Casper
Casper is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.
Despite a mid-range budget of $50.0M, Casper became a box office success, earning $287.9M worldwide—a 476% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Casper (1995) showcases carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Brad Silberling's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 40 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Casper
Kat Harvey
Dr. James Harvey
Carrigan Crittenden
Dibs
Stretch
Stinkie
Fatso
Main Cast & Characters
Casper
Played by Malachi Pearson
A lonely, friendly ghost who longs for companionship and dreams of being human again.
Kat Harvey
Played by Christina Ricci
A teenage girl who befriends Casper while helping her father communicate with ghosts.
Dr. James Harvey
Played by Bill Pullman
A ghost therapist and Kat's father, obsessed with finding his deceased wife's spirit.
Carrigan Crittenden
Played by Cathy Moriarty
A greedy heiress determined to find the treasure hidden in Whipstaff Manor.
Dibs
Played by Eric Idle
Carrigan's cowardly lawyer and reluctant accomplice in her treasure hunt.
Stretch
Played by Joe Nipote
The leader of the Ghostly Trio, Casper's obnoxious uncle who torments the living.
Stinkie
Played by Joe Alaskey
One of the Ghostly Trio, known for his foul odor and crude behavior.
Fatso
Played by Brad Garrett
The third member of the Ghostly Trio, gluttonous and buffoonish.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Kat Harvey sits alone in her new school, isolated and friendless, while her father Dr. Harvey obsessively pursues ghosts to contact his dead wife. This establishes their broken, transient lifestyle.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Carrigan hires Dr. Harvey to exorcise Whipstaff Manor. This job opportunity disrupts the Harveys' aimless wandering and pulls them toward the mansion that will change everything.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 74 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Carrigan murders Casper's uncles and takes the treasure. Dr. Harvey is dead (now a ghost), Kat's party is ruined, and Casper seems powerless to protect those he loves. Everything falls apart., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 80 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Dr. Harvey is restored to life. Carrigan returns as a ghost and is defeated when tricked into crossing over. Casper is granted one hour of life as a human boy by Kat's mother's ghost, allowing him to share a dance with Kat and experience mortality., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Casper's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Casper against these established plot points, we can identify how Brad Silberling utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Casper within the fantasy genre.
Brad Silberling's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Brad Silberling films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.7, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Casper represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Brad Silberling filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional fantasy films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Conan the Barbarian and Batman Forever. For more Brad Silberling analyses, see Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Land of the Lost and Moonlight Mile.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Kat Harvey sits alone in her new school, isolated and friendless, while her father Dr. Harvey obsessively pursues ghosts to contact his dead wife. This establishes their broken, transient lifestyle.
Theme
Kat tells her father, "You can't bring Mom back," establishing the film's central theme about accepting loss and moving forward rather than clinging to the past.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the Harvey family's nomadic ghost-hunting lifestyle, Carrigan discovering Whipstaff Manor, and the establishment of the haunted mansion with Casper and his three uncles (Stretch, Fatso, and Stinkie).
Disruption
Carrigan hires Dr. Harvey to exorcise Whipstaff Manor. This job opportunity disrupts the Harveys' aimless wandering and pulls them toward the mansion that will change everything.
Resistance
The Harveys debate taking the job and prepare to move to Whipstaff. Kat resists another move and another haunted house, wanting a normal life. They arrive at the mansion and begin settling in despite the danger.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of living with ghosts: Kat and Casper's growing friendship, the comic chaos of the ghostly uncles tormenting Dr. Harvey, discovering the mansion's secrets, and the developing plan for Kat to attend the school Halloween party.
Opposition
Carrigan intensifies her search for the treasure, Dr. Harvey becomes a ghost after the uncles kill him, Kat's party plans fall apart as the mansion fills with uninvited guests, and Carrigan discovers the vault and treasure, turning violent.
Collapse
Carrigan murders Casper's uncles and takes the treasure. Dr. Harvey is dead (now a ghost), Kat's party is ruined, and Casper seems powerless to protect those he loves. Everything falls apart.
Crisis
Kat sits devastated as her father (as a ghost) doesn't recognize her. She mourns the loss of both her father and her dreams of normalcy. The party guests have fled, and she's alone on what should have been a magical night.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Dr. Harvey is restored to life. Carrigan returns as a ghost and is defeated when tricked into crossing over. Casper is granted one hour of life as a human boy by Kat's mother's ghost, allowing him to share a dance with Kat and experience mortality.