I was in the mood for a romantic comedy the other day, so I decided to rent Just Like Heaven. Although I didn’t really know what the movie was about prior to renting it, I had heard some good things about it. Plus, I’ve loved almost every Reese Witherspoon film I’ve seen, so I was pretty confident that I would, at the very least, be able to pass 90 minutes watching one of my favorite actresses at work. As it turned out, I actually got to see a pretty good story along the way.

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): Witherspoon stars as an ER doctor named Elizabeth Masterson. It’s established early on that Elizabeth very career-minded and doesn’t have much time for a social life. How can she date when she routinely pulls 26-hour shifts? Nevertheless, Elizabeth’s sister Abby (played by Dina Spybey) hasn’t given up on finding a man for her. In fact, Abby has set up a blind date for Elizabeth with a friend of a friend, which Elizabeth reluctantly agrees to. But as Elizabeth is driving to Abby’s house for the dinner date, her car is struck head-on by a large truck.

We then fast-forward about three months and meet the other major character in this film. His name is David (Mark Ruffalo), a recently widowed landscape architect who’s looking for a great apartment. He finds a furnished one that’s being sublet on a month-to-month basis, and moves right in.

Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth returns to her apartment only to find David living in there. She flips out and orders him to leave at once. David has no idea what’s going on, but figures that they might have been the victims of a lease scam or something like that. No way, Elizabeth says, she’s been living in the place for years. Funny thing is, she can’t remember her name or why she left.

David and Elizabeth soon discover that Elizabeth is actually just a spirit. David kind of likes her (or at the very least wants to get her out of the apartment), so he agrees to help her find out her identity. After a few wild goose chases, they establish who she is — and what’s wrong with her: she’s been in a coma for the three months since her accident. What’s worse, she has shown no sign of improvement in that time, so her doctor has urged Abby to consent to pulling the plug on Elizabeth’s life support.

The rest of the film then deals with David and Elizabeth’s efforts to convince Abby that Elizabeth is still clinging to life and isn’t ready to die yet.

My Reaction: While I admit that the plot of Just Like Heaven was pretty cheesy, Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo had so much chemistry that their presence was able to compensate for any shortcomings in the script. They were both very likable in this movie, and that goes a long way in making for an enjoyable viewing experience.

I contrast this with another romantic comedy that I saw recently, Knocked Up. In that film, Katherine Heigl’s character was okay, but Seth Rogan’s character was just annoying. Plus, they didn’t seem like a believable couple at all, and as a result, I thought that movie sucked.

Witherspoon clearly brings her A-game to each project she tackles, whether it’s a fun movie like this one or her Oscar-winning turn as June Carter in Walk the Line. I’m definitely a fan and will gladly watch any movie she’s in from now on!

Overall, Just Like Heaven was an entertaining bit of light fare that is perfect for one of those nights where you just want to sit back for a few good laughs and a somewhat romantic story. I give the film 3 stars out of 5… I think you’ll enjoy it!