Ghost World (4 Stars)

Only stupid people have good relationships.

I never really thought about this before watching the film, but it makes sense. Superficial people find it easier to enter a relationship. They unite in their pursuit of mediocrity, and they're glad to settle with what society calls normal: house, children, job, car, yearly holidays. They don't question the world as it's presented to them, so they can be happy with what they have. They can be happy with one another, as long as the relationship fulfils their selfish needs for warmth, security and sex.

It's different for intelligent people. In my definition, an intelligent person is someone who thinks for himself. This means that it's impossible for two intelligent people to be on an equal footing, because their thoughts will be developing at different speeds or in different directions. In their relationship they question everything. They question themselves and they question one another. It's possible that they can overlook things that would prevent intimate relationships between superficial people, such as differences in age or cultural background, but what separates them is their thoughts. The things that divide them might be very slight, but their deep thoughts magnify the gulf in their minds.

In "Donnie Darko" we're told that every living being dies alone. "Ghost World" tells us that many people also live alone. The intelligent thinking person's eyes are wide open to the absurdity of life. Even close friends like Enid and Rebecca feel a gulf between them. After leaving school Rebecca settles down to accept society's norms, by getting a job and renting an apartment. Enid continues to stagger around town in a daze, overwhelmed by the enormity of life, until she finally boards a bus, the only passenger on a journey to nowhere.