Top 10 Best Casper Moments

#10: Kat Meets Casper

When parapsychologist Dr. James Harvey gets a call from a frustrated heiress with a paranormal problem, he leaves Santa Fe to move into Whipstaff Manor in Friendship, Maine. His teenage daughter, Kathleen “Kat” Harvey, is less than thrilled to uproot her life yet again. Little do they know the whole thing was orchestrated by Casper, a friendly but lonely ghost haunting the Harveys’ new dilapidated home. His introduction to Kat doesn’t exactly go well. In fact, she faints at the sight of him and then immediately shrieks when she wakes up. But, all things considered, this might be Casper’s least disastrous first face-to-face meeting with a living person. Between Kat’s obliviousness and Casper’s nervous excitement, this encounter always brings the laughs.

#9: First Ghostly Trio Encounter

Dr. Harvey specializes in working with the “living impaired.” So, he’d have a totally composed reaction to Casper, right? Well, not exactly. The good doctor screams as soon as he sees the benevolent ghost and starts to flee with his daughter, but he doesn’t actually try to leave. He approaches the other three specters of Whipstaff — Casper’s so-called uncles, Stretch, Stinkie, and Fatso. The Ghostly Trio really put their new therapist through the ringer. Dr. Harvey tries to fight them off with a plunger, but it’s the vacuum cleaner that really comes in handy. This cleaning supply brawl is some of the movie’s best physical comedy. We love Bill Pullman in all his slapstick glory.

#8: Breakfast with the Ghosts

After a chaotic first night in their new haunted home, Kat starts the day with an unexpected treat from Casper. The friendly ghost whips up a pretty impressive breakfast as the two get to know each other and share a sweet moment trying to touch hands. Dr. Harvey also gets to enjoy the morning meal, but not for long. Casper’s callous uncles barge in, immediately killing the positive mood and ordering their nephew around. The trio scarfs down delicious-looking pastries stacked on their plates, leaving a big mess for Casper to clean up. It’s hilarious and gross, exactly what one would expect from a '90s kids movie.

#7: Cavalcade of Cameos

“Casper” hit theaters on May 26, 1995, and even though the movie still holds up 30 years later, many of the pop culture references would likely go right over a Gen Z-er’s head. When the Ghostly Trio possesses Dr. Harvey, they scare him by morphing his face into different people, starting with legendary actor-filmmaker Clint Eastwood. He changes into Rodney Dangerfield, the multihyphenate entertainer 90s kids recognize, then becomes “Lethal Weapon” star Mel Gibson, before ending as the Crypt Keeper doing the “Home Alone” scream. Earlier, when Carrigan employs various paranormal experts, “Saturday Night Live” alum Don Novello appears as his Father Guido Sarducci character. However, the most memorable familiar face is Dan Aykroyd, who reprised his iconic “Ghostbusters” role as Ray Stantz.

#6: Amber & Vic’s Failed Prank

Ever since Kat’s first day of school, Amber Whitmire had it out for her. While Vic is friendly toward the new girl, everyone else wastes no time laughing at Kat. They also have the audacity to decide on Whipstaff as the new venue for their Halloween party, never mind how the Harveys feel about it. Casper got back at them by tying everyone’s shoelaces together so they’d trip. A small victory, but nonetheless entertaining. Jealous that her peers chose Kat’s spooky abode over her house, Amber plans to sabotage the party. But as she and an unenthusiastic Vic get ready, the Ghostly Trio delivers a good scare, sending them screaming and running right out the door to the delight of their classmates.

#5: Carrigan’s Ghost Crosses Over

Even though “Casper” is all about ghosts, they’re not the actual villains of the story. The movie’s main antagonist is Carrigan Crittenden, the cruel heiress to Whipstaff Manor, who’s only interested in the alleged treasure hidden inside. She and her lawyer Dibs try to kill each other, convinced that one can find the treasure as a ghost and resurrect themselves with the Lazarus. After falling to her death, Carrigan reemerges in spirit form and easily glides through the vault to nab the treasure chest. But she’s outsmarted by Casper and Kat, who goad her into admitting she has zero unfinished business, triggering her crossing over into the afterlife. We just wish Carrigan had gotten to see that she did all this for… a signed baseball.

#4: Casper Resurrects Kat’s Dad

Despite their first couple of interactions, the Ghostly Trio develops a fondness for Dr. Harvey. So much so that they consider making him a permanent fourth member. His genuine affection for them changes their plans to dispatch him, but as luck would have it, Dr. Harvey falls down an open construction trench outside of the bar. When her newly deceased dad returns home as a ghost, Kat is shocked and devastated, having now lost two parents. Even though his time being “living impaired” is brief, the emotional effect it had on his daughter is painful to watch. Casper selflessly gives up his one chance at being alive again, using the last of the Lazarus potion to resurrect her father. It’s a happy, yet heartbreaking scene.

#3: J.T. McFadden’s Secret Lab

One of the most talked-about but unseen characters in the movie is Casper’s late father, J.T. McFadden, a genius innovator who previously inhabited Whipstaff Manor. After his son’s untimely death, McFadden successfully created a machine that could revive the deceased, which he dubbed the Lazarus. Casper shows Kat the hidden laboratory, first sending her on a wild ride via the Up and at ‘Em chair, another invention that’s equal parts fun and terrifying. Like most haunted mansions, Whipstaff as a whole has an eerie vibe, especially the subterranean lab, which looks like a cross between the Bat Cave and a Tim Burton movie set. It’s a much-needed moment of atmospheric whimsy amid the melancholic tone.

#2: Casper Remembers His Death

While “Casper” has plenty of funny moments, the family-friendly film is known for being surprisingly dark at times. Unlike his Harvey Comics and animated counterparts, the film version of the titular ghost gets a tragic backstory. When his father gifted him the sled he wanted, Casper McFadden stayed outside playing with it for hours. But spending that much time out in the cold led to pneumonia, which sadly ended his life. Between the haunting music and Malachi Pearson’s emotional delivery, this monologue will always be truly heartbreaking.

#1: Can I Keep You?

Ask anyone who grew up loving “Casper,” and they’ll more than likely mention one specific quote that stuck with them. One night, Casper whispers to a sleepy Kat, “Can I keep you?” Sure, it’s a bit creepy, but we’ve seen how lonely he is haunting the halls of Whipstaff. Before the Halloween dance, an angel, specifically Amelia Harvey, rewards Casper for resurrecting Kat’s father instead of himself. The arbitrary “Cinderella” deal only allows him a short time in physical form, not even until midnight! But he makes the most of it. Kat unknowingly starts slow dancing with Casper, played by the dreamy Devon Sawa. While it’s a shame she didn’t get to see her mom, at least her dad got the closure he needed with his late wife.

What’s your favorite “Casper” scene? Did it make the list? Let us know in the comments below.