Indie “Ghostlight” Spotlights Power of Theatre to Cope with Grief

In the spirit of CODA and Sing Sing, here’s a sleeper indie about how performing arts can rescue a life sliding out of control. Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s Ghostlight (B) focuses on a burly construction worker (Keith Kupferer) coping with tragedy. The actor’s real-life wife and teenage daughter Tara Mallen and Katherine Mallen Kupferer play his similarly struggling and idiosyncratic family, and Dolly de Leon (always a delight) is the leader of a theatrical troupe conveniently located beside our protagonist’s work site. Soon a role in a Shakespeare play becomes its own form of therapy. Too many on-the-nose moments of convenience in the first reel bog down the story, but patient viewers will find this is an extremely emotional and fulfilling work. All three actors in the grieving family are superb, and there’s a lead actor performance here worthy of awards. The music is good too, with some nice use of several “Oklahoma!” chestnuts. The colorfully drawn and authentic characters and several engaging final reel subplots help transcend the formula. 

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