Exploring the Timeless Magic and Meaning of "Remember Me This Way" from Casper, 30 Years Later

I'll admit, I'm not that into Halloween. Sure, I'm still up for a good costume party, and had a blast as a kid trick-or-treating, but I don't decorate for Halloween and I'm not a fan of horror films. You definitely won't see me at the local ScreamFest walking through a haunted house, no way! I'm more about spooky fun...get me on a doom buggy at Disney's Haunted Mansion and I'll willingly socialize with all the "grim-grinning ghosts"!

There are some great nostalgic and light-hearted Halloween films and cartoon shorts from my childhood, but the only one I seem to come back to these days is the 1995 film, Casper, starring Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, and memorably for about three minutes...Devon Sawa! Who else considers the song, "Remember Me This Way," and the magical moment when Casper becomes a human a core memory from your pre-teen or teen years?

Eleven-year-old me was mesmerized and speechless as I watched human Casper gently walk down the grand staircase, in perfect tempo with the beginning of the song. With light reflecting off of the mirror ball, it created an illuminated halo over him as he silently made his way towards Kat to have his one and only dance with her. I got to feel what Kat was feeling in that moment. She was completely awestruck and likely having an out-of-body experience seeing this enchanting angelic stranger suddenly appear before her. Casper reached out his hand and whisked her onto the dance floor, all while looking adorably cute and staring deep into her eyes...and soul. If that isn't love in its purest form, I honestly don't know what is!

As they slow danced and made all our dreams come true, all of a sudden they were floating several feet in the air! Once Kat realized their feet are no longer touching the ground, she gasped and held onto him tightly. Oh, and she still had no idea it was Casper! Then, Casper revealed himself, whispering the now-famous (and incredibly nostalgic) line, "Can I keep you?" They hugged, and in what seemed like less than a minute, they shared a sweet kiss, right before he quickly turned back into a ghost as the clock struck 10! Anyone else still feel like we needed human Casper just a little bit longer?! Even Casper admitted in the scene before his wish comes true, "Cinderella got until midnight!"

At the time when I watched this scene, I had a huge crush on a boy from my fifth grade class! Well, I basically had a crush on him since the third grade, and still vividly remember asking him then if he liked me. He did admit to it, but by the time we got to fifth grade, apparently it wasn't cool for boys to admit they liked girls. This boy also happened to look a lot like Devon Sawa, so you can imagine how epic that scene was for me as I fantasized about him! He lived a few streets down from me, so I would find ways to "bump into him," but he was still in his teasing phase and so I never really knew if he really liked me. Sadly, after moving to the Pacific Northwest when I was twelve and returning to the New England area in 2009 when I was 25, I never saw him again. And through a simple Google search a few years ago, I found out he passed away in 2016.

Most of us who had childhood crushes truly desire to experience that moment as adults where we unexpectedly reunite. That moment will never happen for me, and eerily, it makes this scene even more real than it felt 30 years ago. The scene now becomes the portal for this boy, a reminder that he can only come back to life in my memories, for just a moment. Just as Casper has to return to being a ghost, this boy quickly fades from memory and remains in spiritual form.

Now that I've lived 30 years of life, and with the memory of this boy in mind, I decided to record "Remember Me This Way," for the very first time. As I was recording it, I felt like I was existing in both the past and the present at the same time. I was able to connect with my eleven-year-old self and the ethereal magic I first experienced with this song, but I also uncovered 30 years worth of meaning.

Although I did have some faith as a child that there was a heaven and angels were real, I didn't have the understanding of spirituality and the afterlife that I do now. This song reminds me that my loved ones in Spirit are always watching over me and cheering me on. They do want to be remembered for how they were when they were in human form, but they also want me to believe that they're never far away. I can communicate with them whenever I want and I have. I've also experienced communications from them through incredible signs! I have no doubt that love lives on forever and the special bond between spirits and humans, just as Casper and Kat experienced, truly does exist

This song also brings me back to gratitude for those who show up as special friends in my life, even those who don't always stay. It’s rare these days to find many true friends, “who understand it all,” and “reach out each time we fall.” The heartfelt conversations and moments we've shared remind me that I'm never alone and can find the support I need in often the most unexpected ways.

It’s also a song filled with well-wishes. There's always an opportunity to wish each other well, but I've found it's much more difficult to do in situations where I've experienced heartbreak, disappointment, and loss, I've had to find a way to alchemize those moments into well-wishes, even in the depths of sorrow and confusion: “I’ll make a wish for you, and hope it will come true, that life will just be kind, to such a gentle mind.” What a beautiful and loving sentiment to make a wish for someone else.

Knowing that I wanted to blog about this song, I did watch Casper a few weeks ago, and it may have been about 10 years since I had last seen it. I had forgotten the order of some of the scenes, but still found myself in awe of the special effects for the ghosts and the magic of the manor itself (90's movies were the greatest, am I right?!). And I watched that core memory scene with the same wonder as I did when I was a kid. Still holding my breath and still beaming! Then (spoiler alert for those who haven't seen this film), I got all choked up when Kat's dad was brought back to life after becoming a ghost. That part was always a bit messed up for me, and this time, I let all my emotions come out.

After I finished recording "Remember Me This Way," I found myself listening to it over and over...I couldn’t believe how deep I went into the emotions of the song! Thirty years of life and all that I've learned came out in my vocals. I don't think I realized how much this song has truly meant to me, both emotionally and spiritually, until I heard my own voice singing it. What an out-of-body experience!

Hope you all enjoy this nostalgic journey back to the 90's and this iconic scene and song from Casper! If this resonates with you, please send me a message or leave a comment below!

Shine on and Happy Halloween!