A Ghost Story, is a slow but creative and melancholy film that will ignite your emotions. For some, this film might have felt like a waste of your time. It’s not your action packed film nor your feel good comedy but a film that demands your attention and patience. The unique storytelling explores the one thing we all hate to face … losing someone.
The pie scene from A Ghost Story captivates the very nature of death and time. I have such an appreciation for this scene for it’s boldness in trying to catch the emotions of loss, some may disagree with how long and boring it is. However, it captures what grief looks like. For me, it’s what defines the movie.
Not even the pumpkin pie could make Rooney’s character feel better, instead she eats it with emotion (I mean, who hasn’t done that). The more she eats, the more she processes and you see this so clearly in the way Rooney acts, her slow escalation of sobbing and heavy inhaling turns into the anger she’s trying to cope with, the absence of her spouse.
The way this shot is set up also conveys her inner turmoil but also her whole world, sitting on the floor conveys a loss of hope, drop of despair or comfort in whatever way that is when someone’s grieving. The disposition of Rooney on the floor and the ghost looking at her feels somewhat like a trap in time.
It’s honest, real and relatable. Director David Lowery did an incredible job with the feel and profound visuals of the scene, I will forever love it for it’s creative and moving portrayal of loss.