One of the most talked about on-screen moments at this year’s Sundance Film Festival came in David Lowery‘s “A Ghost Story,” and it might be the mildest scene of any movie to ever spark this amount of chatter. It’s nothing more than Rooney Mara sitting down at a table, and spending nearly five minutes eating almost an entire pie. Needless to say, that’s probably the first indication that film is not what the title might imply.
Co-starring Casey Affleck, and shot last summer in a low-key manner by Lowery once he was done with his duties on his underrated Disney reboot “Pete’s Dragon,” the movie tells the simple story of a recently deceased man returning as a ghost to visit his grief-stricken wife. Here’s the official synopsis:
With A Ghost Story, acclaimed director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon) returns with a singular exploration of legacy, loss, and the essential human longing for meaning and connection. Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost (Academy Award-winner Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife (Academy Award-nominee Rooney Mara), only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away. Increasingly unmoored, the ghost embarks on a cosmic journey through memory and history, confronting life’s ineffable questions and the enormity of existence. An unforgettable meditation on love and grief, A Ghost Story emerges ecstatic and surreal—a wholly-unique experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
“A Ghost Story” opens on July 7th.
