After renovating their expensive loft in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, Molly and Sam, a young successful yuppie couple, are walking home one evening when Sam is tragically gunned down by a street mugger. Molly goes into a deep depression, but, unknown to her, Sam has come back as a ghost in order to protect her from danger--although he isn't yet aware who or what means her harm, and he has a lot of learning to do in order to make himself known to her. He teams up with an unwilling psychic, and together they try to convince a very skeptical Molly that Sam was actually murdered and has returned spectrally to complete some unfinished business. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore are excellent as the couple, and Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for her portrayal of the wild and wacky psychic. GHOST is considered by many to be one of the most romantic films of the 1990s.
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?
Halliwell's Film Guide
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.
New York Times
"...Eccentric enough to remain interesting....[Goldberg] makes the most of it..."
Radio Times
Halliwell's Film Guide
