The Canterville Ghost

There's a certain irony in a parody of the Gothic genre being turned into a mess of clichés by filmmakers who either had no idea what the story's purpose was, or just didn't care. All of the hallmarks of your average family film are present- rambunctious younger siblings, a grumpy teenager who doesn't want to move, unsympathetic parents who are unable to see the apparition, and of course a romantic subplot. The movie has very little in common with Wilde's original story, which was largely written to poke fun at the melodramatic Gothic novellas that were all the rage at the time. If Wilde saw this version, he'd probably laugh- and then of course, write a parody. One can only hope that the children who watched this bland, mass-produced pap eventually discovered the wit and sparkle of the original version.

Some famous stories are prone to being moved to another epoch and, as such, becoming an embarrassing TV-movie. Oscar Wilde's Canterville Ghost is one of them. This TV movie for kids is utterly cheap, concerning acting, character work, credibility, directing and even concerning the modest special effects. As often, the question arises: what was this made for?

Adaption of the famous Oscar Wilde tale about a young American girl (Neve Campbell) that helps a British ghost (Patrick Stewart) find rest and forgiveness. What fool cast Neve Campbell alongside Patrick Stewart? Stewart, despite being best known for his role on "Star Trek", is a great actor with a love of Shakespeare and the classics. Campbell is a disposable actress who has no range of emotion and is doomed to appear in countless sequels to "Scream". The story is good, the effects are good... the dad is more than adequately made out to be a jerk (almost too much, really... being a physicist does not mean you need to be a heartless father with no sense of imagination). I suppose this could have been worse.

What can say about The Canterville Ghost, it is a excellent family drama safe for children to watch, it's fun to watch, it has mystery, and fantasy, it makes you laugh, and puts tears in your eyes. It is a movie that we watch three or more times a year. Never get tired of it. Fans of Patrick Stewart, and Neve Campbell, both are great in the movie. Check it out.

At least it is on Netflix Australia so we have the opportunity to view this wonderful classic again. A story by Oscar Wilde and a good American and English cast.

I am a huge fan of Patrick Stewart and his acting in this movie was amazing. What you have to admire is his accent during the movie, as he talks in a Shakespearean tone. To do this must be very hard but he does it as though he speaks this was normally! The movie as a whole is quite gripping and worth watching if it is on TV. 6/10

So this is a made for tv movie and it plays that way. While I am not a fan of Neve Campbell (the lip biting, the narrowing eyes...), Patrick Stewart SHINES and makes Neve's performance with him shine too. There are some really touching scenes. Stewart really carries the movie and makes it a definite worth while watch. This is a fun family friendly (kids older than 9) movie that all can enjoy.