| Errors | Missing | Unverified | Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
Okay, based on my internal knowledge of Ghost (1990), here's a breakdown of who ends up better and worse compared to their starting point in the film:
Ends Up Better:
* Oda Mae Brown: At the beginning, Oda Mae is a reluctant psychic scam artist who only pretends to be able to communicate with the dead. By the end, she discovers that she truly possesses her powers, and uses them for good, helping Sam achieve justice. She becomes braver, more confident, and, crucially, she gains a newfound respect and purpose for her abilities. She finally has proof that her gift is real. She also gains a great deal of money, and while she is concerned about giving it back, she would likely never have had that amount of money beforehand.
* Sam Wheat: In life, Sam struggles to express his emotions, particularly his love for Molly. He is work-oriented, and it keeps him from being open. In death, he learns to communicate, fight for what's right, and ultimately is able to express his feelings to Molly, finally telling her he loves her. He evolves from a slightly closed-off individual into someone who is emotionally open and who understands the value of love. His soul finds peace as he is finally able to move on to the afterlife.
Ends Up Worse:
* Carl Bruner: Carl starts the film as Sam's seemingly supportive best friend and business partner. He secretly launders money for illegal activity and then hires Willy Lopez to mug Sam, with the intention of killing him. By the end of the film, his greed and betrayal are exposed, and he is killed by a collection of angry spirits. He ultimately suffers the consequences of his wicked actions. He goes from successful and affluent to dead and doomed.
* Willy Lopez: Willy is a petty thief hired by Carl to rob and ultimately murder Sam. At the beginning of the film, he is simply a petty criminal who commits the actual mugging of Sam. By the end, he is terrified by Sam's ghost, and murdered by Sam as revenge for the mugging. Although he was not a 'good' character, he dies a more violent death because of his position.
(Note: This summary was generated by Gemini 2.0 Flash)
This is a crucial plot distinction. The AI Summary states Carl hired Willy 'with the intention of killing him,' but multiple sources confirm the plan was only to steal Sam's wallet/passwords. Sam's shooting was unintended, which adds complexity to Carl's villainy and explains why he still needed to break into the apartment later. This fundamentally changes the understanding of Carl's character and motivations.
The AI Summary claims Willy was 'murdered by Sam as revenge,' but sources consistently describe Sam terrorizing/attacking Willy as a ghost, causing him to flee in terror and run into traffic where he's hit by a car. This is an important distinction - Sam didn't directly kill Willy, though his actions led to Willy's death. The film depicts this as an accident resulting from Willy's terror, not premeditated murder.
The AI Summary states 'She also gains a great deal of money, and while she is concerned about giving it back, she would likely never have had that amount of money beforehand.' This is misleading - Oda Mae was forced by Sam to donate the entire amount to charity and ended up with zero money. She was furious about this. The summary implies she might have benefited financially, which completely misrepresents what happened.
The AI Summary states Carl 'is killed by a collection of angry spirits,' but he actually died when he swung a hook at Sam's ghost, the hook swung back and shattered a window, and the falling glass impaled him. The demons only appeared AFTER his death to drag his soul to Hell. The spirits dragged him to Hell but didn't kill him - his own panicked actions caused his death.
In Ghost (1990), several characters end up better or worse than at the start:
BETTER OFF:
Molly Jensen: Begins happy but emotionally uncertain (Sam can't say 'I love you'), becomes devastated and endangered after Sam's murder, but ends with closure, confirmation of Sam's deep love, safety from threats, and the strength to move forward.
Oda Mae Brown: Starts as a fraudulent psychic who pretends to communicate with the dead. Discovers she genuinely possesses psychic abilities, gains confidence and purpose, and uses her gift to help Sam protect Molly and achieve justice.
Sam Wheat: Begins emotionally guarded and unable to say 'I love you' (responds with 'ditto'). Though he dies early in the film, his journey as a ghost allows him to become emotionally open, express his love to Molly, protect her from danger, and achieve peace as he moves to the afterlife.
WORSE OFF:
Carl Bruner: Starts as Sam's seemingly supportive best friend and successful banker, but is secretly laundering $4 million in drug money. His scheme is exposed when Sam (as a ghost) thwarts his plans. Carl dies when glass from a window he's escaping through falls and impales him, and shadowy demons immediately drag his soul to Hell.
Willy Lopez: Begins as a petty criminal hired by Carl to mug Sam and steal his wallet (Sam's death during the mugging was accidental, not planned). After Sam becomes a ghost and terrorizes him, Willy flees in terror and is killed when he runs into traffic and is hit by a car. Demons then drag his soul to Hell.
Key nuances: Carl's original plan was only to steal Sam's passwords, not kill him - the shooting was accidental. Willy died in a traffic accident while fleeing Sam's ghost, not murdered directly by Sam. Oda Mae donated all $4 million to charity and kept nothing, despite being upset about it.