Ghost Dad

In the office, Elliot Hopper is a workaholic widower racing to seal a major deal that could win him a promotion and a company car. He is trying to repair his family life after forgetting Diane's birthday. The pressure builds as the Thursday deadline approaches.

Realizing he forgot Diane's birthday, Elliot promises his daughter she can have his car if he lands the deal on Thursday. The pledge ties his professional success to his family's happiness. He reassures Diane that his success will bring the promised reward.

Leaving work, Elliot hails a taxi to go home, hoping for a quick ride. The driver, Curtis Burch, is erratic and unsettling, hinting at something off about the ride. In a moment of desperation, Elliot proclaims 'I am Satan' to try to stop the taxi and retrieve his wallet.

During the ride, Burch loses control and drives off a bridge into the river after Elliot's demand to stop. The car sinks and Elliot is killed in the impact. Burch disappears into the night as authorities arrive.

Elliot emerges to discover he is a ghost; a police officer fails to notice him and a speeding bus passes through his form. He realizes he has become something unseen by the living. His world shifts from visible to invisible with the accident.

Back at home, his three children can see him only in a completely dark room, and at times they cannot hear him. The family interactions become awkward, comic, and poignant as they test what a ghost can and can't do. Elliot tries to communicate, but his world remains in shadow.

Paranormal researcher Edith Moser arrives from London and explains Elliot is not dead in the ordinary sense. She reveals that his spirit jumped out of his body and won't cross over because 'they screwed up'. She warns his soul won't cross until Thursday, and offers help to recover his body.

Despite being a ghost, Elliot stays tangled in work as he tries to renew his life insurance and push the company's merger forward. His spectral presence complicates meetings, while his family remains his priority. The balance between professional obligation and parental care fuels the drama.

During a critical day, Elliot must choose between remaining in a important work meeting and helping his son Danny with a magic trick at school. He walks out to support his family, angering his boss Mr. Collins. The decision leads to him being fired, increasing the stakes for his loved ones.

Elliot reveals to his love interest Joan that he is a ghost, an admission that shocks her at first but soon earns her sympathy. She becomes an ally as he navigates his impossible afterlife. The confession deepens their connection amid the chaos.

Edith returns to explain that Elliot's body has not been found and that he's not dead in the usual sense. She notes the only prior case like this involved Elliot's own father, hinting at a family pattern. The team intensifies efforts to locate Elliot's body to reunite his spirit.

Diane trips on skates left by Amanda on the stairs, suffers a serious injury, and the family rushes her to the hospital. In the chaos, Elliot's and Amanda's spirits also drift out, and Elliot's own body begins to flicker. They discover that Curtis Burch has swapped wallets with Elliot, leading to a hospital misidentification.

In the hospital, Elliot's spirit re-enters his body as Diane re-enters hers, completing the family's return to normal life. They leave the hospital together, relieved by the recovered truth. Outside, Elliot spots Burch's yellow taxi and, after reclaiming his wallet, commands Burch to go to hell and sit on red-hot coals until it snows.