Parents' Guide to

Ghost World

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Offbeat indie dramedy will resonate with older teens.

Movie R 2001 111 minutes
Ghost World Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

cami098
cami098 Adult
August 14, 2020
age 14+

such a cute and fun movie

this was a very fun movie! there’s quite a lot of language, mostly being spoken by 18 year old characters. nothing that a kid wouldn’t hear in school or on social media. a little bit of talk about sex and masturbation , but it could go right over someone’s head. no actual sex, two people lay in bed together. very funny and relatable characters!

This title has:

Great messages
wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
December 27, 2012
age 15+

Different & cool!

This is probably one of my all time favorite movies ever! I first caught this on late night TV and watched the entire thing, then bought it shortly after. I love the quirkiness of it and how different it is than most films shown today. It's very retro and the music is funny. Best friends Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are outcasts who criticize pretty much everyone they come in contact with. Enid seems the most opinionated and Becca seems more quiet yet together. You rarely see the two smiling except if it's a mean comment about someone or something. After graduating high school, the two make fun of an ad in the personals section of the paper by a loser named Seymour and decide to play a prank on him, inviting him to a fake date to watch him leave empty handed. Soon after following him around, Enid finally talks to him during a garage sale and instantly develops a "thing" for him as she eventually grows more and more attracted to him. Becca just thinks she's nuts. The two girls' friendship starts to lessen when Enid starts hanging out more with Seymour than her own best friend Becca causing a lot more arguments and jealously amongst them. When Seymour surprisingly finds the perfect woman with Enid's help, Enid becomes jealous and breaks their relationship, sleeping with him and then taking off due to her insecurities. The story ends kind of cold. There's no violence except for some verbal abuse, language is very strong and frequent with lots of "F" words, there is teen drinking & smoking. Enid is tipsy from alcohol and sleeps with Seymour - just kissing and laying in bed is shown, some flirting, a sex shop is shown in a comedic way with Enid making fun of all the merchandise and the "creeps" who go there. Great funny movie that you can watch over & over. Okay for ages 16++!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Best friends Enid (Thora Birch) and Becky (Scarlett Johanssen) have just graduated from high school and have no plans to do the complacent college-bound plan. They're going to score a job, move in together, listen to music, play pranks on losers who place personal ads, and hang out like 18-year-old hipsters everywhere. After luring Seymour (Steve Buscemi), a lonely 40-something blues aficionado to a fake date, Enid grows attached to him, alienating Becky and providing a welcome distraction from the boring call of adulthood.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (3):

Director Terry Zwigoff perfectly captures the ennui of transitioning from adolescent to adult. Enid, especially, isn't always likable (especially after seducing Seymour), but she and Becky are always believable as cooler-than-thou 18-year-olds who march to the beat of their own drums, completely uninterested in being like their "phony" peers.

Birch is a revelation as a girl-woman who thinks she's ready for an adult relationship but lacks the maturity to handle one. Buscemi is touching as a tragic "dork" loner who finds a kindred spirit in Enid, even though their intimacy is short-lived. Their performances make Zwigoff's adaptation of Daniel Clowes' popular graphic novel a must-see in the genre of offbeat coming-of-age stories.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about coming-of-age movies about high-school graduates. What common themes are present in most of these adolescent films?

  • Parents and kids can also discuss Enid's friendship with Seymour. How is their inter-generational relationship portrayed?

  • How do Enid and Becky affect and influence each other? Which one of them do you relate to more? Why?

  • Adaptations of graphic novels have become quite popular. What are the best examples of the genre?

Movie Details

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