Reese Witherspoon makes a very animated dead person in romantic comedy Just Like Heaven. It's a likeable but surprisingly "fluffy yarn" from Mean Girls director Mark Waters, which sees Witherspoon hit by a truck and then struck by cupid's arrow when Mark Ruffalo moves into her supposedly vacant apartment. Some critics felt it was too airy-fairy and it made a soft landing at the box office.

Head In The Clouds

"What makes a good romantic comedy work is a good obstacle," says director Mark Waters in a 15-minute Making Of featurette. Witherspoon talks about the story as having "a mad caper element" while the producers explain that it was the innocence and sweetness that first attracted them to the French novel If Only It Were True by Marc Levy (on which the script is based). Waters then goes on to talk about shooting in his old stomping grounds around San Francisco, which worked a treat for cinematographer Daryn Okada who saw the city's trademark "floating fog" as the perfect way to create a "heavenly" feel to the canvas.

Much less edifying is Meet The Cast, ie a meeting of the mutual appreciation society. Ruffalo gushes about Witherspoon's "lively perkiness" while Witherspoon bangs on about how Ruffalo is "...really a really funny guy..." etc.

A jarringly ironic alternative ending is included among four deleted scenes. It basically involves a long flashback for Witherspoon's character recalling all the good times she and Ruffalo shared, which is fun and all, but she still can't remember who he is... There's also a scene in the Ruffalo's 'special garden' that features Witherspoon levitating with what appears to be some very dodgy wirework.

The Divine Comedy

Waters is joined by Okada and his editor Bruce Green for the feature commentary. The track isn't loaded with too much technical info although there is are insights into details like colour palette and story structure. Waters also talks about trying to balance the broader comic moments with the subtler comedy and credits Ruffalo with being able to do his shtick "just big enough to be funny, but no so big that it's unreal". On top of that he offers a handy visitor's guide to San Francisco, eg Café Trieste in North Beach apparently serves the best vanilla latte on the west coast.

A supposedly comatose Witherspoon surreptitiously picks her nose in a gag reel to round off the extras. Like the film it's a very light package with the filmmakers saying very little about the process of adaptation and no direct behind-the-scenes access. Only the commentary feel substantial, but even then, for those genuinely interested in the roots of the project, this DVD is hardly heaven sent.

EXTRA FEATURES

The Just Like Heaven DVD is released in the UK on Monday 8th May 2006.