Ghostlight Bridges The Gap of Grief and Joy Through Theater

Grief is a tricky all encompassing emotion that can be triggered by the slightest word or action.  Everyone processes it differently and for one family discovering community and purpose in a local production of Romeo & Juliet  provide a welcomed distraction for what is bubbling underneath for each individual member.

Construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) finds himself drifting from his wife (Tara Mallen) and daughter (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss. Ghostlight is a beautifully crafted film celebrating the healing power of art to work through a multitude of emotions that are easily discussed in the home.

What I like to call the mid-western version of The Barrymore’s The Kupferer’s  bring an ease, sensibility and shorthand to their performances in style or tone. Keith Kupferer brings the quiet fire of Colin Firth to Dan who’s embarrassed to be performing, yet something keeps drawing him back to rehearsals every afternoon. Tara Mallen as Sharon is the strength and glue that holds this family together by a thread as they grapple with a piece of their human puzzle no longer present. Last, and certainly not least, Katherine Mallen Kupferer is a spitfire as Daisy whose unwavering love for her family results in her acting out, but is her spastic, uncontrollable energy that holds the unit tight and reliant on one another.

 

Directed by Kelly O’ Sullivan and Alex Thompson with raw emotion and sentimentality, there’s a plethora of moments that will bring joy.  The blatant overacting of the theater troupe where one threatens to call his agent, singing karaoke to Oklahoma’s ‘I Can’t Say No,’ as well as watching this land of misfit toys hold each other up while trying to mount their middle-aged production of a Shakespeare classic is hilarious and endearing to behold.  One of favorite moment is listening to Daisy give her Dad a pep talking about not confusing a ‘showmance’ for love while reminding him it’s only make believe was stellar.

Everyone wants to be in someone else’s shoes if just for a little while if for noting else to take your mind off of what ails your spirit.  Dolly De Leon is an expert when it comes to that. As Rita, De Leon has a grit that makes her appear six feet tall.  Yet, she reveals a humanity and vulnerability as Juliet that is beautiful to behold and more than enjoyable to watch during her intricately multi-layered performance

Sullivan and Thompson debunk the whole theory of ageism with Romeo and Juliet which is a refreshing, bold, ingenious take on a classic tale never seen until now.

On the surface, Ghostlight is a film that sheds grief like a onion.  At its core, this film is about the complexities of humanity, family dynamics and how something as simple as pretending to be someone else if only for a moment can bridge the gap from the past to present with joy and a newfound exuberance and zest for the unknown.