Ghostlight (2024 Film)

''Ghostlight'' is a 2024 American drama film directed by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson from a screenplay by O'Sullivan. It stars Keith Kupferer as a middle-aged construction worker who unexpectedly joins a local theater's production of ''Romeo and Juliet''. It also stars Dolly de Leon, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Hanna Dworkin, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Alma Washington, H.B. Ward, Dexter Zollicoffer, Deanna Dunagan, and Francis Guinan.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 14, 2024, by IFC Films and Sapan Studio. It received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise towards Kupferer's performance, and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2024 by the National Board of Review. At the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, it was nominated for Best Lead Performance (for Kupferer) and the John Cassavetes Award.

Plot

Construction worker Dan Mueller struggles with the disciplinary problems of his teenage daughter Daisy and the wrongful death lawsuit he is filing against Christine Hawthorne, the ex-girlfriend of his son Brian, who died by suicide. The stress causes him to assault a rude motorist on the job, which is witnessed by Rita, an actor at a community theater across the street. She invites him in to read for Lord Capulet in their upcoming production of ''Romeo and Juliet''.

He begins soliciting advice from Daisy, a former actor who has lost her interest in theater, but things grow tense when his wife Sharon, a teacher and theater director at the local school, tries to build a garden over the site of Brian's suicide in their yard and he erupts at Daisy for walking over it. He returns to the theater, where he witnesses Rita, playing Juliet, strike the actor playing Romeo when he claims she is too old for the part. After witnessing Romeo and Juliet's suicide being acted out, he tells the cast about Brian's death, and Daisy and Sharon witness Rita embracing him outside the theater.

While Dan commits more time to the production and is cast as Romeo, he is put on mandatory leave at his job and lies to his family about his whereabouts. Daisy follows him to the theater, discovers the truth, and quickly bonds with the cast. When they arrive home, Sharon, having learned from Dan's coworker that he is on leave, accuses him of infidelity, forcing him to admit the truth. Moved by his talent, Sharon allows the cast to perform in the school's gym, and they decide to make the play a one night event with Daisy cast as Mercutio.

As the performance approaches, Dan struggles to perform Romeo's suicide and is encouraged by Daisy to think about Brian's feelings. At the deposition with the Hawthornes, Dan's testimony reveals that, on the night of Daisy's last play, Brian and Christine attempted suicide together because of her family moving and him not being allowed to go with her. Dan realizes that he blames himself instead of Christine and admits that she is not at fault, tanking the lawsuit and leaving Sharon furious that he wasted their money and prevented her and Daisy from properly grieving.

At the show, Dan and Rita move Sharon to tears with the ending, and while Romeo dies, Dan sees Brian in the shadows offstage. The Muellers embrace after the performance, attend the cast party together, and return home.

Cast

Production

Kelly O'Sullivan wrote the part of Dan for Keith Kupferer, whom she had previously worked with in a 2014 production of '' The Humans'' in Chicago, Illinois. Kupferer suggested his daughter Katherine for the role of Daisy, who auditioned and landed the part, and his wife Tara Mallen was cast as Sharon shortly thereafter.

Co-directed by O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson, ''Ghostlight'' was shot and edited simultaneously in October 2023. It was produced by Thompson, Ian Keiser, Alex Wilson, Pierce Cravens, Edwin Linker, and Chelsea Krant.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024. A week later, IFC Films and Sapan Studio acquired North American rights to the film. It also screened at South by Southwest on March 10, 2024. It was released in the United States on June 14, 2024.

Reception

Richard Roeper of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' called it "a quietly compelling film that shows how power of theater brings teens and parents together." Matt Zoller Seitz of '' RogerEbert.com'' wrote that the film "tests your patience early but becomes powerful as it goes along... Some of the elements that might initially seem odd become the source of great strength for the movie as drama."

At the Seattle International Film Festival, the film won first runner-up for the Golden Space Needle Award, co-directors O'Sullivan and Thompson won the audience award for Best Directors, and Keith Kupferer won Best Performance.

Accolades

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, tt30321095

American drama films
2024 independent films
Films about parenting
Films about suicide
Films about actors
Films about theatre
IFC Films films
2020s English-language films
English-language independent films
English-language drama films
Satellite Award–winning films