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Over Her Dead Body
Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell
Directed by Jeff Lowell
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2008
95 minutes
Over Her Dead Body is a hell of a lot better and funnier than the DVD blurb makes it sound. This is a very funny, sometimes over the top, occasionally slapstick, and quite original ghostly romantic comedy.
Henry (Paul Rudd) is having problems getting over the wedding day death of his type A personality fiancée Kate (Eva Longoria in a very orange tan-in-a-bottle). His sister gets him to consult a psychic (Lake Bell as Ashley) so the psychic will get him to go on with his life.
The psychic falls in love with Henry. This really angers Kate who does everything to get in the way and protect her man.
The basic ghost wife idea may not be quite new but writer / director Jeff Lowell makes the most of every scene and character and finds a new way to make you laugh at just about every turn.
What I especially liked in Over Head Dead Body was the moments where the comedy was upstage to the main action. A great example is when Henry's staff tries to wrestle an overweight dog onto the examination table while Henry talks with his sister.
There are so many ways Over Head Dead Body could have gone wrong and yet it never does. The whole Kate as a spirit thing is handled very intelligently and originally. The first encounter between Kate and Ashley is superb, the second different and just as funny.
It helps Kate has a sense of humor when it comes to warning off Ashley. Even the moment referencing a famous seventies movie is original
Longoria isn't a great comic actress by any stretch of the imagination but the role covers up a lot of her failings though not that weird orange coloring.
This romantic comedy has quite a few surprising twists and a really, really original one too.
The movie does drag a bit three quarters of the way in with the story of Ashley's assistant and its resolution is … but it's an easy flaw to overlook.
No extras whatsoever on this DVD. This saves us from the usual lame director's commentary and the studio disclaimers at the beginning.