Despite the name, “Ghostlight” is a film more about stage fright, and less about a fear of apparitions.
The film stars Keith Kupferer as Dan, a man who is at wit’s end at the movie’s outset. His son died roughly a year ago, he’s dealing with a wrongful death lawsuit he filed in the aftermath, and his daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) has been having disciplinary issues.
The stress gets to him during his construction job and it leads to a blow-up. The moment is witnessed by an actress named Rita (Dolly de Leon), who invites Dan to participate in a community theater presentation of “Romeo and Juliet.” As he becomes part of the production, he starts being able to process his grief.
“Ghostlight” is full of scenes that are emotional, funny and heartwarming. That’s not entirely uncommon for the dramatic comedy genre, but what really drives things home is the rawness of it all. The movie has a realness to it, everything feels so grounded making this portrait of a family more intimate.
The grief and stress Dan experiences, as well as the way he processes his feelings as he goes on his theater journey, comes across as authentic. It’s a really good character arc that highlights how impactful art and community can have on the human condition.
The way the film balances Dan’s work with the theater and his relationship with his family is wonderful, too. The two stories intertwine exceptionally well, as the audience is treated to touching scenes showing the shifting family dynamic and amusing moments with the variety of characters in the play.
One especially interesting part of this picture is how it was cast. The family on screen is in fact a family in real life. Keith Kupferer is married to Tara Mallen, who plays Dan’s wife, and Katherine is their daughter. It’s a unique approach, but it absolutely works.
It’s likely why the familial scenes feel so convincing. Credit should go to all three, not only for their portrayals and the incorporation of their real family dynamics, but also their ability to go to some dark, intense places together for the sake of the movie.
The film is of course about grief, and there’s a sad subject at play, so it shows a lot of trust in the family, on top of their acting abilities. The patriarch in particular deserves a lot of praise. Kupferer is a hard working actor, with a list of credits going back to the mid-90s for a total 42 roles.
In this film, he really gets his chance to shine, though, playing the lead role and knocking it out of the park. He gives an incredible, award-caliber portrayal of someone who likely has never been great at expressing his emotions and is dealing with the unthinkable. The way Kupferer portrays his character’s arc is masterful.
The supporting cast deserves a lot of recognition as well. Mallen is superb as Dan’s wife Sharon, Mallen-Kupferer is more than impressive as Daisy and De Leon is fantastic as Rita.
As for detriments, the story of “Romeo and Juliet” aligning a rather closely with some of the things that happened with Dan’s son feels a bit too on the nose. Plus, the lawsuit aspect of the film feels a bit unnecessary. It’s like an additional step to get to the resolution that didn’t need to be included.
However, for the most part, the film is still quite well made. There’s a moody vibe to the picture which captures the somber atmosphere in places, the camerawork can be properly chaotic when scenes get intense, and the set design for the small theater Dan goes to is charming.
“Ghostlight” is a delightful indie that I’m sure will rightfully get recognition this award season from Gotham and Spirit alike. A few minor issues here and there don’t stop this one from being enjoyable. 4 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 