Ghost Details

This romantic and glamorous mix of the sentimental and the supernatural reaps higher rewards than Patrick Swayze's acting ability deserves. He plays the murdered banker trying to warn girlfriend Demi Moore she's in mortal danger via psychic Whoopi Goldberg, who provides the comic moments so necessary to lighten the potentially maudlin atmosphere. In fact, her performance is so good, she deservedly won a best supporting actress Oscar. The special effects are a real treat, the love-beyond-the-grave theme is very touching and Swayze's ascent into heaven is a wonderful piece of schmaltz. Who says sweetness and light are, er, dead?

Deftly made, romantic, sentimental, sometimes silly thriller that was the surprise hit of 1990, either because of its fundamentalist view of heaven and hell or its underlying theme that revenge is good for the soul.