Big Picture Big Sound

Pale Ghosts

New York City is teeming with ghosts. I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised or frightened by this news. Since they haven't bothered me as of yet, it is not of great concern to me. Perhaps that is because I have yet to have a near-death experience as the result of an inept colonoscopy. Yup, that is the inciting event of "Ghost Town". An arrogant, unfriendly, abrasive and very obnoxious Dentist chap by the name of Dr. Pincus (Ricky Gervais), is the unfortunate soul who nearly meets his demise at the hands of a faulty anesthesiologist. The result is that it gives him the "powers" to see all of the ghosts in Manhattan. Further, they can tell that he can see them, so they are extremely anxious to relate their problems to him. As you might imagine, he is none too pleased with this. Nothing else gives him pleasure or amuses him so why should this be any different.

Our first and foremost apparition is Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear). He sports a tuxedo (ghosts wear the clothes they died in) and is very anxious to get Dr. Pincus to do him a favor. It seems that Pincus lives in the same apartment building that Frank used to live in and where his widow, Gwen (Tea Leoni), still resides. Frank doesn't approve of Gwen's new boyfriend and enlists the aid of Pincus in order to throw a wedge between them. The rest of "Ghost Town" revolves around this plot point. Along the way, there are some amusing interactions between Pincus and the other ghosts but none all that funny.

David Koepp directed and co-wrote the screenplay but if I did not know that, I would swear that is a Rob Reiner production. It screams middle-of-the road, middle-America romance, much like "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle". Even when Dr. Pincus is spewing his minor venom, there is a sweetness that runs throughout. It never quite disrupts the story but it's always hanging around nearby, like a sword about to drop, at least until the last section, when the schmaltz gates burst open and the nasty fellow sees the proverbial light. At the end we are left with a nice little package, wrapped up in a pretty little red bow. It's too bad that these types of films always have to make nice at the end but it is what the "people" want, even if it is not what I always desire.