Susie Q

1996

Comedy / Drama / Family / Fantasy

12
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 74%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 74% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 3566 3.6K

high school car crash ghost

Plot summary

The ghost of a girl who died in 1955 appears to a troubled teen living in her old house.

Director

John Blizek Photo
John Blizek

Top cast

Aaron Pearl Photo
Aaron Pearl as Player
Kirsten Robek Photo
Kirsten Robek as Production Assistant
Dale Wilson Photo
Dale Wilson as Roger Kovich
Shelley Long Photo
Shelley Long as Penny Sands
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
817.41 MB
896*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
25 fps
1 hr 28 min
Seeds 3
1.48 GB
1344*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
25 fps
1 hr 28 min
Seeds 9

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by I_Ailurophile 8 / 10

A pleasant surprise, both entertaining and heartfelt

I admit I have little frame of reference; I was aware of the Disney Channel growing up, but I couldn't tell you anything about its programming. Maybe this isn't so atypical of the network after all, but compared to what we most commonly see from the biggest entertainment company in the world, this surprises in its early scenes with an opening sequence that's surprisingly dark and distressing. That mood and the peculiarities don't quite stop there, as exposition carries a tone almost suggesting psychological drama as a family (the teen boy especially) is struggling with The Past and Adjusting; the young daughter is written as somewhat wry and precocious; plot is slowly introduced with themes of the insatiable greed of capitalism and heedless development. Of course, from there this TV movie does become more common: a ghost stuck in the world of the living, one person that can see them, some problem that must be resolved, and family and social maladjustment for the living protagonist. Unless you're an especial fan of someone involved, or of Disney, then this maybe isn't essential viewing - yet even such as it is, 'Susie Q' is still quite enjoyable, worthwhile on its own merits.Broadly speaking there are perhaps no real surprises here. The drama flows from the notes of tragedy (golly, this gets depressing), Zack's other personal problems, and the larger themes with ever-increasing relevance in subsequent years of the repugnant amoral cruelty of the rich and powerful. The comedy is borne primarily of the dynamics between living protagonist Zack and the deceased title character, and the shenanigans that follow therefrom. To one degree or another we've seen this feature before, or at least its constituent elements, including hokey god talk, stylized covers of popular classic songs, and scenes that are a little over the top at times (to the point of threatening our suspension of disbelief a little bit). For all that, however, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time. Despite some kitsch and commonness, Shuki Levy and Douglas Sloan have actually whipped up a screenplay that's gratifyingly smart. There's earnest heart and mirth poured into the characters, dialogue, scene writing, and the narrative at large - and moreover the screenplay is so sharp as to lightly touch on the active harm represented in police, and their collusion with the wealthy. If that's not progressive and unexpected for a Disney production, then I don't know what is. (Okay, so maybe one surprise.)The effects are modest, but done quite well, and all the other contributions of those behind the scenes are solid, including production design, art direction, and costume design. Director John Blizek demonstrates firm command of the medium as he helms the production and ties it all together. In addition to the writing, though, it's to the credit of the cast that they breathe welcome life into the proceedings. While everyone here does well with the parts they are given, naturally those who have the most time on-screen make the biggest impression. Justin Whalin is given an opportunity to illustrate his acting skills in a number of ways as troubled but determined Zack, and he handles the main role very well. Andrea Libman, only 12 years old at the time, is a delight as kid sister Teri, embracing the intelligence of the youth with all the spirit she can muster. And Amy Jo Johnson, at least in some measure arguably the biggest star on hand (the first pink Power Ranger, of course), in my mind shows why she has continued to enjoy a low-key but enduring career as she plays the late Susie Q with personality and range that's a joy as a viewer.Truth be told, this is stronger and more fun than I'd have ever assumed sights unseen. It's rather well made overall, and more specifically, for any touches of gaucheness, ordinariness, or simplification in the storytellling, there's care and sincerity in the writing that makes 'Susie Q' actively engaging, satisfying, and even rewarding. Why, it even manages a tinge of minor suspense in the last act! Between the screenplay and the fine cast this picture can claim its best value, though those are hardly its only praiseworthy qualities. Granted, anyone who has a hard time abiding TV movies, or family friendly fare, may not see anything here to change their mind; for all its worth, it bears definite kinship with its brethren. All the same, among its peers this is surely a few steps above, and I'm so pleased to have had my expectations upended. It might be a smidgen silly and ham-handed, but I for one think 'Susie Q' is an excellent example of why we shouldn't be so quick to judge a film based on its origins. I ultimately really enjoyed this, and it earns a happy recommendation!
Reviewed by thomasspurlock-34206 8 / 10

Cannot Find Anywhere!

Classic movie! My wife has been wanting to watch it and I've tried tracking it down. She loved this movie growing up and I remember watching it as well. Unfortunately this movie is nowhere to be found on dvd or any streaming service. I went so far as to email Amy Jo Johnson's agent/manager and they do not even have a copy of the movie. This movie will solely exist in our memories until Disney releases it to its streaming service. This was a straight to TV movie and from what I've read it never made it to DVD format. It's sad that a good movie such as this has been lost to us since no one can seem to bring it back out to Disney +. Perhaps that have forgotten it as well. Shame.
Reviewed by jsudac 8 / 10

put on a DVD please

My kids loved this movie. we watched it every chance we got.it was fun a fun movie. we watched it as a family and everyone of us enjoyed it. it was a movie you could watch without any uncomfortable spots that you would have to explain to the younger ones. my boys loved this movie and they would love to be able to see it again. even after all these years they remember it. that Amy Jo Johnson was a very cute girl. all my boys had crushes on her. they loved her as the pink power ranger which is why we watched this movie to begin with. (as you can tell i am rambling a bit to fill lines LOL). but seriously it is a fun movie and worth watching. Disney please give us a DVD or replay!
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