We all know the infamous scene. Patrick Swayze spoons Demi Moore with his body as she’s throwing a pot on the wheel, unapologetically ruining her hard work, but it’s okay because he’s PATRICK-freaking-SWAYZE. “Unchained Melody” plays in the background as their hands get messy with wet clay, and the foreplay quickly heats up. Ghost (Disc/Download) is a romantic, sexy film, but it’s also so much more than that. Paranormal thriller, murder mystery, comedy, heist—this one straddles genres like Demi straddles that wheel, and I dare you to find the person who doesn’t like at least something about this movie.
Meanwhile, there are those (okay, me) who like everything about this movie. The heartfelt romance between Swayze and Moore’s characters, the sweet friendship ghost-Patrick finds in the unlikeliest of places with psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), the twisty-turny murder plot, and yes, even the special effects. Although nowhere near as polished as what we’d see today, for 1990 they were fairly impressive. And let’s not forget the script, which only hits harder with each passing year. Now that I know what it feels like to lose a loved one, I understand the desperation in these characters in a way I couldn’t have thirty years ago. They’d give anything for one more second, one more touch, one last opportunity to say what they’re feeling. This movie isn’t selling love, or redemption, or revenge, but rather… hope. Hope that “one more second” is possible.
I know a lot of people don’t believe in ghosts, but I am not among them. In fact, I have one that haunts my home bar (no joke). Swizzle sticks have moved on their own, ice tongs have clattered to the ground, and the dog once growled at a bottle of Cointreau like it was a poltergeist. So let’s celebrate my inebriated invisible friend with this silver-toned tiki cocktail, the Ghost Orchid.
Ghost Orchid
2 oz Silver Demerara Rum
¾ oz Lime Juice
¾ oz Pineapple Juice
½ oz Crème de Violette
½ oz Orgeat
Lime wheel and orchid flower for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a fresh orchid and dried lime wheel.
As someone who is married to a potter, I can tell you the wheel scene is not as sexy as it appears. They don’t show the clay-splattered laundry, the dust tracks all over the floor, or the never-ending piles of cups and saucers littering the kitchen counter. But you know what is sexy? A person who can make something with their hands, who sees what others can’t. Who sees the potential, the hope, even in a wet ball of mud. Because maybe, that person sees the same hope in you too. Cheers!
Cinema Sips 