2001, 1 hr 45 min., Rated R for strong language and some sexual content.�Dir: Terry Zwigoff. Cast: Thora Birch (Enid), Scarlett Johansson (Rebecca), Steve Buscemi (Seymour), Brad Renfro (Josh), Illeana Douglas (Roberta), Bob Balaban (Enid's Dad), Teri Garr (Maxine), Stacey Travis (Dana).

Here's another movie I needed to catch up to from early last year, and since it was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay the need was that much greater. I've heard it's adapted from an alternative comic book by Daniel Clowes, but since I don't read them I can't compare. They tell me director Terry Zwigoff made an excellent documentary "Crumb," but again I never saw it so can't say.

But something I can comment on are the solid performances of leads Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi, in a movie about and for those who have at times felt disconnected with the world around them.

Unfortunately, for that reason, I didn't connect with Ghost World.

This is not, as brainiac Alec Baldwin might think, a horror movie. Birch (Enid) and Johansson (Becky) are a couple of anti-cool girls who graduate high school at the beginning, and spend a summer trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives, not to mention what to do with every other day.

They're full of quips on the dreadfulness of life and the countless people they can't stand, yet all the while you get the feeling they'd like to be a part of the in-crowd. All the bratty pranks they pull and making fun of people, it's the same thing they castigate the cool kids for, yet because these girls are anti-cool, well, then I guess it's supposed to be okay.

Some of the zingers do make you giggle and groan, "Ouch": Her observation of two classmates at the post-graduation party goes like this: "He'd better be careful he doesn't get AIDS when he date rapes her."

Enter Steve Buscemi - the old reliable Indie oddball eccentric loser - who's "such a clueless dork, he's almost kind of cool." An added plus was Illeana Douglas as a really offbeat art teacher, but that's like being surprised that Siegfried and Roy enjoy interior decorating.

Ghost World is mostly frustrating. I wouldn't want to spend five minutes with Enid, and generally feel that she reaps what she sows and don't feel sorry for any result to her actions. She can't hold a job for more than a day and can't commit to a conversation, let alone a job or friends or moving to an apartment. Enid doesn't realize it's her attitude, not her looks, that has guys preferring Becky.

She's such an outsider that she went back inside and right back outside. Enid doesn't know what she wants - she's an artist but only as a hobby, and hangs around adults thinking she's grown-up and sophisticated, yet acts childishly at every turn. And through this hatred of people, she's entirely too honest, which leads to no good most of the time.

You must realize, though, that I'm in no way advocating more cookie-cutter teen flicks. Far from it. I know many will relate and think this movie was made for them and is their story - but not mine. At times humorous but mostly sad, I can say that I may not have a life, but at least I'm still close to my family and feel part of American culture at large.

My sister thought it was the greatest thing since Smokey and the Bandit. Okay, I made that up. But she did enjoy it. Her recommendation:

"I thought ghost world was really great... I would never hang out with Enid because she can be MEAN, but at the same time it reminds me of myself in high school. Definitely rent it."

The verdict:

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