Just Like Heaven (2005)

Isn’t it amazing what you can learn about your life once you’re a ghost or spirit in movieland and are able to hear exactly what everyone thinks of you?  Just Like Heaven embraces this theme borrowed from the likes of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, and at the same time is able to dumb it down to romantic comedy format. 

This time we are given Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon), a doctor who is so hard-working she has absolutely no free time for dating or any social life whatsoever. Once she leaves her 26 hour shift at the hospital, she finds herself the victim of a head-on collision with a truck.  David (Mark Ruffalo), a devastated widower, sublets her fully-furnished apartment unaware it is also inhabited by the spirit of the former owner.  She insists she’s not dead and demands that he leave, but he slowly and reluctantly decides to help discover what her “unfinished business” is.

 

Smarts

25%

The plot is predictable and fluffy. It even borders on ridiculous when David rushes into the hospital to steal a bunch of medical supplies and Elizabeth's comatose body. That scene and the few prior to it actually provide the only material in the film that requires any thought. However, given recent events in the news and the already sensitive topic of euthanasia beaten to death in more serious films nowadays, I am sure the writers and editors could have found a way to avoid it all together.  It is honestly misplaced in a movie that quite frankly spends most of its time being light-hearted and brainless fun.

Just Like Heaven is a visually pretty movie.  There are several breathtaking shots of San Francisco.  The Golden Gate Bridge becomes a reoccuring romantic backdrop for the plot.  It is a believable setting for the two characters to fall in love.  The film also opens with a beautiful shot of Witherspoon sitting in an amazing, lush garden.  The only problem is that there is a really cheesy cover of The Cure’s hit “Just Like Heaven” (by Katie Melua) playing in the background.  It's too bad the original version was saved to be played over the end credits.

Director Mark Waters had a lot less to work with than he did in Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, both of which had smart dialogue, unique characters and more pushing them forward than the thin hope the two leads will end up together. But does he have another hit on his hands with Just Like Heaven?  There’s a possibility. Both Witherspoon and Ruffalo are usually good, likable actors, and they appeal to most audiences. That alone may be enough to make the film succeed on the most basic of box office levels.

 

Popcorn

52%

Witherspoon plays the same sweet, intelligent, and bubbly girl we’ve seen her portray so many times before.  The only problem is that she did a much better job in Legally Blonde, or even in Sweet Home Alabama and this just feels like retreaded territory.  She's also a lot more irritating to watch in this film. Heaven help me, she even mutters the overused phase, “I just threw up in my mouth a little.” You can't get much more unoriginal than that. Ruffalo doesn’t dig any deeper than his previous roles either.  Is he handsome and brooding?  Yes.  If I were a spirit or ghost would I choose to haunt his pad?  No.  Even when the two characters touch hands in an attempt to connect with each other, the scene was so devoid of chemistry that it did absolutely nothing for me. They might as well have been brother and sister.  That might have at least been interesting in a creepy way.  Ruffalo barely checks in, while Witherspoon tries hard to keep up the perky cuteness by batting her big blue eyes and fussing at him for setting his coffee mug down without a coaster.  There is nary a spark between the two of them.  Ruffalo delivered a much more believable performance in 13 Going on 30 with Jennifer Garner, in which I was really rooting for the two leads to end up together. Heaven doesn't take the time to develop the characters in a way that would make the audience care about them. 

Then there’s Jon Heder’s character, a psychic bookstore clerk who befriends David.  The actor, only known for his portrayal of Napoleon Dynamite, contributes little to the plot and instead annoys the audience with one-liners like “Dude!” and “Righteous!” Even his unique verbiage when asking for a beverage has been played ad nauseam to promote the movie in both the trailer and television advertisements.  His character could have easily been left out.  It’s obvious he signed on for a pay-check, and should really consider choosing his future roles more carefully in order to not become type cast.

 

Final

There are a lot of endearing qualities to Just Like Heaven that just don't quite gel well as a whole. The characters teach each other (and the audience) about the importance of life and how to really live and love. While that may be a little hokey for some to embrace, it’s a sweet story that puts good actors in a plot that is badly designed for the most part.   It’s worth a spin on DVD, but it may be wiser to spend the money on the films that it so very loosely takes after.