Magnolia at the Modern: Ghostlight

“A dramedy about a construction worker finding comfort in community theater following the death of his son, the movie wrings goofy humor and heart-squeezing sweetness from its gimmicky premise and casting (the central onscreen family is played by an actual offscreen family). Unlike so much “product” on both studio and indie ends of the spectrum, it feels homemade — in the refreshing, and occasionally limiting, ways that adjective implies.” —Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter

Devastated by the loss of a child, middle-aged father Dan (Keith Kupferer) struggles to control his anger at work and grows distant from his grief-stricken family. When a stranger (Dolly De Leon) bullies him into joining a floundering community theater production of Romeo and Juliet, Dan slowly begins to reopen to life’s possibilities. With breakout performances from the real-life Kupferer family in the lead roles and a cathartic ending for the ages, this funny and bittersweet film celebrates the profound love at the heart of the deepest grief, and the pleasures of putting on a show.

R; 110 minutes

Magnolia at the Modern is an ongoing series featuring critically acclaimed films. Tickets are $10; $8 for Friend-level Modern members; $7 for Associate-level Modern members and above. The Sunday noon showtime is half price. Learn more about the special benefits of joining Reel People, a membership add-on for film enthusiasts.

Click here to purchase tickets online.

We have a new option for assistive listening, the Listen Everywhere phone app that plays the film’s audio through your Bluetooth hearing aids or any phone headphones.