Just Like Heaven (2005)

	Directed by: Mark Waters	COUNTRY USA GENRE Romance/Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE Just Like Heaven RUNNING TIME 95 minutes
	Produced by: Laurie MacDonald Walter F. Parkes
	Written by (based on a novel by Marc Levy): Peter Tolan Leslie Dixon

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Dr. Elizabeth Masterson	Reese Witherspoon
David Abbott	Mark Ruffalo
Jack Houriskey	Donal Logue
Abby Brody	Dina Spybey
Darryl	Jon Heder	½

Review

Conventional in form, tone, and structure, but with a small creative spark in the basic idea around which the romance is spun. Still, this is an American romantic comedy, for good or worse, meaning that it's inherently rooted in generic traditions that will threaten to make it largely unremarkable for seasoned viewers. Under Mark Waters' steady though unspectacular direction, Just Like Heaven doesn't, and never tries to, reinvent the wheel, but some might enjoy the design of the rim. The story is spun around the idea of haunting (I'll leave it at that), and it's quite playful for large parts of the film's running time. Ultimately, it's the warmth of the performances that makes the film the thoroughly pleasant experience that it is. Mark Ruffalo's authenticity keeps the film grounded and helps make Reese Witherspoon's somewhat more shallow work effective. And whenever the script borders on triteness, Ruffalo's everyday quality keeps it afloat. The ending is predictable, but achieves the desired effect.