Casper: A Spirited Beginning facts for kids

Casper: A Spirited Beginning is a fun fantasy comedy film from 1997. It's based on the famous Harvey Comics character, Casper the Friendly Ghost. This movie is a prequel to the 1995 film Casper. It tells us more about how Casper became a ghost.

The film was made by The Harvey Entertainment Company and Saban Entertainment. It was released on September 9, 1997, directly to video. When it first came out on VHS, it included a music video. Later DVD versions did not have this extra feature. The movie's soundtrack was also released in 1997.

Story of Casper's Beginning

The movie starts on a special ghost train. All the spirits are heading to Ghost Central. Casper is on this train, but he doesn't know where he is. He also doesn't realize he's a ghost! He gets kicked off the train and lands in a city called Deedstown. There, he accidentally scares people. This makes him realize he really is a ghost.

Meanwhile, a lonely boy named Chris Carson loves everything about ghosts. He has a difficult relationship with his dad, Tim Carson. Tim is always busy with work. He wants to tear down an old house called Applegate Mansion. He plans to build a new mini-mall there. But many people are protesting. They believe the house is an important historical landmark.

The protest stops when three mischievous ghosts appear. They are Stretch, Fatso, and Stinkie, known as the Ghostly Trio. They live in the mansion. Chris sees them and wants to join them. But they refuse because he is human.

Back at Ghost Central, the evil ghoul Kibosh is in charge. New spirits learn how to be proper ghosts there. Kibosh gets very angry when he finds out Casper is missing. He sends his assistant, Snivel, to find Casper and bring him back.

Chris's teacher, Sheila Fistergraff, leads the protesters. She sees on the news that Tim and Mayor Johnny Hunt will continue with the demolition. The mayor even threatens to fire Tim if he fails.

Chris soon meets Casper. They become friends right away. Casper is surprised that a human isn't scared of him. Chris wants to teach Casper how to be a real ghost. He also introduces Casper to the Ghostly Trio. The Trio is happy to learn that Casper hasn't been to Ghost Central. This means Kibosh hasn't trained him. They decide to train Casper themselves. They hope this will impress Kibosh and make him stop bothering them.

However, Snivel secretly overhears their plan. He tells Kibosh, who becomes even angrier. Casper learns to go invisible, which is called stealth mode. But he fails at other ghost lessons. The Trio realizes Casper is too kind to be a scary ghost. He just wants to be friendly. So, they kick him out.

Chris waits for his dad at his school's open house, but Tim never shows up. Chris is very disappointed. His teacher, Ms. Fistergraff, tries to comfort him. The next morning, Tim promises to spend more time with Chris that night. Chris offers to help Casper become a better ghost. Casper tries using his powers to help people. He even gets a bully named Brock into trouble with the principal.

Tim can't make it to a parent-teacher meeting he planned with Chris. But Chris hopes his dad will remember their other plans. With Casper's help, Chris sets up dinner for Tim. Snivel sees Casper helping a human. He reports this to Kibosh, who decides to get Casper himself. The Ghostly Trio finds out about Casper's good deeds. They kidnap him to protect their reputation. This ruins Chris's chance for Tim to meet Casper. Tim doesn't believe Chris and leaves to see the mayor.

Chris feels betrayed by Casper and runs away. Brock and his friends capture Chris. They lock him inside the mansion as revenge. They don't know that Tim hired a bomber, Bill Case, to plant a bomb inside. The mansion is set to explode!

The next morning, Kibosh arrives in Deedstown. He captures the Ghostly Trio. He sends Snivel to find Casper, who ran away from the Trio. Tim learns that Chris ran away. He meets Casper, and they go to find Chris. Casper thinks Chris is in the mansion, which is about to explode. Tim gets a ride with Ms. Fistergraff. Casper arrives at the mansion to help Chris escape. Tim manages to get Chris out safely. Casper then bravely eats the bomb, saving the mansion from exploding.

Kibosh is impressed with Casper's actions. Casper tells him that the Ghostly Trio taught him the trick. So, Kibosh lets the Trio stay and haunt. The Trio returns the favor by lying to Kibosh. They say they are Casper's uncles. Kibosh talks about how important family is. This allows Casper to stay with his "uncles," and Kibosh leaves them alone. Chris and his father make up. Brock and his gang get what they deserve. The Trio hangs them from a tree by their underwear! Casper decides to call himself "Casper the Friendly Ghost."

Meet the Cast

Here are the actors who brought the characters to life:

• Steve Guttenberg as Tim Carson
• Lori Loughlin as Sheila Fistergraff
• Rodney Dangerfield as Mayor Johnny Hunt
• Michael McKean as Bill Case
• Brendon Ryan Barrett as Chris Carson
• Richard Moll as Principal Rabie
• Shannon Chandler as Jennifer
• Steven Hartman as Brock Lee
• Logan Robbins as Danny
• D'Juan Watts as Leon
• Sherman Hemsley as Store Owner
• Ben Stein as Grocer
• Brian Doyle-Murray as Foreman Dave
• Edie McClurg as Librarian
• Rodger Halston as Stan
• Casper Van Dien as Bystander
• Michael James McDonald as Sarcastic Protester

Voice Cast

These actors provided the voices for the ghost characters:

• Jeremy Foley as Casper
• James Ward as Stretch
• Jess Harnell as Fatso
• Bill Farmer as Stinkie
• James Earl Jones as Kibosh
• Pauly Shore as Snivel

Movie Music

The movie also has a cool soundtrack! Here's a list of the songs featured in the film:

See also

In Spanish: Casper, la primera aventura para niños