reviewed by: Stephanie Vale

             

A lone wolf howls at the moon. The cool wind rustles the dead leaves as it quickly swirls around the stark autumn trees towards an old abandoned mansion. Two boys on bicycles ride up to the locked front gate, evidently not used for many years. They dismount their bikes and peer through the massive gate of iron, Ok, one picture and were history, one of the boys comments.

Thats what Im afraid of, the other replies as they crawl under the creaking gate and run across the front lawn to the huge front door, stepping inside the gloomy foyer before stopping. Aw man; do we have to do this?

Do you want everyone at school to think were chicken?! one boy asks the other as they walk hesitantly across the threshold of Whipstaff Manor.

I could live with that, replies the other boy in a shaky voice.

You wuss! come on!"

The two boys begin to argue about who will take a photo of the other with the Polaroid camera, as each wants to prove that they had indeed entered the spooky old mansion that night. Suddenly, a voice addresses them out of nowhere, Guys, guys, dont fight; Ill take the picture.  Say cheese. The next evening Whipstaffs new owner Carrigan Crittendon (Cathy Moriarity) and her friend Dibs (Eric Idle) show up with a partially burned treasure map, looking to get their hands on the buried treasure they are sure is hidden somewhere in the old mansion! They have a run-in with Casper (but most especially with his three uncles, The Ghostly Trio: Stretch, Stinkie and Fatso), who scare them away. Casper the friendly ghost, who always seems to scare people off whenever he tries to speak with them, comments as he shakes his head dejectedly, Aw, every time.  All I wants a friend.

After hiring a priest to bless the house, a crew of men to knock it down, and even one of the famous Ghostbusters, to rid herself of the persistent ghosts with no success, Carrigan sees a Hard Copy TV news story about Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman) and his therapy for ghosts, otherwise known as the living impaired." The living impaired are known for haunting us, Dr Harvey explains, My question is whats haunting them.  Dr. Harvey and his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) are persuaded to leave Santa Fe and come to Friendship, Maine to live at Whipstaff Manor, and help Carrigan and Dibs get rid of the ghosts. Kat is tired of following her dad around the country (he is searching for the ghost of his dead wife, Amelia), and just wishes she could attend one school long enough to make a friend.  Casper is very excited when he learns that Dr. Harvey and his pretty young daughter Kat are going to be living in his house (maybe he can finally make a friend!); but his ghostly uncles have other plans...

The premise of Casper is that ghosts exist, are spirits with unfinished business (hence they have not yet crossed over), and interact freely with live people at times;  (they haunt houses and wreak havoc on people who trespass there). There is a scene where a man gets drunk in a bar and has an accident, there is a Halloween costume party, there are a few ghosts who are mean and play tricks and scare people, and a few arguments between characters in the film. There is a very sweet and innocent kiss between a girl and boy, but otherwise there is no objectionable content in that respect.  Language: There is one use of h*ll, three of d*mn, 2 of b*tch, and three uses of the Lords name in vain.

If you can view this film with the belief that it is just a cute and funny film about ghosts," which as we know do not exist, it is a most enjoyable film. If you cannot rest easy while watching a film about ghosts, then by all means steer clear. For those of you who can separate the real from the unreal and the difference between spirits and ghosts, the supernatural world and the real world, this is a cute and endearing film about a friendly ghost named Casper and his new friend Kat.

Editor's Note: The reason this film received a 3 rating is because there is little or no objectionable content from a secular point of view. The film, however, does include ghosts and the theory that a man is searching for his dead wife. Viewers uncomfortable with this premise should steer clear of anything having to do with the afterlife.