Aaron Huddleston
Reporter

After covering “Flight Plan” in my last review, it seemed a logical choice to review the other film that was offered at the Bonnie Kate during TWIRP week, “Just Like Heaven.” Having seen the previews and being a fan of Reese Witherspoon - both for her beauty and her talent - I was looking forward to seeing this romantic comedy. I had heard that it was armed with quick wit and a powerful message, both statements that were proven accurate.

Written and filmed before the Terri Schiavo case made the headlines, the movie was given a new kind of relevance in the wake of that legal and moral battle. In the film Elizabeth Masterson (Witherspoon) is a very driven resident at a hospital in San Francisco. She is so driven, in fact, that she makes very little time for anything but work, including eating! She is hit by a semitrailer on her way home from work one evening and is severely injured. While she lays in a coma in the hospital, her family subleases her apartment. 

Enter David Abott (Mark Ruffalo). David is a young man who has been so hurt by a past relationship that he is driven to doing nothing but sit on the couch watching television and drinking beer. He rents Elizabeth’s apartment, only to come face-to-face with her. Realizing that he is the only one who can see her, David comes to the conclusion that his is seeing the ghost of a dead woman. After resorting to all kinds of spiritual traditions, he finally talks to a psychic named Darryl ( Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite"). David goes on a quest with Elizabeth’s ghost to discover who she is. 

Once they have found her, though, their problems have only just begun. Along the way the two have fallen in love, and they discover that Elizabeth’s sister plans to turn off life support, which would cause Elizabeth to die.   

This film was full of hilarious situations and witty dialogue. Spoofs of movies such as “Ghost Busters,” “The Joy Luck Club,” and many more add humor throughout the movie. The situations, dialogue and delivery all keep the viewer laughing throughout the movie. And, while it plays close to the line, the film manages to keep from crossing over into the chick-flick genre.

Witherspoon heads up a killer cast. Ruffalo and Witherspoon are excellent in the lead roles, and the supporting cast is superb. Heder and Donal Logue (“Grounded For Life”) keep the audience roaring with laughter and were perfectly cast for their roles. 

The directing and cinematography was good. There was nothing special about it, but there was also nothing wrong with it. 

The script was, as I have said, incredibly witty. However, it was far from perfect. From confusing, just for laughs side tracks to some instances of unnecessary sexual content, there were several elements of the script that could have used some work. Perhaps the script’s biggest weakness, though, was its inability to choose a message to portray. The audience is bombarded with a confusing blend of several strong messages, including: Respect life and Life is short, don’t waste it on trivial pursuits; spend it with those you love. But also thrown in to muddy the waters and the clearness of these good messages are messages like: Everybody has a soul mate, as well as some spiritualistic messages. 

In all I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. A strong cast, interesting story and witty dialogue with some good take home points are not enough to redeem a muddy script with unnecessary sexual content and semi-spiritualistic messages.