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San Francisco Doctor Elizabeth Masterson (Reese Witherspoon) is a compassionate workaholic, but she has no life. She’s driven by ambition and has sacrificed any semblance of romance or leisure. Who was it that first said that death is fate’s way of telling you that you need a vacation? A tragic head-on collision puts a screeching halt to her career. Flash forward and Elizabeth returns to her apartment, only to find that it’s occupied by a new tenant, landscape architect David Abbot (Mark Ruffalo). She’s indignant. He’s incredulous; after all, he has a lease. It doesn’t take long before they discover that she’s in spirit form, a lovely ghost that has no recollection of how or why she should be in such a state. David is the only person who can see or hear her, so he chooses to help her discover the truth. And as they spend more and more time together, he slowly falls in love with Elizabeth’s quirky but charming spirit. When they do discover the truth, we all learn that there is much more at stake than anyone had realized. David finds himself in a race against time to save a life.

Based upon the novel If Only It Were True written by Marc Levy, director Mark Waters (2003’s Freaky Friday and Mean Girls) crafts this supernatural romantic comedy as more than simply goofy movie; with a kind directorial hand, he examines the hearts of two single strangers. Despite being a dedicated pro at a job that she loves, Elizabeth reflects upon her life and realizes that she’s missed out on the joys of fostering relationships in her personal life. And David Abbott gets a fresh perspective on his life as he deals with the spirit of a woman who simply won’t leave him alone.

While this quirky story may provide a new way to look at romance, the many themes of personal discovery aren’t exactly new. Lead actors Witherspoon and Ruffalo are consistently appealing who genuinely connect. Yet I felt their particular chemistry was not as exciting as it could have been; had Ruffalo’s nice guy David Abbott been written a little more edgy, interactions could have had more spark. That’s my only complaint, because I really enjoyed this film.

With a little suspension of disbelief, the film can carry one’s interest and do what it is made to do: entertain. Also benefiting the film is the work by cinematographer Daryn Okada who illuminates some scenic compositions with a pleasant beauty. Editor Bruce Green keeps the pacing natural and interesting. Just Like Heaven is better than your average date movie; the strong talent involved, the curious story, and a few important themes about living well make it a winner.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film’s theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is presented in anamorphic video. This is a splendid transfer with little room to complain. Most scenes are richly saturated with vibrant colors. Flesh tones are perfectly color timed and realistic looking. Sometimes it seemed that greens tend to lean toward a bluish tinge. Contrast management is above average with very natural, clean whites that highlight details while blacks display a wide-ranging gray scale that drops into near-inky blacks. Clothing fiber, actors’ hair, and painted wood are sharp and clear. Some evening scenes are dark and shadowy and the faintest fading is sometimes noticeable if one looks for it. Black crush is most always avoided. There is a pleasant depth to small object detail. No compression problems arose, and edge halos are only sometimes noticeable. Grain is truly minute; this is a very smooth transfer. This is a consistently attractive picture most will enjoy.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The frequency range is a tad wider than expected with smooth, moderate sounding lows from the .1 LFE and fresh highs that sound rather natural. Dynamics aren’t stunning, but it is a pleasing mix. Rolfe Kent’s music has a nice roundness to it that doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the mix. Dialogue is recorded very well though it’s not consistently crisp; thankfully the leads try to annunciate well. Like many romantic comedies, the mix is rather front heavy with a mediocre depth of field. The surrounds are consistently active (yay!), but they are tame and I noticed no split activity (boo!). However, like the fronts, the gentle surrounds have a fairly broad frequency range that gives the film a better illusion of open space. Overall, this is a pleasing audio mix.

Other audio options include French Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Surround 2.0. Also available are English, French, and Spanish Subtitles, as well as English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Surprise, surprise! While it’s not noted on the back of the keepcase, an audio commentary with director Mark Walters, editor Bruce Green, and cinematographer Daryn Okada is included. Some interesting elements include losing sunlight during an exterior shot, but ultimately preferring studio backup lighting. Miscellaneous casting and hiring discussions are interesting, and other technical challenges are discussed. Discussions are usually consistent without dead spots; the filmmakers are genuinely interested and proud of their film. This is a great, engaging commentary.

Four deleted scenes include David and Elizabeth in the Garden, David Gets Pulled Over, David and Jack Talk, and Alternative Ending. A “Play All” option is included as well as the option of a director’s audio commentary. The first deleted scene had an interesting concept, but test audiences didn’t like it, and I have to admit that I’m glad they didn’t include it in the film – check it out after you see the movie. The Alternative Ending likely would have been box office poison and engender bad word of mouth. While they are all interesting to watch, it was probably wise that none made it into the film.

A Making Of Just Like Heaven featurette (14:31) is included. Filmmakers and principle actors are interviewed and some behind-the-scenes footage is on display. Mark Waters talks about challenges such as the rainy weather and unpredictable trolley cars. A lot of credit is given to director Waters from the producers and cast. The producers chose him because they liked his “breezy” work with Freaky Friday (2003) and Mean Girls (2004), and the cast find him to be an actor’s director. Some interesting stuff here, but its mostly fawning (though genuine) without conflict.

Interviews (13:09) from the Meet the Cast feature is next. Many clips from the film are included, which becomes irritating because it pads much of the feature; make sure you see the film first. While there are interviews with the cast about their respective roles, the director and producer Walter Parkes talk about casting as well. It’s mostly all fawning again (even though it again comes across as quite genuine), but fans should love it.

A Gag Reel (4:59) feature is also included. Audio is a little quiet on this feature for some reason, regardless of the scenes. Most scenes are actors breaking character or prop malfunctions. No wardrobe malfunctions, though. Fun stuff fans will enjoy.

Trailers include: Dreamer, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Prime, Pride and Prejudice, and Something New.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

No DVD-ROM features are included.