Casper (1995 film)

Casper is a 1995 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Brad Silberling, based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo. The film stars Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle, and Amy Brenneman, and also features the voices of Malachi Pearson in the title role as well as Joe Nipote, Joe Alaskey, and Brad Garrett.

The film makes extensive use of computer-generated imagery to create the ghosts, and it is the first feature film to have a fully CGI character in the lead role. It goes for a much darker interpretation of the Friendly Ghost in comparison to the comics, cartoons, and films of the previous years, especially with its theme of death, most notably providing the character a tragic backstory that addresses his death.

Casper was released in cinemas on May 26, 1995 by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and earned $287.9 million on a $55 million budget. It went on to spawn direct-to-video follow-up films and an animated television spin-off, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper.

Plot
In Friendship, Maine, young boys Nicky and Andreas enter Whipstaff Manor on a dare, but are scared away by a ghost named Casper.

Meanwhile, following the death of her father, neurotic and spoiled heiress Carrigan Crittenden discovers she has only been left Whipstaff Manor in his will. Carrigan and her assistant, Dibs, find a map within the will's papers that tell of an alleged treasure hidden inside the manor, but find the property haunted by Casper and his poltergeist uncles, the Ghostly Trio, and unsuccessfully attempt to force the ghosts out by way of paranormal experts and a demolitions team. A lonely Casper watches a news report about paranormal therapist James Harvey and is instantly smitten with his teenage daughter, Kat, prompting Casper to inspire Carrigan in summoning Dr. Harvey to Whipstaff. Harvey and Kat are estranged due to his reputation and obsession with contacting the ghost of his late wife, Amelia. The Harveys move into Whipstaff, but Casper's attempt to befriend them fails when his uncles try to torment and scare them away, which eventually fails.

Casper gains the Harveys' trust when he serves them breakfast, and follows Kat to school, where she becomes popular when her class learns she is living in Whipstaff, and agrees to host their Halloween party. Her envious classmate Amber plots with her boyfriend, Vic, to humiliate Kat during the party. Harvey attempts therapy sessions with the Ghostly Trio, who not only try to avoid them, but also reveal they know Amelia; in exchange for convincing Carrigan to leave them alone, they promise to go through the "red tape" involved to get Harvey a meeting with his wife.

Kat learns Casper has no memory of his life, and restores his old playroom to remind him. Casper recognizes an old wooden sled his father bought him, and remembers playing outside until he caught a severe cold and died of pneumonia, becoming a ghost to keep his father company. A newspaper article reveals that Casper's father was declared legally insane after he built a machine, the Lazarus, which he claimed could bring the dead back to life. Casper and Kat venture to the basement and find the Lazarus. Carrigan and Dibs sneak inside, steal the formula that powers the Lazarus, and plot to use the machine, believing it could grant them immortality. However, they attempt to kill each other to test the theory and retrieve the treasure they think is in the basement's locked vault; Carrigan falls off a cliff to her death, and rises as a ghost.

Dr. Harvey becomes despondent after the trio prank him, prompting them to take him out on the town. They plan on killing him to make themselves a quartet, but have a change of heart after a drunken Harvey declares he will tell Carrigan off so they can stay in their home. However, Harvey accidentally falls to his death down a manhole.

In the laboratory, Carrigan confronts Casper and Kat, stealing what she believes to be the treasure from the vault and launching Dibs out a window when he tries to double-cross her. Casper and Kat trick Carrigan into saying that she has no unfinished business on Earth, causing her to eject herself into the afterlife. The treasure is revealed to be Casper's prized baseball, signed by Duke Snider; the so-called map was part of a game Casper played with his father (thus, Carrigan would've been furious to know that she went through all that trouble for nothing). Dr. Harvey, now a ghost, returns with Casper's uncles, and Kat's despair over this prompts Casper to sacrifice his one chance to return to life, restoring her father instead.

The Halloween party kicks off upstairs, and Amber and Vic's prank is thwarted by the Ghostly Trio, and they flee in terror. A boy dances with Kat revealing it was Casper who had his wish granted by the angel of Amelia who meets with Harvey and tells him that she was so content with her family while alive that she has no unfinished business, and encourages him to move on, explaining that the Ghostly Trio kept their promise, in the end, to find her for Harvey. Amelia departs as the clock chimes ten and, after kissing Kat, Casper transforms back into a ghost, scaring off the guests. Kat is impressed with the party, which Harvey says is not over, cueing the Ghostly Trio to play their nephew's theme for them to dance to.