliff face overlooking the churning sea]
- [A pair of twin boys skid their bicycles to a stop in front of the mansion]
- Nicky: Ready?
- Andreas: You go first.
- Nicky: Why should I go first?
- Andreas: You want everyone at school to think we're chicken? C'mon. [Nicky follows him under the fence]
- [They push open the creaky front door. Nicky turns on his flashlight and the beam of light scans the entryway. The boys are amazed at just how big––and weird––the house is]
- Andreas: You see, there's nothing here.
- Nicky: Let's just take the picture and get out of here.
- Andreas: Well, fine, take the picture.
- Nicky: Hey, wait! I wanna be in the picture too, or no one believes I was here. [He pouts]
- Andreas: Just shut up and take the picture! [Feeling left out, he suddenly wants to leave]
- Nicky: No, you take it.
- Andreas: No, you!!!
- [Out of nowhere comes a voice]
- Casper: Guys, guys, don't fight. I'll take the picture. [But before the boys can move, the camera slips out of Nicky's hand and floats] Say cheese!
- [As the flash goes off, it suddenly dawns on the boys]
- Boys: A GHOST!!!!!!!!! Let's go!
- [Hard evil flashlight falls in the tower hill at once]
- [picture flats]
- Mr. Rugg: [reading Mr. Crittenden's will] "To the Save the Dolphins Foundation: $11 million. To the Save The Pumas Foundation: $1.2 million. To the Padigonian Wasps Salvation Fund: $1.4 million. To The Dyslexic Dalmatians Foundation..."
- Carrigan Crittenden: To hell with the livestock. What did the old stiff leave me?
- Dibs: [clears throat] Um, I believe that what the bereaved is trying to express is that the, um, sudden death of her only father has left a great gaping void in her bank-- in her life, and err, Carrigan wonders what he has left her to fill it up with.
- Mr. Rugg: Hmm. Let's see. Bobcats, owls, snakes... daughter, Carrigan: Whipstaff Manor in Maine.
- Carrigan Crittenden: ... And?
- Mr. Rugg: And I'm late for lunch, so if you'll excuse me...
- Carrigan Crittenden: Are you telling me that I spent the last two days holding his clammy hand, waiting for him to kick, and all I get in return is one lousy piece of property?!
- Mr. Rugg: No, it was lousy fifty years ago. Now it's condemned. Enjoy. [gives her the will]
- Carrigan Crittenden: Wait a minute. This is not fair! I'll protest! I'm gonna drag you and every one of those damn dolphins into court!
- Mr. Rugg: Knock yourself out.
- Fatso: I feel like Oprah is on hiatus.
- Stretch: You look like Oprah on hiatus.
- Kat: What's it like to die?
- Casper: Like being born, but backwards.
- Kat: Casper, I have a date!
- Casper: Aw, come on, what does this Vic have that I don't?
- Kat: A pulse.
- Casper: Big, fleshy deal.
- Kat: A tan.
- Casper: Very bad for your skin.
- Kat: How about a reflection?
- Carrigan: DIBS!! Get this thing cooking, you flaccid little worm, you!
- Dibs: Ah, Carrigan! How kind of you to drop in. You know, if there's one thing I've learned from you, it's always kick 'em when they're down. And baby, you're six feet under. Oh, what a shame! [grabs the vial] Sorry, sweetheart. We're through.
- Carrigan: [gasps] I am not gonna forget this, you ungrateful, lousy little worm, you!
- Dibs: [chuckles] You can haunt me all you want, but it's gonna be in a great big expensive house with lovely purple wallpaper, and great big green carpets, and a little dog called Carrigan: A bitch, just like you! I got the power! I got the treasure!
- Carrigan: And you have a flight to catch.
- Dibs: Huh?
- [Carrigan flings him out the window]
- Carrigan: [turns to Kat and Casper, calmly] Any other takers?
- Casper: No. But aren't you forgetting something?
- Carrigan: What?
- Casper: Your unfinished business.
- Carrigan: My what?
- Kat: You know, unfinished business. All ghosts have unfinished business. That's why they don't cross over.
- Carrigan: Unfinished business? I have no unfinished business. I have my treasure, my mansion. I have everything. I'm just perfect! [laughs maniacally until a flash of light pierces through her as a sign that she is crossing over] Wait! Wait!! I lied! I have unfinished business. Lots of unfinished business! [as more flashes of light appear] I'm not ready to cross over yet! Wait! You tricked me, you rotten little brats!! [disappears]
- [Last lines]
- [The partygoers flee from the house upon seeing Casper]
- Kat: Not bad for my first party, huh?
- Casper: Couldn't have been better.
- Dr. Harvey: It ain't over yet. Boys!
- [The Ghostly Trio perform the Little Richard Style of Casper's theme song]
- [clock chiming and music playing]
- James: Wait. Where are you going?
- Amelia: Good-bye, James.
- [all gasps]
- Casper: [laughs] Boo?
- [evil children yelling, shouting, screaming at once]
About Casper (film)
edit- It's huge in scope, but still, the relationship with Christina and Casper is the thing I'm fondest of. And those are the moments I'm proudest of, because they have a sense of heart.
- If you look at the movie, you're ultimately dealing with a lot of death issues. Everybody's dealing with death. They're longing for people who have passed on, people are dying in the movie. Hopefully we do it without becoming maudlin. . . .
- I think that if you've got a youngster under 10 coming in, one of two things will happen. (The issue) will either whiz right by them or, interestingly enough, they may have some questions when they walk out of the theater. 'What was that?'
- The implications of the things we're delving into are both wonderful and tricky. It's very tricky.
- "I understand how he sees that", she says. But really, that's what this movie is - it's about the ghosts. It's a vehicle for these new kind of visual effects. That was basically what we were supposed to do: The real actors were only meant to enhance the performance of the ghosts.
- Brad Silberling [1]
- We could only get seven shots a week because the processing power needed to render multiple-image ghosts is humongous.
- Colin Wilson [2]
Taglines
edit- Who says there's no such thing as ghosts?
- The afterlife of the party
- The haunt is on
- Something unbelievable is in the air
- Who did his hair?
- Appearing Soon
- No inhibitions. No limits. No table manners. No sheets.
- Comin' at Ya!
- Who's afraid of ghosts?
- Catch the spirit of the 90s
- Home is where the haunt is
- And you thought your family was scary
- You ain't screamed nothin' yet!
- Casper's in the house
- He's the life of the afterlife
- He's ready for ghoul and unusual punishment!
- Let the haunt begin
- Sometimes all you need is a little spirit
- Get An Afterlife
- Seeing is believing
- No such thing as ghosts?
- Haunting Season Opens May 26th
Cast
edit- Malachi Pearson — Voice of Casper
- Jess Harnell — Voice of Casper's impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Devon Sawa — Casper in Human Form
- Christina Ricci — Kathleen "Kat" Harvey
- Bill Pullman — Dr. James Harvey
- Cathy Moriarty — Catherine "Carrigan" Crittenden
- Eric Idle — Paul "Dibs" Plutzker
- Joe Nipote — Voice of Stretch
- Joe Alaskey — Voice of Stinkie
- Brad Garrett — Voice of Fatso
- Garette Ratliff Henson — Victor "Vic" DePhillippi
- Jessica Wesson — Amber Whitmire
- Amy Brenneman — Amelia Harvey
- Brock Winkless (puppeteer)
John Kassir (voice) — The Crypt Keeper
Cameos
edit- Fred Rodgers (archive footage) - PBS
- Terry Murphy - Hard Copy (TV program)
External links
edit- Encyclopedic article on Casper (film) on Wikipedia