The Canterville Ghost (1996 film)
| The Canterville Ghost | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Family Drama Fantasy |
| Written by |
Oscar Wilde (story) Robert Benedetti (teleplay) |
| Directed by | Sydney Macartney |
| Starring |
Patrick Stewart Neve Campbell |
| Music by | Ernest Troost |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Richard Welsh Brent Shields (co-executive producer) |
| Producer(s) | Patrick Stewart Malcolm J. Christopher Robert Benedetti |
| Location(s) | Knebworth House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, UK |
| Cinematography | Dennis C. Lewiston |
| Editor(s) | Jim Oliver Paul Martin Smith |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Signboard Hill Productions Anasazi Co. (USA) |
| Distributor | ABC |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | January 27, 1996 |
The Canterville Ghost is a 1996 family film directed by Sydney Macartney. The mystery, romance, and adventure stars Patrick Stewart and Neve Campbell; it is based on an 1887 Oscar Wilde short story of the same title which was serialized in the magazine The Court and Society Review. This story has been adapted to film and made-for-TV movies several times since the original film of the same name.
Hiram Otis comes to England with his wife, daughter and two sons on a research grant; he and his family will live in a castle called Canterville Hall. But the Castle is haunted by the ghost of a deceased ancestor, Sir Simon de Canterville, doomed to remain on the estate after the death of his wife; his goal is to send the family packing so he begins a ghostly reign of terror: reappearing bloodstains, clanking chains, haunting moans. As is revealed by Lord Canterville (Sir Simon's descendant) and the servants Mr. and Mrs. Umney, numerous people have stayed at Canterville Hall in the last few years and have all been scared away by Sir Simon - the locals start betting on how long the Otis family will stay.
Virginia 'Ginny' Otis, the daughter, starts to get suspicious when it becomes apparent that the mysterious noises are not her younger brothers playing tricks and discovers a mysterious prophecy in a book about the house's history. She also discovers a secret passage in the library that leads to a cell where Sir Simon resides during the day with his raven familiar Gabriel. Initially disliking the house and life in England, Ginny starts to appreciate her new home and becomes attracted to Francis, the young Duke of Cheshire, who has also seen Sir Simon's ghost. Unfortunately, Hiram does not believe in ghosts and accuses Ginny of trying to scare the family so they'll return to America.
Sir Simon becomes infuriated by the family's resilience and is himself scared by a fake ghost that the boys built. Angrily chasing the Otis children, Sir Simon causes Ginny to get in even more trouble with her father - who is so sceptical he can't even see Sir Simon. Ginny uses the secret passage to return to the cell and yells at the ghost for getting her in trouble, but ultimately ends up befriending him. Later, Francis takes a walk with Ginny and explains that Sir Simon was suspected of murdering his wife Lady Eleanor and his fate remains unknown. He and Ginny eventually separate in the Canterville chapel, but Sir Simon appears to the tearful Ginny and advises her to not let her fears ruin her chances of finding true love. Ginny follows his advice and makes her feelings apparent to Francis.
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