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Drama thriller

Ghost (1990): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Ghost (1990) movie poster

Ghost is a 1990 drama thriller directed by Jerry Zucker, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. It runs 2 hours 7 minutes and earned $505.7 million worldwide on a $22 million budget. It won 2 Oscars, including Actress in a Supporting Role and Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen), and 5 awards in all. Critics gave it 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 52 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.

IMDb rating
7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes
100%
worldwide gross
$505.7M
Oscars won
2
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Ghost (1990) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 7m (127 min)
Director
Jerry Zucker
Genres
Drama , Mystery , Thriller , Fantasy
Original language
English
Budget
$22M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Ghost About?

The premise of Ghost without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Sam and Molly are deeply in love, but their happiness is shattered when Sam is tragically killed during a street robbery. To his surprise, he finds himself a ghost, desperately trying to protect Molly from the danger he knows she's now in. He must find a way to warn her and ensure her safety, all while navigating his newfound spectral existence.

Ghost Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • love
  • death
  • pottery
  • ghost
  • new york city
  • manhattan new york city
  • one word title
  • gunshot
  • kiss
  • camera shot of eyes
  • stabbed with glass
  • goodbye kiss
+38 more
  • partner sees dead lover
  • 1990s
  • 20th century
  • supernatural drama
  • unrequited love
  • cult film
  • famous scene
  • yelling
  • crying
  • tearful goodbye
  • man shouting
  • film blanc
  • supernatural power
  • invisibility
  • psychic power
  • able to see the dead
  • mugging
  • subway
  • reference to jimmy hoffa
  • battered woman
  • murder
  • good versus evil
  • chick flick
  • close up of eyes
  • man carries a woman in his arms
  • urban setting
  • african american
  • pet cat
  • bare chested male
  • muscular man
  • charity donation
  • fire escape
  • graveside service
  • fatal car accident
  • erection showing through clothes
  • passionate kiss
  • implied sex
  • reference to marriage
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Cast & crew

Ghost Cast

Patrick Swayze leads the cast, with Demi Moore. Directed by Jerry Zucker.

From the director

More from Jerry Zucker

More films directed by Jerry Zucker, best-rated first: Airplane!, Ruthless People, Top Secret! and Rat Race.

Full filmography
Ratings

Ghost Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Ghost 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 52 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.

Plot

Ghost Plot Summary

What happens in Ghost from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Sam Wheat, a dedicated banker portrayed by Patrick Swayze, and his partner Molly Jensen, brought to life by Demi Moore, are a blissful couple who make a fresh start in a cozy New York City apartment. While they embark on minor renovations, Sam discovers an old penny and encourages Molly to keep it as a good luck charm. However, at work, Sam stumbles upon some suspicious activity in bank accounts and, trusting his close friend and colleague Carl Bruner, confides in him. Despite Carl’s offer to help, Sam decides to pursue the investigation himself.

Full summary

The whole story of Ghost, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Ghost Box Office & Budget

Ghost grossed $505.7 million worldwide on a $22 million budget, 23 times what it cost. $217.6 million came from the US and Canada and $288.1 million (57%) from the rest of the world.

1990 box office

Worldwide gross

$505.7M

23× its budget

US & Canada
$217.6M
International
$288.1M
Budget
$22M
US & Canada 43% Rest of the world 57%
Awards

Ghost Awards & Nominations

Ghost won 2 Oscars, including Actress in a Supporting Role and Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen), and 5 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1991, with 2 wins from 5 nominations.

5 wins16 nominations4 ceremonies

  • Academy Awards (Oscars) logo
    Oscars 1991 2 wins · 5 nominations
    • Won Actress in a Supporting Role – Whoopi Goldberg
    • Won Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
    • Nominated Best Picture
    • Nominated Film Editing
    • Nominated Music (Original Score)
  • British Academy Film Awards logo
    BAFTA 1991 1 win · 4 nominations
    • Won Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Whoopi Goldberg
    • Nominated Best Makeup and Hair
    • Nominated Best Original Screenplay
    • Nominated Best Special Visual Effects
  • Golden Globe Awards logo
    Golden Globes 1991 1 win · 4 nominations
    • Won Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy (Supporting Actress) – Whoopi Goldberg
    • Nominated Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
    • Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Actor) – Patrick Swayze
    • Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Actress) – Demi Moore
  • Saturn Awards logo
    Saturn Awards 1991 1 win · 3 nominations
    • Won Best Actress
    • Nominated Best Director
    • Nominated Best Supporting Actor – Whoopi Goldberg
Videos

Ghost Trailers & Videos

10 videos: 2 trailers, 1 teaser, 3 clips and 4 featurettes.

All 10 videos
30th Anniversary Official Trailer
  • Trailer Ghost (1990) Theatrical Trailer [4K] [FTD-0895]
  • Teaser TCM Big Screen Classics Spot
  • Clip "Love Everlasting" Clip
  • Clip Sam Realizes He's Dead
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Ghost?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the role of Sam Wheat?

Cars

Cars in Ghost

24 cars on screen, including the 1989 Ford Mustang and the 1982 Buick LeSabre.

All 24 cars
  • 1989 Ford Mustang in Ghost 1989 Ford Mustang Important role
  • 1982 Buick LeSabre in Ghost 1982 Buick LeSabre Minor role
  • 1981 Chevrolet Impala in Ghost 1981 Chevrolet Impala Minor role
  • 1979 Ford Econoline in Ghost 1979 Ford Econoline Minor role

Seen Ghost?

FAQ

Ghost FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Ghost, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Ghost?

Ghost runs 2 hours 7 minutes (127 minutes).

When was Ghost released?

Ghost was released on July 13, 1990.

Who directed Ghost?

Ghost was directed by Jerry Zucker.

More films by Jerry Zucker

Who is in the cast of Ghost?

Ghost stars Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.

How much did Ghost make at the box office?

Ghost grossed $505.7 million worldwide ($217.6 million domestic, $288.1 million international) on a budget of $22 million.

How is Ghost rated?

Ghost has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 52 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.

What awards did Ghost win?

Ghost won 5 awards from 16 nominations, including Actress in a Supporting Role at the Oscars 1991.

Does Ghost have a post-credit scene?

No. Ghost has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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