The Reel Review
After stumbling into rehearsals for a local community production of Romeo & Juliet, a depressed construction worker struggling with unprocessed grief surprisingly finds himself with a part in the play. As art starts to imitate his own life, he is finally forced to confront his feelings, in this dramedy starring Keith Kupferer, his real-life spouse Tara Mallen, and their real-life daughter Katherine Mallen Kupferer.
Ghostlight is a poignant gem of a film about the transformative power that art can have in helping us process our emotions – all while packing a multitude of emotional wallops on its own. The decision by writer/co-director Kelly O’Sullivan (Cha Cha Real Smooth) to cast this real-life family of actors as the film’s family was brilliant – as their authentic, lived-in performances gradually reveal the unimaginable tragedy that has each of them behaving in different ways. Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness) also shines as the leader of the theater troupe who sparks the family’s emotional growth.
Following a clunky and somewhat contrived first half hour, the film finds its footing, building to a stirring finish that is absolutely beautiful in its authenticity. Anyone who has experienced grief will find it relatable. And that climactic deposition scene is the stuff of Oscar nominations, making Ghostlight the likely best indie movie of 2024. Bring tissues.
REEL FACTS
• It is a theater tradition/superstition that a single light, or ghost light, is kept on when a theater is unoccupied.
• Katherine Mallen Kupferer appeared as Margaret’s friend Gretchen in 2023’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
• Chicagoans Kate Mallen and Keith Kupferer have acted in several plays together since meeting 35 years ago. Ghostlight is the first performance with their daughter Katherine.
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