Review: Ghostlight

Directed by: Kelly O’Sullivan & Alex Thompson

Written by: Kelly O’Sullivan

Starring: Keith Kupferer, Dolly de Leon, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Hana Dworkin

Rating: [4/5]

Either through its production or appreciation, art has a way of touching one’s soul in a way nothing else can. The way a story can hit a sensitive touchpoint in someone’s life and help them process carries so much weight and is something that has happened to me many times. In Ghostlight, it transpires through a community theater group and how the unlikeliest archetype of person finds the value and emotional catharsis he needed in acting out a play. 

Trying to provide support for his struggling daughter, Dan (Keith Kupferer) must also contend with the wrongful death lawsuit he filed against the girlfriend of his son who committed suicide. This all leaves a mark on his family, and with all of this pent-up emotion, he learns of his local community theater led by Rita (Dolly de Leon) and decides to get involved with their production of Romeo and Juliet. 

Of the individuals one would think would get involved in theater, a large older man who works in construction would certainly not be towards the top of the list. This archetype of man generally sees theater as something that would not draw any interest from them, and some may even look down upon any man who would even display interest, let alone partake in the production themselves. It’s ultimately what makes Ghostlight such a moving film, as it breaks apart this archetype, as performing with this local group brings him something he very much needed in processing this tumultuous time in his life. 

What the individual gets out of art further defines its beauty. As Dan learns more about the other actors participating at the local theater, he discovers what they each get out of this experience. Many of them do it for the fun or the challenge it presents them, but for Dan, personally, playing out a story like Romeo and Juliet that centers on a tale where the lead characters kill themselves in the end helps him through his grief in a manner nothing else could. He could not speak about his feelings to his family and feels uncomfortable going to a therapist. However, acting it out and portraying Romeo does everything he needs to reckon with what has happened. Such a beautiful realization and journey he goes through in this film as it expands beyond him and onto his daughter. 

Daisy, Dan’s daughter, struggles with her own behavioral issues and has reached the final straw with her school before severe punishments will be levied on her. Attempts to put her in therapy seem like the last step to get at the core of why she has developed these issues, but noticeably Dan does not partake himself, even if recommended by the therapist. The film reveals what sits at the center of this for Daisy and how Dan plays a direct hand in this, not necessarily intentionally, but in the level of grief the family can experience at this particular moment. The relationship between this pair becomes the emotional center of this film overall as these two individuals need to come to terms with what happened to their deceased family member. This theater production does so much as the vessel to get them where they need to be and have the necessary revelations. 

Writer and co-director Kelly O’Sullivan wrote the role of Dan specifically for Keith Kupferer, and he ensures to pay her back for it given the beautifully moving performance he gives as the hardened lead character. Kupferer evokes this bravado of what this construction guy persona gives off, while also then displaying the necessary vulnerability for this character’s emotional journey as he acts through this play. Having his daughter, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, and wife, Tara Mallen, portray Dan’s daughter and wife, respectively, in this film must have been quite the special experience for him, and they each shine on their own. A family affair to tell such a family-driven emotional story worked out well, as the love emanating from them jumps off the screen. They also receive strong supporting acting work by Dolly de Leon as Rita, who invited Dan into this world and continues to push him throughout their production of the Shakespearean tale. 

Truly a surprise and a gem that punches well above its weight, Ghostlight exists as one of those independent films that will have difficulty finding an audience, but anyone who experiences its story will come away feeling its undeniable beauty. It highlights the power of artistic expression and how it can positively impact people of all walks of life and age groups. We witness this in the diverse group of individuals Dan acts alongside as they each have their own meaning in performing. For Dan, it signifies a pathway to process his grief in a way simply talking would never suffice, all leading to an emotionally potent final act that perfectly encapsulates and punctuates this narrative journey for these characters.