A Fine and Private Place tells the story of Jonathan Rebeck, a recluse who lives in a Bronx cemetery courtesy of his feathered friend, a wise (and wisecracking) Raven, who flies in stolen fast food in exchange for companionship. Rebeck—a man caught somewhere in between the living and the dead—helps newly arrived ghosts to accept death. Once these ghosts no longer remember what it is to be alive, they vanish.
Michael and Laura are two such ghosts. Each has a conflicted past, not fully remembered, and takes different approaches to this new state of ‘living.' A ghost at only 34, Michael wants to live, while Laura is ready to leave the world of the living. The perpetual visitor, widow Gertrude Klapper, who comes to visit the tomb of her husband, joins this unusually rich set of company, and tries to cajole Rebeck back to the world of the living.
This whimsical and touching fantasy reminds us about the importance of taking emotional risks and living life to the fullest. To keep the evening balanced, the Raven, as cynic, provides comic relief. Ultimately, these characters begin to feel for each other, resulting in a romantic love story of both the dead and the living.