History Main / GhostWorld

* DawsonCasting: Oddly inverted - ScarlettJohansson was only 16 when the film was released and thus probably a year or two younger than her character.

While conceptually similar, the comic and film differ in their featured characters. The character of Josh, an alienated friend (and quasi-love interest) of Enid's (and Rebecca's), plays a major role in the comic, while only being a side character in the film. Seymour, a lonely and cynical middle-aged man is a central character in the film, yet only appears for a few panels in the comic, a victim of one of Enid's pranks.

* TheStinger: After all the credits roll, there's another take of the scene where Seymour (Steve Buscemi) gets attacked by Doug in the minimart. Only this time, Buscemi's characer easily wins the fight, choking Doug with his own weapon, and stomps out triumphantly. He finishes with a bunch of [[ReservoirDogs Mr. Pink]] type dialogue.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ChristinaRicci was originally tapped to play Enid, but by the time the movie was produced, it was decided she was too old to play the part, and so ThoraBirch got the role instead.

Starting as an indie comic series by acclaimed graphic novelist Daniel Clowes, ''Ghost World'' appeared in ''Comicbook/{{Eightball}}'' #11-18 (June, 1993-March, 1997). It was later adapted into an equally acclaimed indie film, which was released in 2001. Both versions follow {{Deadpan Snarker}}s Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppelmeyer as they face the summer after high school graduation. The film cast ThoraBirch as Enid and ScarlettJohansson as Rebecca.

* EveryoneWantsBlondes: Nearly every guy they come across zeros in on Becky and ignores Enid.

* DancingWithMyself: The film opens with Enid dancing to a videotape of an Indian musical the night before graduation.

* CityofWeirdos: Most of the strangers Enid and Becky encounter as they wander around their neighborhood, also the listless tenants shown in their tacky apartments at the start of the film.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Enid and Rebecca, or so it seems at first. They have drifted apart by the end of the film.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The film has a few. ThoraBirch and ScarlettJohansson are the most obvious, but there's also SteveBuscemi, Brad Renfro, Tom [=McGowan=] (Kenny from ''{{Frasier}}''), Creator/DavidCross, IlleanaDouglas, Bob Balaban, and Brian George; the last three all played fairly recognizable characters on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
** Also, Maxine is played by Teri Garr. Some of her better known roles include the LoveInterest in ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' and Phoebe's biological mom on ''Series/{{Friends}}'' [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000414/ among others]].
** Seymour's (very briefly seen) boss is Sheriff John Bunnell of World's Wildest Police Videos. Terry Zwigoff must be a fan of his because he also appeared in ''Film/BadSanta''.
** And Bruce Glover (father of Crispin) and Wint in ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'', is the Wheelchair Guy.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Daniel Clowes always wanted the male "Satanist" to be played by Anton [=LaVey=].

* AdultsAreUseless: Somewhat subverted, despite their flaws. Enid's father is well meaning and patient with Enid; Maxine finds a job for her, and Roberta offers her a full scholarship and stands up for her at the art show. Seymour in particular is intelligent and insightful and helps her to move beyond her teenage snark. Enid, however, won't (or maybe simply can't) accept their help or listen to them.

* InspirationallyDisadvantaged: Subverted hard and hilariously. The paralyzed valedictorian at Enid and Becky's graduation tells the rapt audience that her car accident taught her she doesn't need alcohol to have a good time. (One graduate gulps even before she starts speaking). Afterward, Enid says she preferred her when she was was an "alcoholic crack addict" and that getting into a car wreck turned her into "Little Miss Perfect" overnight. Later, the valedictorian's date is shown pouring alcohol down her throat.

** It is debatable whether her quirky style and interests are all that different than those of the Zine-O-Phobia guys ("Look who's talking Little Miss Badass") or the "extroverted bohemian losers" she mocks when she's out with Becky.

* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Subverted or deconstructed. Enid dyes her hair green, aiming for an authentic '70s punk rock look, characters, including Becky, don't get it. (A guy in the 'zine store asks if she's supposed to be Cyndi Lauper). Irritated, Enid washes the dye out of her hair as soon as she gets home.

* ExpositoryHairSyleChange: Subverted or deconstructed. Enid dyes her hair green, aiming for an authentic '70s punk rock look, characters, including Becky, don't get it. (A guy in the 'zine store asks if she's supposed to be Cyndi Lauper). Irritated, Enid washes the dye out of her hair as soon as she gets home.

* ExpositoryHairsyleChange: Subverted or deconstructed. Enid dyes her hair green, aiming for an authentic '70s punk rock look, but other characters, characters, including Becky, don't really get it. (A guy in the 'zine store asks if she's supposed to be Cyndi Lauper). Irritated, Enid washes the dye out of her hair as soon as she gets home.

* AmbiguousEnding: Enid looking very somber boards a bus (on a line that had supposedly been cancelled) and rides off to parts unknown. Some viewers think she is about to start a new life; others that the bus ride is a metaphor for death, seeing as a frail elderly man had boarded this same bus shortly before.

* AmbiguousEnding: Enid looking very somber boards a bus (on a line that had supposedly been cancelled) and rides off to parts unknown. Some viewers think she is about to start a new life; others that she has committed suicide, seeing as a frail elderly man had boarded this same bus shortly before.

* BlackComedyRape: Enid notices an obnoxious preppy couple at her graduation dinner and wisecracks about the boy getting AIDS after date raping the girl. Rebecca may be having a DudeNotFunny moment when she shushes her.
* CityofWeirdos: Most of the strangers Enid and Becky encounter as they wander around their neighborhood, also the listless tenants shown in their tacky apartments at the start of the film.

* CityofWeirdos: Most of the strangers Enid and Becky encounter as they wander around their neighborhood, also the listless tenants shown in their tacky apartments at the start of the film.