JUST LIKE HEAVEN
US, 2005, 95 minutes, Colour.
Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Donald Logue, Dinah Waters, Ben Schenkmann, Jon Heder, Ivana Milicevic, Roslyn Chao, Ron Canada, Caroline Aaron.
Directed by Mark Waters.
For those who are looking for a nice film, adults who want something more amiable and gentle than the big-budget fantasies, need search no further than Just Like Heaven. It is also a nice fantasy and, indeed, unashamedly romantic.
It is all the more romantic because one of the partners is, presumably, a ghost!
Elizabeth Masterson is a doctor who is absolutely devoted to her patients. She is shrewd, efficient, with the personal touch. But, her workaholism means that she has neglected her own life and relationships. Just as she might be open to broadening her perspective, she is involved in a massive lorry accident.
Meantime, widower, David Abbott, has been grieving for the death of his wife for two years. He is searching for an apartment when he is compelled to visit the apartment of – well, of Elizabeth, of course. And, then she appears. What is going on? Elizabeth is just as puzzled as David. Together they try to find out what has happened. Without spoiling the ending, they get to know each other, understand each other, become friends and fall in love. It’s as nice as that.
The screenplay, from a French novel by Marc Levy, If Only It Were True, is not just mushy (though the American treatment of affection and love is more extraverted than the treatment by more reserved cultures). It is often quite humorous. It has a great advantage in having Reese Witherspoon as Elizabeth. Though still young, she has shown how versatile an actress she is with comedy (Legally Blonde), ironic satire (Election) and drama (The Importance of Being Earnest and Vanity Fair). She has great opportunities for acting and singing in the biography of Johnny and June Carter Cash, Walk the Line.
The romantic lead is Mark Ruffalo who is not a frequent smiler in his films. Rather, he has a kind of hangdog look that suits his performance as David very well. Jon Heder (who stood out as the eccentric adolescent in Napoleon Dynamite) has the role of an assistant at an occult bookstore who has a gift for recognising the presence of ghosts – after all, this is California, San Francisco.
Which means that the film has quite interesting features for Christian audiences. Even though the title has ‘heaven’ in it, this is a completely secular story about death and life after death. There is no God or religious language at all.
Yet, the film resonates with Christian beliefs. It is strongly on the side of life – should life-supports be turned off or not? Elizabeth is not in heaven and she is certainly not in hell. One might have thought about a kind of limbo, but that is a theological speculation that, we read, has lost its status. The Catholic alternative is purgatory. Doctrine says that purgatory is not a place but a state, a state where the dead person has to come to terms with the meaning of their life. This is what Elizabeth has to do. She has to revisit her life. She also has to experience some love so that she can find the meaning of her life.
Religious and theological discussion is difficult to initiate. But, on an ordinary workaday level, watching a film like Just Like Heaven, can lead to a sharing of ideas about death and the afterlife, where the aspirations of those who have little or no faith can meet the beliefs of Christians. Their beliefs can be seen to be more credible. They correspond to deep hopes of what we call Heaven.
1.The popularity of this kind of romance? Ghost story? The touch of the fey, the touch of the spiritual? In a contemporary setting?
2.San Francisco and the beauty of the city, the views, its moods? As a location? The hospital, homes and apartments, restaurants, the book store? An authentic setting?
3.The realistic style of the film, relying on minimum special effects – except for Elizabeth as a ghost? The musical score, the range of songs?
4.The title of the original novel, If Only It Were True? Just Like Heaven and the overtones of life after death? The credits and the end, the Garden of Heaven?
5.The portrait of Elizabeth, her age, experience, her back-story and life at school, failing, wanting control, devotion to her sister? Working twenty-six hours and the hospital, her interaction with the patients, diagnoses, comfort? The clash with Brett Rushton? Dr Welsh and his concern, giving her the appointment? Fran and the other members of the staff? Going to sleep in the common room? Relationship with her sister, going for the meal, the promise of the date, driving and the crash?
6.The contrast with the portrait of David, with Grace, looking for the apartment, the sofas and his not being satisfied? Morose, the paper sticking to him and his reading it, the visit to the apartment? Liking the couch? The rent situation? The mystery of the previous owner? His drinking, grief, going out with Jack, socialising, wanting to go home, watch television by himself?
7.Elizabeth’s sudden appearance, her wanting to control everything, the coaster and the mark on the table, disconcerting David? David’s life and his not being able to cope, drinking? Elizabeth and her presence in the room, the television, the shower? Her coming and going? Bossy? Their interactions, his bewilderment? The challenge to who she actually was and her not being able to remember?
8.The visit to the shop and meeting Darryl? The advice about the books, San Francisco and New Age material? Darryl and his personality, his ability to see auras, to understand, his continually saying ‘Righteous’? His sensing Elizabeth’s presence, giving advice – and seeing her and waving to her at the end?
9.David, the inquiry about the previous owner, the information? Elizabeth worried? The visit to all the neighbours, Katrina and her sexy approach? The dry-cleaner – and the accumulation of information that she had no private or personal life? Visiting the address, the man who thought he was being blackmailed?
10.The visit to the restaurant, the man becoming sick, Elizabeth discovering who she was, directing David to help the man recover, David’s squeamishness as regards the knife, the breathing? Going to the hospital, recognising the staff? David asking, the discovery of Elizabeth in coma? Her looking at herself, David touching her, some feeling, her going inside her own body but unable to resuscitate herself?
11.Brett, his self-centredness, going to Phoenix, the decision to turn off the life support, the discussions with Abby?
12.Abby, her personality, husband, her daughters? Their friendship with Aunt Elizabeth? Their going to visit, the kids playing around, especially with the life support system? Abby having protected her sister, her discussions about turning off the system, wanting to do what Elizabeth thought was right – and Brett explaining that was her wish?
13.David going to visit Abby, trying to persuade her not to turn off the system, the niece being able to see Elizabeth, Abby and her chasing him with the meat cleaver?
14.Elizabeth and her wanting to live, needing to live? Her love for the garden, David taking her to see his landscaping? David and his love? Her just wanting to lie beside him before she faded away? The light?
15.David and his being almost dead, silence about his wife, being able to tell Elizabeth the story of her death, what she was like? Beginning to overcome his grief? His declaration of love for Elizabeth, his coming alive again?
16.Jack, his friend, the psychiatrist, the listening? Taking him to the hotels, the women – and Elizabeth’s being present but unseen, David and his trying to juggle the drinks? Jack as part of the plan, taking the ambulance, hurrying to the hospital, evading the authorities, the attempt to take Elizabeth’s body, Abby being upset, Brett and the doctors, their being caught?
17.The love, Elizabeth coming alive again – but not knowing David?
18.Elizabeth coming home, David on the roof garden – and her recognising him, the love, the discovery that they should have been each other’s date – and that this was meant to be?
19.Secular images of life after death, the death experience, the Christian notions of purgatory and the film’s presenting a character wandering in a state needing to understand their own life and to reconcile with their own life?
