GHOSTLIGHT (2024) review

written by: Kelly O’Sullivan
produced by: Ian Keiser, Alex Thompson, Pierce Cravens, Eddie Linker & Chelsea Krant
directed by: Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan
rated: R (for language)
runtime: 110 min.
U.S. release date: June 14, 2024

As a film enthusiast, you hope to find at least one film each year that reminds you of the unifying power of great storytelling. Last year, I experienced that at the Chicago Critics Film Festival with “Past Lives,” and that happened again last month at the same film festival when I watched “Ghostlight.” It’s a Chicago-made dramedy written by Kelly O’Sullivan, who directed it with her partner, Alex Thompson; local actors primarily populate that and bring together topics such as grief, love, forgiveness, and community in an emotionally engaging manner. The result is the kind of film you want everyone you know to see as soon as you finish watching it.

That being said, “Ghostlight” is one of those films that you’re better off going in cold (and staying away from Wikipedia), knowing next to nothing. There’s so much emotional potency within that it’s a challenge to appropriately describe what the film is about to others. It’s a film that reminds us that the healing power of art is about right, but there’s so much more to it as well.

But, I would want anyone watching to slowly take in the subject matter as O’Sullivan and Thompson intended. That being said, I’m impressed with the brief marketing pitch the pair came up with for the film, “When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a local theater’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.” Sure, that sums it up nicely, but it’s also just the tip of the iceberg of this delicate and often quite funny story.

As the film opens, O’Sullivan and Thompson introduce us to Dan Mueller (Keith Kupferer), the aforementioned construction worker, who is working with his crew on a busy street. His mind seems preoccupied, and when he gets a call, he drops his work and leaves to go to his teenage daughter’s school. He and his wife, Sharon (Tara Mallen) have been called into the principal’s (Charin Alvarez) office because of yet another occurrence with Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret”), this time she physically pushed a teacher out of her way. The parents are outwardly apologetic and inwardly exhausted and at a loss as to how they can help Daisy and her abrasive behavior. The conversation between the principal and the parents is the first indication that this family is dealing with more than teen angst and expulsion from high school.

Not long after that meeting, Dan blows up at a driver who almost hits him at work. His hands shake after the confrontation, and he is considerably shaken. His altercation is noticed by Rita (Dolly De Leon, “Triangle of Sadness”), a brusque woman who had previously approached Dan while at work, complaining about the loud noise coming from the construction crew. This time, when Rita approaches Dan, she asks him if he can help her out with something. Confused and not knowing what to expect, Dan follows her into a local theater where a small group of actors are doing a read-through of Romeo and Juliet.

Rita has Dan sit down, proceeds to toss him a script, and asks him to read for Lord Capulet. Dan doesn’t understand but soon finds himself pulled in by his community theater group that Rita endearingly calls “Island of Misfit Toys” (if you know that Rankin-Bass reference, you’ll understand how she views this motley crew of thespians). Soon enough, Dan makes up excuses to be out on weeknights to rehearse with his newfound artistic family. When Sharon and Daisy find out what he’s really into, he’s as surprised by their response as he was surprised at how these rehearsals are helping him tap into an unexpected form of healing.

On many levels, O’Sullivan’s screenplay taps into the complexities and necessities of the vulnerable connection we need as humans. We often don’t know how to help the ones we love because we have our own internal struggles to contend with. When we don’t have the life experience that shows we have overcome loss in the past, it becomes a confusing swell of emotion to contend with. Guiding someone who needs a safe space to get it all out can be a precarious thing as well. All this and more are touched upon with great tenderness in “Ghostlight.” That O’Sullivan does all this while excluding cliche trappings is refreshing.

As directors, O’Sullivan and Thompson have an incredible knack for knowing how to gradually reveal what is gnawing at the Mueller family. They trust us to take in small portions of the truth independently, without expositional dumps or heavy-handed revelations. The pacing of the story has a natural cadence that makes sense, one that fits appropriately in a relatable manner for the themes that are explored here. The combination of Luke Dyra’s cinematography and Mike S. Smith’s editing provides indelible contributions to the film’s tempo. Like their previous film, 2019’s “Saint Frances,” the actors here are given room to breathe in (and out – theater exercises!) and give calculated nuances that are pivotal to the overall story.

I still think about the Mueller family and wonder how they are doing. That’s how real they feel and how real their experiences and emotions are felt. It’s a testament to O’Sullivan’s screenplay, which deftly balances being authentic, funny, and touching in a careful and respectful manner. But it’s also a testament to the real-life family trio playing the Mueller family. Learning that the on-screen family was actually an off-screen family as well makes total sense. Their interaction, when it’s two of them or all three together, is so natural and lived-in that it’d be hard to explain it any other way. Whether they are sitting at home watching television, driving around, or at the batting cage, this family of actors conveys just enough with each scene to draw us in a little closer.

Considering who the actors are, it’s also fitting that O’Sullivan gave two of the three characters a talent and affinity for theater. The characters Mallen and Mallen Kupferer play (as Sharon and Daisy, respectfully) are already well-versed in the theater world, so they can bond with Dan over something new. It’s heartwarming and slightly nerve-wracking to see this struggling family bond over theater arts while indirectly addressing something under the surface the whole time. All three family members are phenomenal in their own ways, and each has more than one moment where they deliver poignant work. It truly feels like their performances are elevated just by being around each other.

It should also be noted that the family is surrounded by a group of excellent Chicago actors that round out what is essentially an ensemble cast. Many of them appear in the community theater troupe, such as H.B. Ward, Dexter Zollicoffer, Alma Washington, Tommy Rivera-Vega, and Hannah Dworkin, who plays Lanora, the director of the Shakespeare production, who has her hands full, especially during a sweet and funny scene guiding Kupferer and De Leon’s characters through intimacy training. There are many moments throughout the film where these supporting actors give flashes of real people – whether it feels carefully thought out or improvised – and these performances accentuate an already thoughtful and insightful story.

I’ve seen “Ghostlight” twice already within two months, and seeing it with different friends each time is a whelming experience. I laugh and get choked up each time (and probably will again), but I’m also envious of others experiencing this terrific film for the first time. That it’s even a viewing option right now in movie theaters is an absolute gift.

RATING: ****