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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ghosts_cant_do_it.jpeg]]
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3''Ghosts Can't Do It'' is a 1989 American romantic fantasy comedy film written and directed by John Derek, and starring Creator/BoDerek and Creator/AnthonyQuinn.
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5Scott and Kate are happily married despite their notable age difference. After Scott suffers a heart attack that leaves him ravaged and unable to have sexual relations with Kate, he commits suicide and becomes a ghost that only Kate can see and speak with. To make it possible for Scott to return as a human, they conjure up a plan to have a young man die so that Scott can take his body.
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8!!''Ghosts Can't Do It'' provides examples of:
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10* AccidentalMurder: A slight zigzag: in order to keep its presumed heroine from committing murder, the movie has her chosen victim die through an accident just as she was going to kill him.
11* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: Kate is at one point chased from the shower to a swimming pool by a hit man (MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext), where she says that she will not let him rape her. When the man then makes it clear that he has no intention of raping her, but wants to ''kill her'', she changes her tune, and actually starts negotiating with the hitman if he doesn't want to change his mind.
12* AsHimself: UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump appears as himself, as apparently the Scotts were trying to strike a business deal with the real estate mogul.
13* BargainWithHeaven: Scott convinces a gullible angel to allow him to return as a ghost to be with his wife.
14* TheCameo: Besides Donald Trump AsHimself, Julie Newmar appears as the angel who helps Scott in the afterlife.
15* CreditsGag: Donald Trump is credited in the closing credits as "And yes, that really was Donald Trump."
16* DownerBeginning: The film begins with Scott having his heart attack.
17* DrivenToSuicide: Scott commits suicide after his heart attack leaves him unable to have sex with Kate.
18* HollywoodHeartAttack: Scott's heart attack is just one overdramatic chest-clutching away from doing every gesture associated with one.
19* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: The film's title is displayed as "''Ghosts Can't Do It'', by John Derek". It's not uncommon for a film's title to be displayed this way in a poster, but less so for the film itself to do it!
20* MayDecemberRomance: Scott is stated to be 30 years older than Kate (Anthony Quinn was actually 40 years older than Bo Derek); assuming that Kate was around 30 (Derek was 32 during filming), Scott was 60 or older. Even before his death it was obviously an issue, with Scott not being able to keep to the pace with the more youthful Kate.
21* MeaningfulName: The guy Kate wants for Scott to possess is named Myth/{{Faust}}o - not a deal with the devil, but the underworld/afterlife connection is still there.
22* MsFanservice: Kate. She's Bo Derek in a movie directed by her husband, so of course she's frequently naked.
23* OurAngelsAreDifferent: According to this movie, angels may look like Julie Newmar, and they wear butterfly-shaped decorative items on their hands.
24* SpiritAdvisor: Scott can communicate with Kate after his death, appearing in some kind of water reflection.
25* TitleDrop: "You're a ghost, Scott. And ghosts can't do it, that's simple."

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