On the recommendation of my friend, I watched the Sundance, indie film, Ghostlight. Released in the summer of 2024, this movie hasn’t enjoyed a lot of buzz, which is unfortunate because it’s a gem.

            I’m not going to say much about the plot because it unfolds in a nuanced way. I don’t want to reveal anything that would spoil the process. The film is an excellent depiction of a family processing a difficult loss. However, it’s not a downer. One of the characters, the dad, gets lured into a community theater production of Romeo and Juliet, a plot point that introduces plenty of comic relief into the movie.

            The screenwriting feels raw and authentic. The plot unfolds slowly, but in a thoroughly engaging way. The director creates an emotional landscape around the three family members that is deeply moving.

            The community theater piece of the story provides an excellent vehicle for working through difficult issues in a meaningful way. The themes in Romeo and Juliet happen to coincide with much of what the family is enduring.

            After I watched the film, I learned two interesting facts. The actors who play the construction worker (father), the elementary school teacher, (mother) and the rebellious teenage daughter, are in fact related. Keith Kupferer and and Katherine Mallen Kupferer are parents to Tara Mallen. In addition, writer and director, Kelly O’Sullivan is married to co-director Alex Thompson.

            I wept through the ending, in a good way. Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie a 99% critic score. And, I’ll have to say, I agree.