Themes: Supernatural Romance, Cons and Scams, Ghosts
Main Cast: Daryl Hannah, Peter O'Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D'Angelo, Liam Neeson, Jennifer Tilly
Release Year: 1988
Country: US/IE/UK
Run Time: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
The owner of an Irish castle decides to attract visitors by falsely claiming that the building is haunted, only to have a pair of real ancestral spirits start causing trouble in this uneven attempt at fantasy-comedy. The story centers on Jack and Sharon (played by Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo), naive American tourists who are initially unimpressed by the owner's attempts at fraud but become more interested in the real ghosts, Mary and Martin (played by Daryl Hannah and Liam Neeson). This is especially true for Jack, who falls in love with the beautiful Mary, despite several centuries' difference in their ages. After the film's initial unsuccessful release, people involved with the production blamed studio interference for damaging director Neil Jordan's original vision, although Jordan is better known as a director of quirky, dark dramas (Mona Lisa, The Crying Game, Interview With a Vampire, The Company of Wolves). For whatever reason, the end result was an awkward, forced comedy that more often than not falls flat, squandering a strong collection of talent. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Peter Gallagher - Brother Tony; Ray McAnally - Plunkett Senior; Martin Ferrero - Malcolm; Connie Booth - Marge; Donal McCann - Eamon; Liz Smith - Mrs. Plunkett; Mary Coughlan - Katie; Aimée Delamain - Great Granny Plunkett; Tom Hickey - Sampson; Krista Hornish - Wendy; Little John - Gateman; Preston Lockwood - Great Uncle Peter; Hilary Reynolds - Patricia; Tony Rohr - Christy; Ruby Buchanan - Great Aunt Nan; Isolde Cazelet - Julia; "Little" John Gateman; Paul O'Sullivan - Graham; Matthew Wright - Woody
Credit
Nigel Phelps - Art Director, Alan Tomkins - Art Director, Les Tomkins - Supervising Art Director, Peter Chiang - Animator, Jon Turtle - Associate Producer, Jane Jenkins - Casting, Janet Hirshenson - Casting, Susie Figgis - Casting, Micha Bergese - Choreography, Nik Powell - Co-producer, David Saunders - Co-producer, Stephen Woolley - Co-producer, Selwyn Roberts - Co-producer, Emma Porteous - Costume Designer, Patrick Clayton - First Assistant Director, Neil Jordan - Director, Derek Meddings - Second Unit Director, Michael Bradsell - Editor, Mark Damon - Executive Producer, Moshe Diamant - Executive Producer, George Fenton - Composer (Music Score), Peter Robb-King - Makeup, Anton Furst - Production Designer, Alan Tomkins - Production Designer, Les Tomkins - Production Designer, Alex Thomson - Cinematographer, Eduard Sarlui - Producer, Barbara Drake - Set Designer, Derek Meddings - Special Effects, David John - Sound/Sound Designer, Martin Grace - Stunts, Neil Jordan - Screenwriter, Steven Kampmann - Screenwriter, Michael McDowell - Screenwriter, Paul Wilson - Second Unit Director Of Photography
High Spirits is an 1988 comedy film directed by Neil Jordan.
Set in a remote Irish castle, High Spirits is a topsy-turvy comedy with thematic leanings towards Ireland's rich folklore regarding ghosts and spirits, where the castle starts to come to life with the help of such denizens.
Peter O'Toole is Peter Plunkett, the owner of a dilapidated Irish castle which acts as a bed and breakfast supplying the only employment for the local villagers. Owing money to an American businessman, Plunkett has the idea to turn the castle into "The most haunted castle in Europe" for the tourist trade. He and his wacky staff of Irish characters set about creating ghost costumes and effects for their first group of American lodgers.
At first annoyed by the inept hauntings, the American guests (including Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D'Angelo, Connie Booth, Peter Gallagher and Jennifer Tilly) soon get what they paid for as the genuine ghosts of Castle Plunkett take umbrage with being cheaply exploited and stage a full scale paranormal event.
Two of the castle's ghosts, Mary Plunkett and Martin Brogan (played by Daryl Hannah and Liam Neeson) become romantically entangled with Guttenberg and D'Angelo's characters. This romantic twist is the focus of most of the plot.
