“Ghostlight” is a little indie movie you’ve probably never heard of because it didn’t get much of a theatrical run. But it created positive buzz at some film festivals, so I paid a few bucks to watch it at home via video on demand — and I’m glad I did.
It is the story of Dan (Keith Kupferer), a middle-aged guy who works on a road crew in Chicago and is trying to keep himself and his family together after some kind of trauma. His wife, Sharon (Tara Mallen), is an educator. Their teenage daughter, Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), has been making trouble at school, including shoving a teacher, which gets her suspended. It’s yet another frustration for Dan, whose head is filling with steam and ready to blow at any time. It happens when he’s yelled at by an obnoxious driver annoyed by the impact of the construction on his commute. Dan gets physical with the jerk while passersby catch it on video. Pretty soon, he’s put on leave.
One of the people who witnesses Dan’s outburst is Rita (Dolly De Leon), who invites him into a nearby building where she and her friends in an amateur acting troupe are rehearsing “Romeo and Juliet.” Dan has no experience doing theater, but he agrees to help by reading lines. He finds himself taken by the interaction, and with nowhere else to go the next day, he shows up again and begins being drawn into the troupe.
Dan hasn’t told Sharon and Daisy what he’s doing, and when they independently uncover the truth (he’s kissing another woman!), they’re shocked and then pleasantly surprised. Daisy, a theater kid at school, witnesses the humanity of the people who make up the group and becomes part of the production, too.
The title, “Ghostlight,” refers to a longstanding theatrical tradition in which a single bulb is kept burning in a lamp in the middle of the stage in an otherwise darkened theater after everyone has gone home. Directors Kelly O’Sullivan (who wrote the screenplay) and Alex Thompson (her partner) have roots in Chicago theater and cast the movie with actors from that community who have a special bond. Keith and Katherine are a real-life husband and wife, Tara is their daughter. Their closeness helps make their characters very relatable — and their emotions much more raw.
Eventually, we begin to understand the parallels between Shakespeare’s tragedy and the pain Dan and his family are living with, but the story is not solely about sadness. There’s an uplifting message, too.
My wife and I were quite moved by “Ghostlight,” which I’m giving an 8.5 out of 10. I have added it to my Movies You Might Not Know list.
Now available for rent on several streaming platforms for just a few dollars.