“Over Her Dead Body” (New Line Cinema)
Death Doesn’t Become Her
Eva Longoria Parker plays a ghost in her new film “Over Her Dead Body.” She haunts her husband’s new girlfriend, played by Lake Bell. This could be a cute, romantic comedy but the script never gives the actors a ghost of a chance.
Kate (Parker) and Henry (Paul Rudd) are planning a gala wedding, and it is all coming together. Sadly on the day of their wedding Kate is killed in an accident. A year later Henry’s sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane) talks him into seeing a psychic of sorts named Ashley (Bell). At first she has no luck in contacting the deceased Kate but later Kate appears to her and tells her to stay away form her man.
Ashley is attracted to Henry and that does complicate things. Kate torments Ashley in a variety of ways but Ashley persists in seeing Henry. Her persistence perplexes Dan (Jason Biggs) her partner in a side business. He thinks she should drop Henry and get her life back to normal.
All of this could have been handled in a light manner and been a bit of mild entertainment. The actors certainly do their best. Longoria Parker is a beautiful woman and has a knack for comedy. Rudd is as comfortable as an old dog. Bell has a lot of sass and Biggs is great at physical comedy.
It is the heavy-handed script and direction that sinks this movie and Jeff Lowell both wrote and directed it. Those are two strikes against him. Most of the romance is drained out of the movie as well as the comedy. Even at the end when it could have opted for a sentimental wrap-up, the script just fades away into dullness.
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
Longoria Parker, Rudd, Bell and Biggs can all look for better movies in their future. They are talented people and can survive a clunker like this one. At least I hope they can. If not then they should all band together and haunt Jeff Lowell. And working with him again should be over their dead bodies.
I scored “Over Her Dead Body” a lifeless 4 out of 10.
