More than a year after their TikTok collaboration for the Grace Kelly Challenge, Will Farrell and Ryan Reynolds team up again to bring a Christmas musical to AppleTV+. Spirited follows the Ghost of Christmas Present as he forms an unlikely bond with the subject of the year's haunt.
Spirited features several musical numbers and quotes that stand out from the rest. Of course, with several comedians at the forefront, there are many hilarious pieces of dialogue, but there are also a number of sincere quotes that help the message of the film come across clearly.
"We Haunt Someone, Change Them Into A Better Person, And Then We Sing About It."
- Ghost Of Christmas Present
Spirited opens towards the end of a haunt. Karen sees her future gravestone and wakes up on Christmas morning a changed woman. Will Ferrell sums up what just happened in this narrated line.
This line introduces the premise of the movie and sets up the world-building nicely. Many viewers were frustrated with the large number of musical numbers featured in Spirited, but they were warned. This quote also pokes fun at musicals, in particular, the several Christmas Carol adaptations that came before it. Because Spirited doesn't take itself too seriously, its several songs can be considered a parody of the genre.
"So Persuasive. Kinda Makes You Want To Push An Old Lady Down A Flight Of Stairs."
- Ghost Of Christmas Present
The ghosts scout for the next year's ‘Scrooge,’ and Will's character is immediately enthralled with Clint Briggs. Clint is a scheming narcissist who knows how to make people angry.
This is a brilliant introduction to Clint as a character. It's quickly established that he's not a good guy. This quote is great, not just because of the dark humor this A Christmas Carol adaptation brings, but because it foreshadows what goes wrong the night the ghosts haunt him. Clint is very persuasive, so much so that the Ghost of Christmas Past is enchanted by him, and the Ghost of Christmas Present is easily convinced to talk about his problems when they're supposed to be focusing on Clint's life.
"What Do You Need? Anything In The Whole World. We're Family. I'll Do Anything For You."
- Owen
Clint's most difficult memory takes place at the hospital when his older sister is dying. She asks him to take her daughter when she's gone, but when he refuses, she looks to her other brother, Owen, for help.
Owen isn't the brightest bulb on the tree, but his kindness and thoughtfulness are second to none. He doesn't hesitate to say yes to his sister's request. This is a tragic moment for Clint to watch but also for viewers who have been through similar experiences. This line is exactly what Carrie needs to hear at this moment, and it's enough to break the hearts of viewers everywhere.
"Want To Know What Mankind Really Is? Read The Comments Below."
- Clint
Clint escapes into the literal corporate underworld and learns that he's been labeled as 'unredeemable.' He and the Ghost of Christmas Present argue about the human race and how good or bad they really are.
The comments section is often the most discouraging place online. No matter what has been posted, someone will have something nasty to say. Clint's mentality here makes sense given his occupation, and instead of trying to defeat the trolls, he joins them and fuels the fire even more. For a modern take on the classic A Christmas Carol, this quote is certainly thought-provoking.
"All You Have To Do Is Take It, And You're Retired. Back On Earth... Offering Opinions On Things You Know Nothing About."
- Jacob Marley
Will Ferrell's ghost threatens to retire if Clint isn't chosen as their subject of the year's haunt. While he ultimately gets his way, Jacob initially calls his bluff.
This quote is funny because it's accurate. Everyone offers opinions on everything, even if they're not qualified to do so. This can be seen all over social media as it causes heavy discourse between friends, families, and strangers. Interestingly, Jacob uses this example for what people are like in this instance. He knows the Ghost of Christmas Past is conflicted about actually retiring, so he mentions this element of humankind that is sure to push that idea from his mind.
"You Don't Get To Make Me Relive The Worst Moment Of My Life, And Then [Leave]. I Faced My Kicker, Now It's Your Turn."
- Clint
After revisiting Clint's worst memory, the Ghost of Christmas Past prepares to say goodbye and leave his new friend so that the Ghost of Christmas Future can step in and finish the haunt. However, Clint refuses to let him go.
What's interesting about this moment is the intention behind this line. While Clint would want the Spirit to feel similar pain to what he just felt, it appears that, at this point, he also wants the best for his new pal. Clint can see that Will's character is unhappy and dissatisfied with his afterlife. Even being the narcissist he is, Clint wants to help Christmas Present, which shows that there's already been a change in him since the night began.
"Look Out, New York City. This Guy Showers Once A Month."
- Ghost Of Christmas Present
Will's character takes his retirement package and wakes up at Clint's house. He takes a shower, and he loves it so much he asks Clint if he can do this every month.
This quote is hilarious, and unfortunately, it's probably not far from the truth. This line and scene are reminiscent of Elf, as both of Will's characters are experiencing a culture shock being in a new city. While Buddy the Elf encounters chewed-up gum and fake Santa, Will's character in Spirited is shocked at everything that didn't exist when he first lived on Earth.
"If You Have A Fake Tree, You're An Enemy Of Santa Claus, Jesus, And Mariah Carey."
- Jimmy Fallon
Towards the beginning of the film, Clint sparks a debate about whether a real tree or a fake tree should be used at Christmastime. This question garners much media attention, and in a special appearance as himself, Jimmy Fallon talks about it.
This quote is one of the most hilarious lines in this movie. It wouldn't be surprising if Fallon improvised it because it sounds like a real joke he would make on his late-night talk show. Of course, they would include Mariah Carey in this joke. She's a Christmas icon because of "All I Want For Christmas Is You," so it's fitting that she's grouped in with two other icons of the holiday.
"Good Afternoon."
- Various
Christmas Present brings Clint into his own past to get the man to understand why it's so important that he makes an effort to change. It is here that it's revealed that Will is portraying a post-Haunt version of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Without context, these two words just sound like a greeting, but Spirited turns it into a hilarious phrase with a negative connotation. In Scrooge's time, "good afternoon" was seen as an insult. While it appears this was made up for the movie, these particular words may have been chosen as a nod to the real-life old English insult, "afternoon farmer," which was another way of calling someone lazy, according to The Free Dictionary. Almost everyone in the film utters this line, and it inspires the best musical number in this Christmas movie.
"Maybe There's No Quick Fix. Maybe You Gotta Put In The Work."
- Clint
The haunt has nearly come to an end, and Will's character is upset that Clint hasn't yet been redeemed. He sees it as proof that he will never make up for his own wrongdoings.
This is a brilliant line that has much truth to it. No one changes overnight. A push in the right direction can be helpful, but it's ultimately up to the person whether they change their ways or not. As Clint implies, changing is a choice, and it sometimes takes more work than one expects to get where one wants to be.