Reese Witherspoon as Elizabeth Masterson
Mark Ruffalo as David Abbott
Donal Logue as Jack Houriskey
Dina Spybey as Abby Brody
Ben Shenkman as Brett Rushton
Jon Heder as Darryl
Ivana Milicevic as Katrina
Rosalind Chao as Fran
Chris Pflueger as Tom Brody
Kerris Dorsey as Zoe Brody
Alyssa Shafer as Lily Brody
Ron Canada as Dr. Walsh
Review:
Elizabeth Masterson (Reese Witherspoon) is a doctor who is extremely passionate about her profession, and not much else, never noticing her life going by until it is too late. When she is hit by a truck she becomes stuck haunting her apartment and David Abbott (Mark Ruffalo), the man who has moved into it.
“Just Like Heaven” is a typical romantic comedy that stumbles on the problems of being not particularly funny or interesting. It tries to go for a sense of whimsy that could have been truly heartwarming, but director Mark Waters (“Mean Girls”) is so heavy handed here that the final result is merely sentimental pap.
It has pacing issues, causing the seams to show quite often. It leaps from scene to scene, and its actors leap from emotional response to emotional response and bad joke to bad joke, for no reason other than to keep the plot moving. It’s all very obviously artificial in its construction which is deadly to the suspension of disbelief. Witherspoon does her usual plucky but kind-hearted heroine and Ruffalo brings new meaning to the word bland.
The one and only bright light is Donal Logue as Jack, David’s friendly neighborhood psychiatrist. Jack is warm and funny and human and real, and the only time the film is worth watching is when he is around. He also gets the one and only laugh in the entire movie.
“Just Like Heaven” is rated PG-13 for some sexual content.
