It often seems that movies doomed to be called chick flicks are readily manufactured with some of the most idiotic plotlines known to man. Or, if the plotlines aren't completely idiotic, they have been done ten thousand times before.
In the case of \Just Like Heaven,"" there are enough inconsistencies and unanswered questions to make one scratch his or her head at least twice throughout the film. However, none of that matters-""Just Like Heaven"" is a story that, while sometimes ridiculous and downright strange, just plain works. It thoroughly functions inside its own little world of mysticism, romance and San Francisco. The need to ask questions of credibility diminishes about halfway through the head-scratching process, and the movie turns out to be one of the most pleasant surprises since ""Thirteen Going on Thirty,"" another Mark Ruffalo fantasy-love-fest from 2004.
Reese Witherspoon plays Elizabeth, a workaholic doctor who may or may not have been killed in a car accident that prevents her from meeting a blind date at her sister's house in San Francisco. David (Ruffalo) is a widower who, after quite the difficult search, lands a prime apartment with a gorgeous roof view on a lease that runs only on a month-to-month basis. He finds himself being haunted by Elizabeth, a loud-mouthed neat freak and noncorporeal spirit who used to (and in some ways, continues to) live in the apartment.
At first, she annoys him, as she tries to drive him from her apartment with ear-splitting renditions of songs from the musical ""Annie,"" as well as hiding out in the bathroom with him during his attempts to take a shower. However, Elizabeth soon finds herself hopelessly lost between the worlds of the living and the dead, unable to physically touch anything, and falling harder for David every moment that she spends hanging with him. For some unexplainable reason, Elizabeth is not really dead.
In this case, the hope for a happy ending ensues as she and David become detectives, trying to salvage the memory of her former life. Also, it is interesting to note that while her presence is detected by Darryl (Jon Heder), the comically inclined clerk at a New Age bookstore, only David can actually see and hear Elizabeth.
Why this is, nobody knows, but that's just one of the questions that doesn't really need answering to work in the world of ""Just Like Heaven."" Witherspoon and Ruffalo absolutely sizzle when placed together on the screen, and they are just as charming when separate. Ruffalo makes fabulous choices as an actor. His skill for movement makes him such a pleasant character to watch, and all of this is complimented even further by the quirky innocence of Reese Witherspoon.
Another notable element in ""Just Like Heaven"" is the intricate attention paid to its setting. So seldom do romantic comedies pay any kind of attention to anything other than the charisma of their characters. While funny and unique, this movie maintains a multi-dimensional setting with beautiful sets and locations. There are also certain aspects of lighting and color that make San Francisco come alive into its own strange version of heaven, complete with bad roads and Eden-esque gardens to boot.
Overall, ""Just Like Heaven"" is a story that teaches us to live each day as if it is our last, to grab onto the moments and cherish them, not fear the past and leave the future to the imagination. Again, this movie is not for asking questions, intricate plotlines or monumental, life-changing epiphanies; it's meant to be strange, magical and romantic, and believe it or not, it suceeds.
