Movie Analysis:
"Just
Like Heaven "
Analysis by Chris
Huntley
Just
Like Heaven is a frothy, light romantic comedy. It covers
familiar territory (live person/ghost romance) with a couple of
variations to give it a slightly fresher feel than expected. One
thing that keeps this film going is its solid storyform. Fluffy
as the storytelling may be, the underlying structure and story
dynamics make Just
Like Heaven more than just a piece of angel cake. (Click
Here to see the storyform.)
SPOILERS AHEAD
Mark Ruffalo plays David Abbott (MC), a former landscape architect
haunted by the death of his wife (MC Concern of The Past). Reese Witherspoon
plays Elizabeth Masterson (IC), a woman driven by her single desire
to excel at her job as a doctor, so much so she returns as a spirit
after a head-on collision with a truck (Story Driver of Action). Unfortunately
for her, she cannot remember who she is (IC Concern of Memories) and
finds herself back at her apartment now occupied by David, a man unknown
to her.
It turns
out that David is the only person that can see or hear Elizabeth
(OS Issue of Senses). They work to figure out who she is and why
she is “haunting” David (OS Concern of Understanding). Those
around David while he talks to Elizabeth think he’s nuts (OS
Thematic Conflict of Senses v. Interpretation and OS Problem
of Perception).
At first
David and Elizabeth don’t believe each other. Each
try to get the other to leave by various methods (M/I Domain of
Manipulation)
including non-stop singing, voyeurism, exorcism (MC Approach of
Do-er),
etc. As in most romantic comedies, the two slowly fall in love and
try to make their relationship work (M/I Concern of Developing
a Plan).
Bit by
bit, Elizabeth finds little reminders of her former life (IC
Issue Evidence). Some of it paints her in an unpleasant light (“She’s
like one of those cat ladies…only without the cats.”)
which is inconsistent with her current behavior (IC Counterpoint
of Suspicion). After more digging, David and Elizabeth discover that Elizabeth
is still alive and in a coma. It becomes a matter of life and death
for them to find a way to get Katherine’s spirit into her body
before her body dies (Story Limit of Optionlock).
As expected,
David plants a wet one on Elizabeth’s lips just
as she flat lines which brings the sleeping beauty back to life (Story
Driver of Action). Upon
awakening, Elizabeth has no memory of David. She resumes her life as
it was before the accident (IC Resolve of Steadfast).
No longer
paralyzed by his past, David builds a beautiful rooftop garden for
Elizabeth without her knowledge (MC Resolve of Change).
Elizabeth discovers the garden, asks David for the spare key, and when
they touch (Story Driver of Action) she finally understands
that she and David were meant to be together as her memories of her
time in the coma flood back to her (Story Goal of Understanding,
IC Concern of Memories). They kiss and embrace. (Story
Outcome of Success and Story Judgment of Good).
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