Harold Ramis' daughter has plenty of kind words to say about director Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. This past weekend saw the long-awaited release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the latest installment in the beloved paranormal comedy franchise. The new movie acts as a direct sequel to the original Ghostbusters movies of the 1980s and focuses on the newest generation of proton pack-wielding heroes. Single mother Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) moves into her father's old house with her two children (Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace), and when strange occurrences shake their new town, the kids must pull out their grandfather's old Ghostbusters gear to save the day.
As is evident from Callie's last name, the new Afterlife characters are all related to Egon Spengler, the original Ghostbuster played by the late, great Harold Ramis in the first two movies. Ahead of its release, Afterlife promised to feature the returns of original stars like Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, but it also vowed to act as a meaningful tribute to Ramis. Egon's presence is certainly felt within Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and one person who knew him best approve of how the movie handled his memory.
Speaking to THR, Violet Ramis Stiel, the daughter of Ramis, praised Ghostbusters: Afterlife. She saw the film in a private screening months ago, but only now have her true feelings on the film been revealed. "Ultimately, it leaves us with that feeling: The people we love are always with us. They don’t go away," Stiel said. Speaking of Reitman's approach to the beloved property, Stiel had some very positive things to say:
“He was so careful to get it right, to really honor the early films and everyone who was in them, but also to make something for now and the future. Maybe he is the only person who could do that. He is the physical bridge.”
Like Stiel, Reitman has a familial connection to the original Ghostbusters movies, since his father Ivan directed both. For so many people, the Ghostbusters franchise is tied to family and growing up. Afterlife leans into this more than ever before with its nostalgic story and nods to the original group. That alone was bound to make audiences emotional, but how Reitman managed to honor Ramis really cemented Afterlife's status as a key part of the Ghostbusters series.
Regardless of the more mixed critical reviews, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is certainly winning over audiences. At the time of this writing, its Rotten Tomatoes audience score stands at an impressive 96%, which comes after the movie exceeded expectations at the box office to earn $44 million over the weekend. For those who hold a lot of affection for both the original movies and Ramis' work, Ghostbusters: Afterlife so far appears to be a hit. At the very least, it's impressed one person who holds deep ties to the franchise, and honestly, that's no small feat these days.
Source: THR