In a Tough Town, You've Got to Give a Ghost a Chance

    "Ghost Town" works as a film because it is not a formula comedy and it is not stupid. Most Comedy / Drama Movies that are made today are done for one reason - to make money. They are not done so much to make you laugh, or lift some other cathartic emotion from our working dead spirits, but simply to make money.

    That is what movie producers do unless, fortunately, when their motive is to make something reminiscent of art first, and money second. Yes, making art is a business and hopefully a profitable one. Making money, unfortunately, for money's sake is more the norm in the film capital of the world - Hollywood. "Ghost Town" breaks with that trend by following a few simple rules, and because of that principle: it is better than average and in today's comedies, that ain't bad.

    Rule #1: build the script around a believable story that has a human, but not syrupy sweet and so predictable, quality that draws the audience in and keeps us guessing.

    Rule #2: develop characters that are real and not so black and white. Keeping it real is to realize that all humans have admirable qualities as well as failings, so don't trap the characters in a box to make it easier for the lowest common denominator to understand.

    Rule #3: put together a good cast that has chemistry and save your money on the A-list actors and A-list comedy actors.

    There are many other rules, too numerous to probably bore you with here, but "Ghost Town" follows these three rules, which makes it better than most. The story is built around a self - centered dentist, Bertram Pincus portrayed by Ricky Gervais, who is very British and very verbose, who suffers a near death experience that lends him the ability to see spirits with the purposeful need to fulfill one objective before they move on. The one spirit that has the gravitas to motivate Bertram to help him fulfill his purpose is super salesman Frank Herily, played by the dependable Greg Kineer, who wishes to help his wife, Gwen Herily played by the underestimated Tea Leoni, dispense of her beau, who is a "human rights attorney" named Richard, portrayed by Billy Campbell.

    Set against the backdrop of Manhattan, a tough town in anyone's book, Bertram is besieged by multiples of spirits, who, like Salesman Frank, need his help and true to form Bertram wants none of it. Frank connives his way into the practical sympathies of Dentist Pincus by proising to rid him of the spirits if he will help him with his wife of a former life. That's the set up and there is a lot of movie packed into the next 102 minutes. Director David Koepp, who also shares the screenwriting credit with John Kamps, keeps the film peppy with a believable conflicts evolving reasonable resolutions. Worthty of 2 3/4 stars in my book and that ain't bad.

    Released on DVD December 27, 2008. Rated PG13.