The cozy appeal of romantic comedy Just Like Heaven – SYFY WIRE

Before he became Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo was perhaps best known for indie movies and the odd whimsical rom-com. The year was 2005 and Reese Witherspoon was stilla few months away from winning an Oscar for Walk The Line, andlighter love stories were still very much in her wheelhouse. Just Like Heaven does not share the same beloved legacy as 13 Going on 30 or Legally Blondebecause it is not as funny or charming as either of these movies. However, it is an appealing and comforting rewatch, twistingthe falling-for-a-ghost narrative with predictable but fun results.

This tale of a love that must triumph over adversity dont they all? is a solid viewing optionfor these trying times. It doesnt sound like much of a selling point to call something aggressively fine (it has55% on Rotten Tomatoes), but sometimes that is the idealmovie experience, not to mention that Witherspoon and Ruffalo dosell the fantasy-infused narrative with gusto.

Based on a French novel, Elizabeth (Witherspoon) and David(Ruffalo) are polar opposites. Elizabeth is a dedicatedER physician, spendingso much time ather work that her social life is nonexistent, whereas Davidstruggles to leave the house preferring his own company to being with the living. The movie begins with Elizabeth on a monster 26-hour shift, emphasizing how she prioritizes herjob over everything else. Her loneliness sets her apart from thecolleagues who manage tojuggle it all.

At the end of her shift, Elizabeth is told she has been awarded the attending physician positionshe has been busting her gut to land, but in an attempt to open up her lovelife she has agreed to go on ablind date that evening. On her way home from the hospital she is involved in a car accident, which suggests it is lights out for Lizzy. Her long hours at work have contributed to her crash and this is a reminder of the pressure medical professionals are under even when there isn't a pandemic.

Meanwhile, Davidis looking for a place to rent. The San Francisco market is notoriously expensive so it is a miracle when a flyer with adream place sublet announcement landsdirectly on his face. What forces could be doing this? His biggest concern is finding a furnished apartmentwith the perfect couch because he doesnt plan on moving from it. Davidis a social distancing king whose behavior in 2005 is a concern to his one friend, but in 2020 we all need to be more like David.

Taking a different approach to a meet-cute, Elizabeth is horrified to find Davidin her apartment particularly as he has takeout containers and beer cans scattered everywhere but disappears as quickly as she entered. Convinced he has a ghost haunting his solitude, Davidtakes measures to exorcise this malevolent spirit, but heis plagued by a different specter from his past. His reluctance to leave his very comfy apartment the size, view and roof access makes this a very appealing location stems from the sudden death of his wife two years ago. A brain aneurysm killed her, and therandomness of the event and his inability to do anything to save her has led to this life of hiding away.

Elizabeth's predicament is somewhat more complicated as she is separate from her actual body. It turns out that she isn't deadbut in acoma. The rules of her existence are fuzzy, much like her ability to sit in a car andlie on a bed, and yetshe can't pick up a phone. Hanging out in the refrigerator to berate Dave about his choices also turns her into a buzzkill presence.She also can enter David's body, which sounds far kinkier than it is. Instead, she just wants him to drink less.

What links the pair is a shared theme ofmissing out on life Elizabeth because she works too hard and Davidbecause he is still consumed by grief. Again, David'sstay-at-home mantra is actually ideal for right now but in the world of the movie,people keep telling him to get out. Stay in your pajamas, Mark Ruffalo. It is a good look and I'm not just saying that because the cut of jeans in 2005 wasvery bad.

The antagonistic undertones are replaced by a newfound connection and while they can't physically touch each other much like any other new relationship right now they fall in love despite this huge obstacle. The other major bump in the road they have to overcome is the fact that Elizabeth's life support machine is going tobeturned off. If you have read this far without having seen the movie, you can guess what happens next.

Another discovery cements their destined to be with each other status: Davidwas the guy Elizabeth had been set up with on the night of the crash. Who could have seen that coming? OK, everyone could.

Love moves in mysterious ways and the pair wereconnected before this crash and even the blind date. In her moments of catnappingwhile at work, Elizabeth envisioned a beautiful heaven-like garden on her roof. David's job? A landscape architect! After she wakes from her coma, she doesn't remember him, but all it takes is for a trip to her roof to see what he has done (along with a graze of their hands) for it to all come flooding back. He has somehow designed and created the exact garden she pictured during those quieter moments at the hospital. While Elizabeth's non-corporeal rules are all over the place, nothing is more set in stone in rom-coms than the notionofkismet.

Peak mid-aughts Mark Ruffalois, of course, a big selling point to this movie. It also ticks all therom-com real estate dream home boxes. At the moment it is hardto watch something and not consider how it would rank as a shelter-in-place location, butElizabeth (and David's) palatial apartmentand fantasy rooftop garden score pretty highly. Just Like Heavenis incredibly predictable; nevertheless, the familiarity and warmth is a welcome change of pace, andsometimes that is all you need.

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The cozy appeal of romantic comedy Just Like Heaven - SYFY WIRE