Casper (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Casper
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Brad Silberling
Produced by	Colin Wilson
Screenplay by	Sherri Stoner Deanna Oliver
Starring	Christina Ricci Bill Pullman Cathy Moriarty Eric Idle
Music by	James Horner
Cinematography	Dean Cundey
Editing by	Michael Kahn
Studio	Amblin Entertainment The Harvey Entertainment Company
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	May 26, 1995 (1995-05-26)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$55 million
Money made	$287.9 million

Casper is a fun 1995 American fantasy comedy-drama movie. It was directed by Brad Silberling. The film is based on the famous cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost. This character was created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo.

The movie stars Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, and Eric Idle. You'll also hear the voices of Joe Nipote, Joe Alaskey, Brad Garrett, and Malachi Pearson as Casper.

Casper was one of the first movies to use lots of computer-generated imagery (CGI) for its characters. This means the ghosts were made using computers! It was even the first movie to have a main character made completely with CGI. The film tells a slightly more serious story about Casper compared to the cartoons. It even explains how he became a ghost.

Casper came out in theaters on May 26, 1995. It got different reviews from critics. People liked how true it was to the cartoon and praised its special effects, music, and acting. Some found the story a bit dark. The movie was a big success, earning $287.9 million worldwide! It also led to two other movies and a cartoon TV show called The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper.

Story of Casper

The movie starts in a spooky old house called Whipstaff Manor in Friendship, Maine. A rich lady named Carrigan Crittenden inherits the house after her father dies. She's upset because he left all his money to charities. Carrigan and her assistant, Dibs, find a map that hints at a hidden treasure in the manor.

But there's a problem: the house is haunted! A friendly ghost named Casper lives there with his three prank-loving uncles, known as the Ghostly Trio. Carrigan tries to get rid of the ghosts, but nothing works.

Casper feels lonely and sees a news report about a ghost therapist named James Harvey. Casper is very interested in Dr. Harvey's daughter, Kat. So, Casper makes sure Carrigan calls Dr. Harvey to Whipstaff. Kat isn't happy about moving into the haunted house. She thinks her dad is too focused on trying to talk to his late wife, Amelia.

When the Harveys arrive, Casper tries to be friends. But his uncles keep trying to scare them away! Eventually, Casper earns their trust by making them breakfast. Kat becomes popular at school when her classmates find out she lives in a haunted house. She agrees to host their Halloween party at Whipstaff. Meanwhile, Kat's mean classmate Amber and her boyfriend, Vic, plan to embarrass Kat at the party.

Dr. Harvey tries to help the Ghostly Trio. The uncles tell him they know his wife, Amelia. They promise to help Dr. Harvey talk to her if he can convince Carrigan to leave them alone.

Kat learns that Casper doesn't remember anything about his life before he became a ghost. She helps him remember by fixing up his old playroom. Casper sees an old wooden sled and remembers playing outside. He got very sick with pneumonia and died, becoming a ghost to stay with his dad. A newspaper article shows that Casper's dad built a machine called the Lazarus, which he claimed could bring people back to life.

Casper and Kat find the Lazarus machine in the basement. Carrigan and Dibs sneak in and steal the special liquid that powers it. They think the machine can make them immortal. They even try to kill each other to test it! Carrigan falls off a cliff and becomes a ghost herself.

Later, the Ghostly Trio play a trick on Dr. Harvey, making him sad. They take him out to cheer him up. They even think about turning him into a ghost too, but then change their minds. However, Dr. Harvey accidentally falls down a manhole and dies.

In the lab, ghost Carrigan confronts Casper and Kat. She grabs what she thinks is the treasure from a secret vault. She even throws Dibs out a window when he tries to trick her! Casper and Kat trick Carrigan into saying she has nothing left to do on Earth. This makes her disappear into the afterlife.

The "treasure" turns out to be Casper's favorite baseball, signed by a famous player! The "map" was just part of a game Casper played with his dad. Dr. Harvey, now a ghost, returns with Casper's uncles. Kat is very sad about her dad being a ghost. Casper makes a big sacrifice: he uses his one chance to become human again to bring Dr. Harvey back to life instead.

The Halloween party starts upstairs. Amber and Vic's prank is ruined by the Ghostly Trio, and they run away scared. A boy dances with Kat. It's Casper, who was given his wish to be human for a short time by Amelia, Dr. Harvey's wife. Amelia talks to Dr. Harvey and tells him she's happy and has no unfinished business. She encourages him to move on. Amelia leaves as the clock strikes ten. After kissing Kat, Casper turns back into a ghost, scaring off the remaining guests. Kat thinks the party was amazing, and Dr. Harvey agrees. The Ghostly Trio then play music for them to dance to in the haunted house.

Meet the Cast

Here are some of the main actors and characters in Casper:

• Malachi Pearson is the voice of Casper McFadden. He's a lonely ghost who was once a 12-year-old boy. He hopes to find a friend and develops a crush on Kat.
  • Devon Sawa plays Casper McFadden when he becomes human.
• Christina Ricci plays Kathleen "Kat" Harvey. She is James's 13-year-old daughter who wants to make a friend.
• Bill Pullman plays Dr. James Harvey. He is Kat's father and a ghost therapist. He hopes to find his deceased wife.
• Joe Nipote is the voice of Stretch. He's the leader of the Ghostly Trio and one of Casper's uncles.
• Joe Alaskey is the voice of Stinkie. He's another member of the Ghostly Trio and one of Casper's uncles.
• Brad Garrett is the voice of Fatso. He's the third member of the Ghostly Trio and one of Casper's uncles.
• Cathy Moriarty plays Catherine "Carrigan" Crittenden. She's a greedy woman who wants the treasure in Whipstaff Manor.
• Eric Idle plays Paul "Dibs" Plutzker. He is Carrigan's attorney.
• Garette Ratliff Henson plays Vic DePhillippi. He is Kat's crush and Amber's boyfriend.
• Jessica Wesson plays Amber Whitmire. She is Kat's rival and Vic's girlfriend.
• Amy Brenneman plays Amelia Harvey. She is James's deceased wife and Kat's mother.

Special Guest Appearances

Many famous people made short appearances, called cameos, in the movie:

• Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci
• Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz (from Ghostbusters)
• Fred Rogers (from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood)
• Terry Murphy
• Clint Eastwood
• Rodney Dangerfield
• Mel Gibson
• John Kassir as the voice of the Crypt Keeper

How the Movie Was Made

Steven Spielberg, a famous producer, wanted to make a movie about Casper the Friendly Ghost. He saw a TV show directed by Brad Silberling and thought he would be perfect to direct Casper.

The movie used a lot of computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create the ghosts. It was the first movie ever to have a main character (Casper) made completely with CGI! Filming for Casper started on January 27, 1994, and finished on June 8, 1994.

Movie Music

The music for Casper was created by the talented composer James Horner. He had worked on other movies for Amblin Entertainment, like An American Tail. One of the songs from the soundtrack, "One Last Wish," was even used by Universal Pictures for their 100th anniversary celebration!

Here are the songs on the soundtrack:

1. "No Sign of Ghosts"
2. "Carrigan and Dibbs"
3. "Strangers in the House"
4. "First Haunting/The Swordfight"
5. "March of the Exorcists"
6. "Lighthouse—Casper & Kat"
7. "Casper Makes Breakfast"
8. "Fond Memories"
9. "'Dying' to Be a Ghost"
10. "Casper's Lullaby"
11. "Descent to Lazarus"
12. "One Last Wish"
13. "Same Song" – Digital Underground
14. "Remember Me This Way" – Jordan Hill
15. "Casper the Friendly Ghost" – Little Richard
16. "The Uncles Swing/End Credits"

Box Office Success

Casper was a huge hit at the box office! It opened at number one during the Memorial Day weekend, earning $16.8 million in its first three days. It stayed at number one for its second weekend too. The movie ended up making over $100.3 million in North America and an extra $187.6 million around the world. This means it earned a total of $287.9 million, which was much more than its $55 million budget. It was a big commercial success!

Awards and Nominations

Casper received several awards and nominations:

Casper's Legacy

The success of Casper helped director Brad Silberling get to direct another movie called City of Angels in 1998.

TV Show

A cartoon series called The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper was made in 1996, based on the movie. The actors who voiced Fatso, Stinkie, Stretch, and Casper in the movie also voiced them in the TV show!

Other Casper Movies

Two other movies were made after Casper. They were released directly to video. These included Casper: A Spirited Beginning in 1997 and Casper Meets Wendy in 1998.

Video Games

Many video games were made based on the movie. You could play them on popular game consoles like the 3DO, Super NES, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, and original Game Boy. There was also a handheld game released in 1995.

Images for kids

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  Theatrical release poster

See also

In Spanish: Casper (película) para niños