Customer Reviews

Canterville Ghost [VHS]

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Ian Richardson is the classic ghost - a fun family film one I recommend to watch together.

'The Canterville Ghost' is one of the most popular choice for making a film in Oscar Wilde's works, and the original short story deserves the popularity. It is a witty spoof about a ghost and the 'haunted' mansion where a rich American family start to live. In this story, the family are not annoyed by the presence of the ghost; no, it is the ghost who is annoyed by the family who just refuse to be terrified. After all, why should we be scared by an old man wearing rusty coat of mail, whose best trick is to walk in the middle of night making big noises? Give him an American lubricant, or throw a pillow at him!

[LIKE GHOST BUSTERS] The film retains the basic story, and changes are done mainly by adding materials. The film includes the 'mayhem' and 'slapstick,' visual gags that can be found in Bill Murrey's ghost hunting comedies, and though the kids may enjoy the comic scenes, the fans of Oscar Wilde would be embarrassed not a little. Comic turns from Rik Mayall and Pauline Quirke are bonus, but their roles as 'British Ghost Busters' often sound out of place in the film if you remembr that it is based on Oscar Wilde.

This 1997 made for TV version captures the original's spirit to some extent, especially when Ian Richardson appears as The Canterville Ghost who is determined to drive the family out no matter what it takes. The role of this eccentric ghost has been played by Charles Laughton (1944), John Gielgud (1986), and Patrick Stewart (1996, with Neve Campbell) among others, and his ghost is not bad (still sometimes overdoes it in the second half).

[JAMES D'ARCY] The parents of the American Otis family are played by Rolf Saxon and Celia Imrie, and they are good. But more impressive is Sarah-Jane Potts as their spirited daughter Virginia Potts, who plays a crutial role in finally solving the problem. There is a love story (more extended than the original) about her and Lord Cheshire played by young James D'Arcy riding a horse. All I can say is he is very handsome, looks like Josh Hartnett, but still needs more skills to make the character more interesting. Or maybe the film's script is to be blamed, for 'The Canterville Ghost' is supposed to be an entertaining story about the ghost while the romance part is only added to extend the running time.

Probably you will find the film 'just OK' as I did. It is amusing enough to kill time, but you can also spend the same precious 90 minutes of your life reading Oscar Wilde, true genius who would be very happy doing job with Charlie Kaufman or someone uniquely talented in Hollywood if he were alive now. Not a bad adaptaion, but I recommend reading the book first ... or again.