Beverly D'Angelo, Connie Booth, Daryl Hannah

Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, My Favorite Year) gives an exuberant performance in High Spirits. Peter Plunkett (O'Toole) hopes to save his mortgaged castle by turning it into...( read more  read more... ) a tourist attraction--the most haunted castle in Ireland. When American tourists arrive--among them Jack (Steve Guttenberg) and Sharon (Beverly D'Angelo), a couple whose marriage is rapidly disintegrating--Plunkett's tomfoolery arouses the real ghosts, who decide to give these interlopers everything they're asking for. But when Jack accidentally helps a beautiful ghost named Mary (Daryl Hannah), she decides he's the man to help her break the curse she's been suffering for 200 years. High Spirits is an odd foray into comedy by director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire). The special effects are clumsy, but the strong supporting cast includes Jennifer Tilly, Peter Gallagher, and Liam Neeson as Mary's murderous 200-year-old husband. --Bret Fetzer

Flixster Users

59% liked it

6,455 ratings

Critics

18% liked it

11 critics

PG-13, 99 min.

Directed by: Neil Jordan

Release Date: November 18, 1988

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 4, 2002

Get It:

Stats: 240 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (240)


  • September 24, 2009
    A Childhood favourite, I hadn?t realised it was Neil Jordan film until quite recent!
  • June 1, 2008
    A good laugh...
    Set in a remote Irish castle, High Spirits is a topsy-turvy comedy with thematic leanings towards Ireland's rich folklore regarding ghosts and spirits...
    Peter O'Toole is Peter Plunkett, the owner of a dilapidated Irish castle which acts as a bed and breakfast s...( read more)upplying the only employment for the local villagers. Owing money to an American businessman, Plunkett has the idea to turn the castle into "The most haunted castle in Europe" for the tourist trade. He and his wacky staff of Irish characters set about creating ghost costumes and effects for their first group of American lodgers.
    At first annoyed by the inept hauntings, the American guests (including Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D'Angelo, Connie Booth and Jennifer Tilly) soon get what they paid for as the genuine ghosts of Castle Plunkett take umbrage with being cheaply exploited and stage a full scale paranormal event.
    Two of the castle's ghosts, Mary Plunkett and Martin Brogan (played by Daryl Hannah and Liam Neeson) become romantically entangled with Guttenberg and D'Angelo's characters. This romantic twist is the focus of most of the plot.
  • October 5, 2007
    watched this a total...no lie...of 50 times!!!!
  • March 13, 2007
    WTF, what are these big name actors doing with Steve? This movie was lovably wack-o. A great walk down memory lane for me. :)
  • February 28, 2006
    At no point was I fully aware of where the film was headed, and I was left with teh idea that maybe, just maybe, it could have been made lighter - but that is Jordan's gift, so I've come to appreciate this film more and more with every viewing - definitely an acquired taste.
  • October 22, 2009
    Great little comedy/scare fest with a great cast!
  • October 4, 2009
    High Spirits is high-spirited fun with ghosts and the haunted castle as a tourist attraction. Great film! :)
  • September 4, 2009
    Liam Neeson is in it so I NEED 2 SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • July 5, 2009
    This movie was cute...It was actually better than I thought it would be.
  • June 4, 2009
    A down and out owner of a castle tries to raise money by offering that the castle is haunted! As tourists flock in, it becomes apparent that not only is it really haunted, but the ghosts like to play tricks.. and much more.
    Do not miss this one.. sure to please any age.

Critic Reviews


Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "High Spirits" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Haunted Mansion
    The Haunted Mansion (100%)
  • The Ghost Goes West
    The Ghost Goes West (100%)
  • House of the Long Shadows
    House of the Long Shadows (100%)
  • Ghost Busters (Ghostbusters)
    Ghost Busters (Ghostbusters) (58%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

High Spirits : Watch Free on TV


High Spirits Trivia


  • Peter O'Toole, Darryl Hannah, Steve Guttenberg, Liam Neeson, a haunted bus & a couple of banshees?  Answer »
  • Which actor featured in the following movies - Gangs of New York High Spirits The Dead Pool Suspect  Answer »
  • In what movie taking place in Ireland's Castle Plunkett does love overcome the boundaries between the living and the dead?   Answer »
  • Which movie contained the quote, "My love, my reason for dying."?  Answer »

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?