JUST LIKE HEAVEN

 

HOME | BIOLOGY | FILMS | GEOGRAPHY | HISTORY | INDEX | INVESTORS | MUSIC | SOLAR BOATS | SPORT

 

 

Just like Heaven is a romantic comedy film released on September 16, 2005, in the U.S. and Canada. Set in San Francisco, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Heder (in his first film appearance following Napoleon Dynamite). It reached #1 in the United States box office, though it earned much less than anticipated. It is based on the novel If Only It Were True (Et si c'était vrai...) by Marc Levy. Bollywood has a movie I See You with similar storyline.

 

 

Just like Heaven movie poster Reese Witherspoon

 

Just like Heaven

 

 

Plot

 

Elizabeth Masterson (Reese Witherspoon), a young doctor whose work is her whole life, is involved in a car accident. Three months later, David Abbott (Mark Ruffalo), a loner recovering from the death of his wife, moves into her apartment.

 

Elizabeth appears to David at the apartment. Though seemingly a normal person, she has ghostly properties and abilities: she can suddenly appear and disappear, and move through walls. When they meet, they are both surprised, as Elizabeth is not aware yet of her condition.

 

For the most part, David is the only one who can see Elizabeth, leading others to believe that he is hallucinating and talking to himself. It is later revealed that one of Elizabeth's young nieces can also see her.

 

At first, Elizabeth does not remember anything of her life, and refuses to believe that she is dead. Her memories come back gradually. Together, assisted by Zen-like psychic Darryl (Jon Heder), she and David find out who she is, what happened to her, and why they are connected.

 

Eventually, they find that her body is in a coma in the hospital. In accordance with her living will, she will soon be taken off life support. Elizabeth's spirit and David, who have fallen in love, manage to prevent this just in time, and she miraculously recovers. However, she doesn't remember anything that happened during the coma.

 

One day, Elizabeth goes up to her roof and sees David, who got in with the spare key and is finishing up the garden there. Just as he is about to leave, she asks for her key back. When their hands touch, her memory is restored, and they kiss.

 

 

Mark Ruffalo as David Abbott in Just Like Heaven

 

Mark Ruffalo as David Abbott

 

 

Critical reaction

 

The film, though popular, was somewhat overshadowed by Witherspoon's more high-profile and almost simultaneously released blockbuster Walk the Line. Critics were mixed on the film, although the most prominent of them, such as Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper, and A.O. Scott, gave it favorable reviews. They all seemed to agree that the plot had logical flaws that were somewhat overcome by good dialogue and characterization. The performances of Witherspoon, Ruffalo, and Heder were all generally well-received. 

 

Heder's appearance helped to debunk an urban rumor that the actor had died shortly after filming Napoleon Dynamite. The DVD release in February 2006 was given unusually strong promotional publicity. In 2006, the movie was awarded "worst foreign movie of the year" by the "Gérard du Cinema" Academy, an equivalent of the "Golden Raspberry Awards" in France.

 

I rated this movie very highly because it really has accomplished what movies like this should achieve. It is a chic flick, and for this reason is not going to be nominated for any academy awards, but it is has a very solid story, beautifully told and directed with a superb cast and great chemistry. Unbelievable as ghosts or spirits might seem, we'd all like to believe things like this could happen, thus the story is one that should be told, in this case rather well.

Everyone (yes guys) can enjoy this movie from beginning to end. It is entertaining, genuine, and original, bringing a fresh and worthwhile love story to life in a way that many others have tried and failed.

 

 

Ben Shenkman as Dr. Brett Rushton in Just Like Heaven

 

Ben Shenkman as Dr. Brett Rushton

 

 

Critical reaction

 

 

Reese Witherspoon

Elizabeth Masterson

Mark Ruffalo

David Abbott

Donal Logue

Jack Houriskey

Dina Spybey

Abby Brody (as Dina Waters)

Ben Shenkman

Dr. Brett Rushton

Jon Heder

Darryl

Ivana Milicevic

Katrina

Caroline Aaron

Grace

Rosalind Chao

Fran

Ron Canada

Dr. Walsh

Willie Garson

Maitre D'

Gabrielle Made

Nurse Maria

William Caploe

Nurse Bill

Shulie Cowen

Nurse Jenny

Billy Beck

Mr. Clarke

 

 

 

Theme song

 

The title of this film is also the name of a popular 1987 song by the Cure, which singer Katie Melua covered for the film soundtrack. Melua's version is played over the opening titles; the original Cure version is played over much of the closing credits. The credits conclude with more of Melua's version.

 

 

LINKS and REFERENCE

 

 

Just Like Heaven, Dina Spybey - Abby Brody (as Dina Waters)

 

Dina Spybey  - Abby Brody (as Dina Waters)

 

 

 

 

A - Z FILMS INDEX

 

 

 

13 GOING ON 30

16 BLOCKS

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

A PERFECT STORM

ALIEN

AUSTIN POWERS

BABE

BACK TO THE FUTURE

BATMAN

BRAVEHEART

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

BRIDGET JONES' DIARY

CASABLANCA

CAST AWAY

CATWOMAN

CHRISTINE

CON AIR

CROCODILE DUNDEE

DEAD CALM

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

DIE HARD

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

DISCLOSURE

DOLORES CLAIBORNE

DR. NO

ERIN BROCKOVICH

FIRE ON THE AMAZON

FLIPPER

FLY AWAY HOME

FREE WILLY

FRENCH KISS

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

GLADIATOR

GOLDFINGER

HARRY POTTER

HORNBLOWER

INDIANA JONES

JAMES BOND

JAWS

JURASSIC PARK

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

KING KONG

LEON

MAN ON FIRE

MASTER and COMMANDER

MEAN GIRLS

MEDICINE MAN

MEN OF HONOUR

MISERY

MISS CONGENIALITY

 

 

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY

NAKED GUN

NATIONAL TREASURE

OVERBOARD

PARENT TRAP

PAYBACK

PEARL HARBOUR

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

PLANET OF THE APES

PSYCHO

P2 DEAD MANS CHEST

RACE THE SUN

RAMBO

ROB ROY

ROXANNE

SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC

SEABISCUIT

SPEED

SPIDERMAN

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

STAR GATE

STAR TREK

STAR WARS

THE 39 STEPS

THE AVIATOR

THE COUNT OF MONTE CHRISTO

THE DAMBUSTERS

THE FLY

THE MATRIX

THE MUMMY RETURNS

THE PATRIOT

THE PERFECT STORM

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

THE TERMINATOR

THE THING

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

THE WORLDS FASTEST INDIAN

THUNDERBALL

TITANIC

TOP GUN

TRADING PLACES

TREASURE ISLAND

TROY

TRUE GRIT

UNFORGIVEN

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

WAR OF THE WORLDS  

WATERLOO BRIDGE

ZULU

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Heder as Darryl in Just Like Heaven

 

Jon Heder as Darryl

 

 

 

A - Z ACTORS INDEX

 

 

 

Angelina Jolie

Anthony Hopkins

Arnold Shwazenneger

Arnold Vosloo

Ben Stiller

Brad Pitt

Brendan Fraser

Bruce Willis

Catherine Zeta Jones

Charlize Theron

Chris Cooper

Clint Eastwood

Daniel Craig

Demi Moore

Denzel Washington

Eric Bana

Eva Green

George Clooney

Gerard Depardieu

Goldie Hawn

Gregory Peck

Halle Berry

Harvey Keitel

Humphrey Bogart

Ian Holm

Ingrid Bergman

Jack Black

Jack Nicholson

James Caan

James Cromwell

Jean Reno

Jeff Bridges

 

 

Jeff Daniels

Jim Carrey

Joaquin Phoenix

John Hurt

John Travolta

John Wayne

Johnny Depp

Judi Dench

Julia Roberts

Julie Andrews

Kate Hudson

Kate Winslett

Kathy Bates

Keanu Reeves

Keira Knightley

Kevin Spacey

Kirsten Dunst

Kurt Russell

Leonardo di Caprio

Liam Neeson

Linda King

Linda Kozlowski

Lindsay Lohan

Mads Mikkelsen

Marlon Brando

Matthew McConaughey

Mel Gibson

Michael Cain

Michael Douglas

Michael J Fox

Michael Keaton

Morgan Freeman

 

 

Naomi Watts

Nicholas Cage

Nicole Kidman

Orlando Bloom

Paul Bettany

Paul Hogan

Pierce Brosnan

Rachel Weisz

Reese Witherspoon

Rennee Zellweger

Richard Gere

Robert de Niro

Roger Moore

Russell Crowe

Sally Edwards

Sam Neil

Samuel L Jackson

Sandra Bullock

Sean Connery

Sharon Stone

Sigourney Weaver

Stanley Baker

Steve Martin

Steven Segal

Slyvester Stalone

Tim Roth

Tobey Maguire

Tom Cruise

Tom Hanks

Tommy Lee Jones

Uma Thurman

Willem Dafoe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

A taste for adventure capitalists

 

 

Solar Cola - a healthier alternative

 

 

This website is Copyright © 1999 & 2007  NJK.   The bird logo and name Solar Navigator and Solar Cola are trademarks. All rights reserved.  All other trademarks are hereby acknowledged.      Max Energy Limited is an educational charity.

AUTOMOTIVE  | BLUEBIRD  |  ELECTRIC CARS  |  ELECTRIC CYCLES  |  SOLAR CARS