Jasper's Ghost
Jasper's Ghost
| 09 October 1992 (USA)
Jasper's Ghost Trailers

11-year-old Jasper may just be starting puberty, but so far he has experienced a lifetime of emotions. On the day his beloved grandfather dies, he is charged with taking care of the elder's pet cat. The local town bully, Mourids however, has his own ideas on how to take care of the frisky feline and wastes no time with showing Jasper just what he thinks of cats. Enter Far, a significantly more mature girl who Jasper is attracted to. It's love at first sight for Jasper, but will Far return the puppy love or will Jasper find out the hard way that she is actually Mourid's girlfriend?

Reviews
Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
huh_oh_i_c Jasper is this young boy who loses someone close to him. But since this is a light hearted film, there is no real mourning as such, just curiosity, mixed with a little mystery, or Scandinavian Magic Realism Light if I give in to an urge to label this flic. Jasper goes out to research what might have happened to his dear lost family-member. This is very much like a children's detective-book. There's some stuff about a cat, and what can happen to you around water etc, but the story line is not very surprising.Worth mentioning are the limited acting abilities of Benjamin Rothenborg Vibe, which is reflected in his limited subsequent career, the excellent acting of Patrick Ytting, but we have to admit that he has the right face for the bad guy, and the awful casting of Benjamin Rothenborg Vibe opposite of Helle Fagralid: She's like 2 heads bigger than him, this looks horribly incredible as his love interest! Admittedly, she has more 'babe'-qualities than Mille Lehfeldt, but Lehfeldt would've been better suited as the love interest, same height, same physical development, same hair and skin tone, and, most importantly, NOT FIVE YEARS OLDER!!!! I mean, oh my GOD !!! what were they thinking!?! Sure, Fagralid is rather stunning and looks a lot like Brooke Shields and I like pretty girls as much as anybody else, but she could easily have been his MOTHER instead of his classmate. Last scene, where they kiss, she has nearly to bent double to try to kiss him! Couldn't anyone have given him a bucket or something?About the so-called "underage nudity": Since she was a whopping SEVENTEEN (17!) when the movie was shot, there IS no underage nudity, and if someone wants to bring up Lehfeldt's upper torso nudity, in the light of the complete and upper absence of girl-parts whatsoever, there's nothing to discuss either.
przgzr This is a very unusual movie regarding the theme it deals with and age it is made for.This is a children movie, but a family movie as well. Considering its theme, maybe it would be the best for grown-ups in the family to watch it first if their children are young, to be prepared for some explanations.The reason: though there are many equally important moments in the movie including common as school relations, first love, relations child - pet animal etc., there are two almost taboo themes for children movies strongly emphasized here. The first is bullying, but this one seems less interesting and quite understandable. The other is a death of a family member. There are many children movies where somebody dies. Many orphans were main characters (Annie, Oliver Twist etc), but watching those movies kids only get information that somebody has died before. It is sad, but it doesn't open any questions. Unfortunately, it happens that some children have to cope with death in real life, and it is hard for adults, harder even more because they have to cope with that loss themselves too. And this movie is something to help them (so they can help their kids; it certainly won't be a great comfort for adults). The death - the fact of dying, of mortality itself, consequences the death brings to the living - is uniquely presented without pathetic, horrific or disturbing scenes. Death is natural and transcendent in the same time, and believe or not, it is made understandable for any age old enough to sit 90 minutes and watch a movie. I don't say it's not for other children, on the contrary, death can happen at any time, and having this film seen before can be helpful later ("Do you remember that movie you've seen before about a boy, his cat and his grandfather?"...). But if a tragedy happens, I can't remember a better way to diminish pain to a little older kids, and curiosity in smaller ones (when they start asking questions that hurt as much as the fact what has happened).Just some notes more: I can't get it why people send comments about movies they possibly couldn't understand not knowing the language. All they can comment are photography or music (and even that not related to the plot). In a movie like this it is necessary to understand every word (it reminds me, if your copy is subtitled be sure you children are old enough to read!).Second, both comments I saw here mention underage nudity. If you don't believe and don't teach your children that nudity is a bigger sin than murder (shown in countless movies and cartoons your children probably watch), don't be afraid to watch it together. The movie is made in a culture different than US (or Islamic countries) and such a nudity is absolutely natural there, you can see it on any beach in Europe. The only one who makes this skinny-dipping (only topless) look dirty is the only evil character, a priest's son, while bullying Jasper in a cruel and graphic-shown way (that nobody seems to find disturbing and comment it). So better be prepared to educate your children about cruelty that might lead to tragedy (as almost happened in that scene), and that is one more good possible use of this movie. The fact that the priest's son is so evil doesn't mean this movie is anti-religious, the priest is O.K. character. But don't expect death to be described in Christian, Moslem, Judaic or any other religion stereotyped way! But if you're lucky enough not to have problems with bullying or death, watching this movie still won't be a wasted time. I recorded it from TV; my kids are big but I think of keeping it for my grandchildren. I hope, just for pleasure...
SUGARCUBES Other than that, I don't know what the film is about. I don't understand Danish! Very hard to find outside of Denmark actually. Maybe under the title "Jasper's Ghost" it's easier to find? Very much a children's film like the Goonies. One of the girls goes topless in one quite long scene. Unusual for this day and age I think! Harmless though as she's just playing in a shallow river with her friend. In this river lives Jasper's Ghost. But don't be scared. The ghost is friendly! It seems only Jasper can see the Ghost. One day the river is raging and sweeps away a boy. A boy who has bullied Jasper but Jasper still jumps in to save him and becomes the hero of the day!
moz-1 This is quite an interesting piece; fairly chilling for a kids movie. There are some enduring images amidst the sloppy storyline, but (other than the pre-pubescent nudity) for me youngster Patrick Ytting steals the show as the sadistic, cat-murdering, sausage-throwing, preist's son Mourids. I happen to be fortunate enough to share a few film classes with Patrick and live about five minutes away from him. Its quite weird to have a conversation with greatness(!) Watch it if you know someone whose in it and they are prepared to translate it for you, otherwise go for a better kiddy tale; like the Goonies.