SUPER NATURAL HEART BREAKER
REMEMBERING THE HAUNTING BEAUTY AND EMOTION THREE DECADES LATER
The unforgettable story of love, loss and life on the other side in Ghost was more than just a box-office hit – it was a romance for the ages. Now, 30 years later, the movie holds up as an enduring Hollywood classic.
When Sam (Patrick Swayze) is unexpectedly gunned-down on the streets of New York City, his partner Molly (Demi Moore) is left behind to pick up the pieces and navigate the world alone. What she doesn’t realise is there’s more to Sam’s death than meets the eye.
Not only was his passing no accident – his spirit will not rest until he exposes the truth and keeps Molly safe. With the help of fake-but-real psychic, Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), the two race to save Molly’s life before it’s too late.
While the film’s special effects show their age, the movie still hits all the right notes thanks largely to the stellar performances of Whoopi, Demi and Patrick. Whoopi won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Oda Mae, at the 63rd Academy Awards, making her only the second black woman to win an Oscar for acting at the time.
During an episode of The View in 2008, Whoopi attributed the win to Patrick and the direct influence he had on the casting of the film.
“We had never met but he liked what I did, and he knew that I was right, and he said ‘I’m not doing it unless she does it’,” she explained. “I won an Oscar because of Patrick Swayze.”
THE MUSIC
Featuring the iconic 1955 song ‘Unchained Melody’, the Ghost soundtrack was instantly
recognisable and saw the hit song, in a version recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1965, return to the charts in the ’90s
THAT POTTERY SCENE Considered one of cinema’s most romantic moments, the famed pottery wheel scene between Sam and Molly felt as close to a real seduction as audiences could get. The passion between the two characters was present both on-screen and off.
“When we did the rehearsal, I just remember that it was sexy enough that it embarrassed Patrick and Demi a little bit when they were doing it,” director Jerry Zucker said during the Ghost DVD commentary.
MEMORABLE ONE-LINERS “Molly, you in danger, girl!” What started life as a simple line in the movie by Oda Mae has since turned into an internet sensation and popular meme thanks to Whoopi’s flawless delivery. “Ditto” is Sam’s way of responding to Molly when she says she loves him. But when he finally tells her he loves her, she turns the tables and says, “Ditto.”
AN ETERNAL LEGACY Patrick was catapulted to superstardom thanks to his role as Johnny Castle in the 1987 hit film, Dirty Dancing. While a number of iconic parts followed, it was his portrayal of Sam in
Ghost just three years later that had audiences swooning all over again.
But Patrick wasn’t just charismatic on screen – he had emotional depth and innately relatable human qualities off screen too.
During the Barbara Walters Special in 1988, the actor openly wept when asked about the death of his father. “I was going to make that man proud of me until I die. Everything he wanted for me, everything he dreamed about, he never got to know,” he said. Together with his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, Patrick went on to fulfil a lifelong dream of opening a horse ranch in the San Fernando Valley to breed Arabian horses. He also continued to act, even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008.
“I don’t know what’s on the other side, it tests everything I believe in,” he told Barbara Walters in a follow up interview in 2009. “I’m trying to shut up and let my angels speak to me and tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
Just months later in September 2009, Patrick lost his battle with cancer at the age of 57. He was remembered fondly by his former co-stars, with no other tribute quite as poignant as that by Demi.
“Patrick you are loved by so many and your light will forever shine in all of our lives,” she tweeted. “In the words of Sam to Molly. ‘It’s amazing Molly. The love inside, you take it with you.’ I will miss you.”