The quirky romantic comedy works largely because of good writing, and Rudd's deadpan delivery of same. That he can do so as slapstick erupts around him makes it all the funnier.
Over Her Dead Body (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:99
Fresh:15
Rotten:84
Average Rating:3.7/10
Consensus: With few laughs and little romantic chemistry, Over Her Dead Body lacks the ingredients of a successful romantic comedy.
Theatrical Release:01-02-2008
Synopsis: Screenwriter Jeff Lowell makes his directorial debut with the slightly unconventional romantic comedy OVER HER DEAD BODY. Overbearing bridezilla Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) is reviewing final... Screenwriter Jeff Lowell makes his directorial debut with the slightly unconventional romantic comedy OVER HER DEAD BODY. Overbearing bridezilla Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) is reviewing final details at the reception venue on her wedding day when the unthinkable happens: she's crushed by an ice sculpture of an angel before she makes it to the altar. A year later, her fiancé, Henry (Paul Rudd), is still devastated. To appease his concerned sister, Chloe (Lindsay Sloan), he visits Ashley (Lake Bell), a caterer and sometime psychic, in an attempt to contact Kate in the afterlife and gain some closure. Henry and Ashley hit it off, but misguided spirit Kate hasn't quite made it to heaven yet, and takes to haunting Ashley to protect her ex-fiancé from his potential new love interest. Will this otherworldly interference keep Henry from moving on with Ashley? Or will Kate realize that the best gift she can give Henry is happiness with someone new? Jason Biggs stars as Dan, Ashley's best friend and catering partner, who is a hiding a big secret from her. Rudd is his usual likable self as Henry, a veterinarian who manages to find humor in every situation despite his lingering sadness. Watch for a very amusing scene with his pet parrot. Longoria looks great as a very fashionable ghost, sporting a new hairdo and a new white outfit almost every time she appears on screen. Bell exudes an air of earnestness and optimism as Ashley, who decides that love is worth being haunted by a ghost. Character actor Stephen Root appears as the ice sculptor. [More]
Starring: Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Lindsay Sloane
Starring: Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Lindsay Sloane, Stephen Root, Jason Biggs
Director: Jeff Lowell
Director: Jeff Lowell
Screenwriter: Jeff Lowell
Producer: Paul Brooks, Peter Safran
Composer: David Kitay
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Over Her Dead Body
Unlike its stubborn corpse bride, Over Her Dead Body will decompose quickly in the memory before fading forever into video oblivion.
What's really spooky is that even the weakest Desperate Housewives episode packs more heat than this tepid romantic comedy-fantasy.
The movie's visuals and ghost jokes are a waste of time, but the delightfully kooky Bell and the wry Rudd occasionally strike spontaneous sparks.
This charmless, mediocre romantic comedy with supernatural overtones is nearly laughless.
Writer-director Jeff Lowell could have gone many different ways with this idea -- the screwball comedy of Heaven Can Wait, say, or even the wistful, unabashed romanticism of Ghost -- but he takes the low road more often than not.
A viciously boring retread of every movie you've ever seen in which dead people come back to watch over their loved ones.
Thoroughly unoriginal and screams of desperation. Over Her Dead Body is a fitting title; this is a DOA dud.
This stale comedy about a vengeful ghost would be depressing if it weren't so disposable.
There’s just no end to America’s love affair with blandness, is there?
This is no career high, but it's impossible to actively dislike Rudd.
Even the worst movies are capable of bending the laws of time. Still, there's something really special about the way Over Her Dead Body makes its 93 minutes seem more like nine hours.
Based on a contrived premise to begin with, romantic ghost comedies are a tricky genre, calling for inspired writing, light touch, charming performances, all of which are in short supply here.
...so bland, lifeless and unimaginative I wanted to poke the screen to make sure it was really there.
For a pure shot of cinematic depression, nothing quite tops opening credits that end with "...and Jason Biggs."
While not horrifically bad, it's as mediocre a motion picture as you're likely to find in a multiplex this season.
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