The Canterville Ghost

TV Movie
1986
PG
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

981

YOUR RATING

John Gielgud, Alyssa Milano, and Ted Wass in The Canterville Ghost (1986)

Comedy Family Fantasy

A girl befriends a mischievous English ghost trying to scare her family (his descendants) back to America.A girl befriends a mischievous English ghost trying to scare her family (his descendants) back to America.A girl befriends a mischievous English ghost trying to scare her family (his descendants) back to America.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

981

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The school, named "All Hallows School" in the film, is the real "All Hallows School" at East Cranmore, near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. The gym scene was also filmed there. The Cherry Jumpers are the uniform for the real school too. The nearby Cranmore railway station is the setting for the station in the film and the crossroads with the turning signpost is nearby.

Goofs
As Harry drives Jennifer home, he suddenly slams on the brakes, yet the white car following very closely behind does not run into him. It completely vanishes from existence with the application of the brakes.

Quotes
Jennifer Canterville: God bless you.
Sir Simon de Canterville: What?
Jennifer Canterville: I said "God bless you."
Sir Simon de Canterville: Why would He do that?
Jennifer Canterville: Because you sneezed.
Sir Simon de Canterville: Don't be foolish. Ghosts don't sneeze.
Jennifer Canterville: You know, you've been here for over a week. You've probably caught a cold.
Sir Simon de Canterville: Impossible. Ghosts don't catch cold.
Jennifer Canterville: Nevertheless, you've caught a cold.

Connections
References The Court Jester (1955)

User reviews7

Review

Featured review

9/10

This is a "must see" for any fan of Sir John Gielgud!

As much as I looked forward to and really wanted to like Patrick Stewart's portrayal of Sir Simon de Canterville, it just fell flat when compared to this version of the ghost played by Sir John Gielgud. As another reviewer wrote "he is Delightful!" He knows how to embody an English aristocrat with the proper snobbery and yet he still brings a light sensitive humor to the role that is just perfect.

Ted Wass, Andrea Marcovicci and Alyssa Milano are well cast as a family that is struggling to come to terms with all the changes that have been thrown at them and although Ted can be a little over the top at times in other movies in this one he maintains just the right balance of humor without stepping over the line and ruining the tone of the move.

This is a "must see" for any fan of Sir John Gielgud!