Challenge,  Recommended Reading

We Have a Ghost.. Movie

June 20, 2023 /

On Netflix…

Kris and I watched it and not only is it funny as hell, but actually has good family stuff and emotion and a great ending.

The movie is based on a short story called “Ernest” by Geoff Manaugh who is a well-known writer of architecture articles and articles on cities and such, mostly for the New York Times Magazine, among other places.

He is also a. major blogger in that field.

The story was first published in Vice in 2017 and optioned almost at once for a movie, but not by Netflix. I have no idea how it ended up in Netflix.

And the story is not at all like the movie, other than the concept that there is a ghost named Earnest in this house.

Manaugh got story credit in the first cards as well as producer credit, so more than likely (me just guessing) he made a good half million off that short story from just the movie. Maybe more with other stuff being optioned now.

So a movie worth watching if you want something that will make you howl with laughter and touch your heart. Called “We Have A Ghost” and just came out on Netflix.

And an author who did the deal right and then got out of the way and let the movie people make a much better movie than the story.

5 Comments

  • Emilia Pulliainen

    June 20, 2023 at 4:45 am

    That sounds fun. Also I’ve started writing ghost characters recently, so I can do a research watch after the first, just for fun, watch.

  • James Palmer

    June 20, 2023 at 5:03 am

    We watched that a few months ago and really enjoyed it. Funny with a lot of heart. David Harbour is terrific as the sympathetic “Ernest”.

    I didn’t know about the movie’s origins though. That’s interesting. Good for Manaugh.

  • Martin Barkawitz

    June 20, 2023 at 9:43 am

    Thanks for mentioning the movie, Dean – and also that it’s based on a short story by Geoff Manaugh (probably complete unknown writer here in Germany). Very interesting. Netflix has already a German dubbed version, so I will watch it the other night.

  • Rob Cornell

    June 20, 2023 at 9:53 am

    My family loved it too. And David Harbour’s performance as Ernest was both touching and hilarious all without delivering a single line of dialogue.