Cast: Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs
Director: Jeff Lowell
Producers: Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer, Peter Safran,
Norm Waitt
Screenwriter: Jeff Lowell
Music: David Kitay
Editor: Matt Friedman Genre: Romantic Comedy/ Fantasy
Cinematography: John Bailey Distributor: New Line
Cinema
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Technical Assessment: * * ½
Moral Assessment: ● ● ½
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) is about to be married toHenry (Paul Rudd), but on the day of their wedding,
Kate dies when she is crushed by a huge ice sculpture
of an angel. Kate is not allowed to enter heaven until
she finally resolves her unfinished business on earth.
Thus, Kate goes back to earth as a ghost constantly
guarding Henry. Meanwhile, Henry is unable to fully
recover from the trauma of loosing Kate even after a
year, so he reluctantly agrees to consult a part-time
psychic cum full time caterer named Ashley (Lake Bell)
at the urging of his sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane).
Despite his skepticism over Ashley’s psychic
abilities, Henry finds himself falling hard for
Ashley, and the same is true with Ashley. Kate
however, haunts Ashley for she considers it her
heavenly duty to break up Henry and Ashley’s
blossoming romance.
The premise of Over Her Dead Body is not really new.
However, the actors themselves are somehow able to
pull it off because the viewers do not see them on the
big screen often. Eva Longoria Parker and Paul Rudd
together with the rest of the cast are more popularly
known as television stars. But then, the same strength
gives the film its major setback. Over Her Dead Body
appears to be a made-for-TV-movie. The storyline is
less cinematic and the script is a no-brainer. There
are some funny moments in the movie though that the
audiences would surely enjoy but the film does not
really go beyond being clicheic and predictable.
Can a ghost really have a power over human beings’
decision? The film has worked on this thesis and it
actually says that the phrase, “till death do us part”
is never applicable for some obnoxious souls such as
Kate’s. Although there is quiet retribution towards
the end, apparently the outcome of events are all
maneuvered by her, a ghost. There are lessons of love
and letting go to be learned in the film. Ashley as
the fake psychic goes back to the Catholic Church
which is also commendable. However, young audiences
should be cautioned of some mild sexual insinuation,
nudity and vulgar language. The film condones
pre-marital sex and depicts drunkenness as funny and
acceptable. Gender stereotyping and discrimination is
also present in the movie.
