The Canterville Ghost (PG)

Age 8+

Spooky animated Oscar Wilde story has themes around death.

“The Canterville Ghost” is an animated adaptation of the Oscar Wilde ghost story. Set in Victorian England, the movie has a culture clash setup when a family from the United States moves into a house that’s been haunted by the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville (voice of Stephen Fry) for the past 300 years. He tries to scare them away, but they are more curious than terrified. The movie has scary moments but nothing too intense. However, there is lots of discussion around death. The Grim Reaper (Hugh Laurie) holds a sand timer to represent life and says that it goes by so quickly, with the moral being to make the most of it. A character is accused of murdering his wife, and a young couple strike up a relationship, with no sexual overtones. Violence includes sword fights and a scene of threat when a man is trapped under a chandelier in a burning building. A young woman dies during a scene in which she is helping someone but is revived. The film has positive messages about friendship and teamwork. (89 minutes)

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