Watch Kids' Reviews of
GHOST IN THE FAMILY

see adult comments

I recommend it for the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. This film tells a story similar to BeetleJuice, in it's own way. The story follows Tom, a man who recently died and who is forced to live his afterlife in the house where he died, due to a technicality of his death. Soon after his death, a new family moves into his house. When I first saw this film I immediately thought of BeetleJuice, due to the premise of the story - a person dies and cannot leave the house, but interacts with a new family. But, that is where the similarities end. This film has a good heart to its story and characters, however it has some flaws. The characters are pretty flat. The only one that is quirky and interesting is Franklin Poindexter. The sound quality is acceptable. The cinematography is decent. The sets, costumes and locations are a bit stagnant. There's nothing wrong with them, they just aren't that interesting. The characters stay within the same area of the house throughout the film. The costuming is unimaginative too. I think there was a budget constraint. It is a pretty slow-moving plot. Considering all that, I admire the filmmaker for the film's good heart and story, and the fact that he made it! Plus, I enjoyed the little reference to The Exorcist. My favorite scene is when Tom is visited by his dead, drunk, older brother. He tells Tom he needs to lighten up, that he is only going to be dead once, so enjoy it. The message is that we can all achieve a more gratifying existence, if we try. Agreements are not carved in stone. There are always loopholes to be found, that can help turn bad situations into good ones. I believe a child would enjoy this due to its message. I give this 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. You should know that there is some mild language (the words "shit" and "hell") a few times and some scenes with drinking, but nothing more. Reviewed by Angel U. and Jeff M., KIDS FIRST! Adult reporters.

When an emotionally broken family moves into a house haunted by a suffering spirit, Tom the ghost sees an opportunity to try and save his soul by teaching the family how to live again. He quickly discovers that is easier said than done.