Dying to Go Home (1996) Reviews

In this romantic European comedy, an expatriate ghost longs to leave the Dutch cemetery where he is interred and return to his native Portugal so that his weary spirit may finally rest. Dutch immigrant Manuel Espirito Santo met his demise when a tree filled with bees accidentally fell upon him and his motorcycle. Once ensconced in an Amsterdam grave, he encounters the lonely spirit of Kootchi-Tung, a Chinese immigrant who informs Manuel of his fate. Determined to not to remain an eternal specter, Manuel makes a dreamland visit to Julia, his sister back in Portugal. He has not been in touch with her for over 15 years. Later she learns that when he died, Manuel left her a small pub and a yacht. Excitedly, she heads north only to find both places in sad disrepair. But Julia is plucky and so transforms the bar into a successful restaurant. She then falls in love with Amsterdam native Max. After that happens, Manuel steps up his dream campaign to somehow convince them to take his body home. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi