'Over Her Dead Body' is a familiar supernatural tale

This is a good time for a romantic comedy, actually - what with people renting or even getting to see re-released movies nominated for the Oscars, a little romantic comedy that isn't so dramatic might be a good thing to check out. Although "Over Her Dead Body" doesn't break any new ground, think of it as what it must be like when someone loved you so much in life that they didn't want you to end up with anyone else - even in death.

Eva Longoria Parker (from ABC's "Desperate Housewives") plays Kate, a demanding control freak, with her mellow beau, Henry, played by Paul Rudd (from "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"). OK, so Kate has a somewhat explainable reason for being high-strung, since she has gone Bridezilla on Henry while planning their upcoming nuptials. However, on their wedding day, Kate gets iced by a falling angel sculpture carved from (you guessed it) ice.

To say that Henry is traumatized is an understatement, and even a year later, he still can't come to terms with Kate's unexpected demise. His sister, Chloe (Lindsay Sloane), has tried just about everything to help get her brother's life back on track.

That is, until she hooks him up with the psychic Ashley (Lake Bell from "Boston Legal"). Why a psychic? His sister realizes that since he's not going to forget Kate anytime soon, what if Kate gives him permission to move on from the spiritual world? Creepy, huh? I guess being a fortune teller doesn't pay well, so, like many living in Tahoe, Ashley has another job to make ends meet. Henry doesn't believe in tea readings and is skeptical that Kate could speak beyond the grave - let alone give him permission to move on - but what the heck?

You can see where this is going (almost) when you see how hot the psychic is, and Henry eventually does as well. In a move that will probably tick off most in the psychic business, Chloe gives the palm reader Kate's diary (after stealing it from Henry) so she can obtain some firsthand information that only Henry would know.

Like "Ghost" (1990) and, to some extent, "Just Like Heaven" (2005), once you get the former love interest from the spiritual world involved, it can be both funny and irritating. And just like those movies, when you add to the storyline that only certain people can see or feel the departed, it all starts to look somewhat familiar.

Written and directed by Jeff Lowell, "Over Her Dead Body" does require the moviegoer to suspend quite a bit of disbelief, and it makes you wonder: If your partner did croak, would he or she be content with the decision that you would ultimately make on the other side? It's weird to think that someone who is supposedly heaven-bound (since no one in hell would really care) would be so ticked off at another woman vying for her fiancé's attention. One would think she'd be scheming to off Henry so that they would both be available in the afterlife, but then there wouldn't be the funny setups that play out in these kinds of movies, would there?

Well, like I said, there are a lot of good Oscar contenders to catch up on, but if you're looking for a fairly harmless movie to take a date to, then this movie is for you. The acting is OK, but I was thinking, what with all these great actors who have left us over the past 50 years, maybe Kate could have gotten some better pointers with her method acting from those in the spiritual world. Just a thought.

Keepin' it reel: <b>Now Playing:</b> "Over Her Dead Body" <b>Starring:</b> Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs, Lindsay Sloane, Stephen Root, William Morgan Sheppard, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ali Hillis, Deborah Theaker, Natalia Safran, Andy Kreiss and Ben Livingston <b>Directed by:</b> Jeff Lowell <b>Rated:</b> PG-13 for sexual content and language <b>Running time:</b> 96 minutes <b>Howie gives it:</b> 2.5 out of 5 bagels

- Howie Nave is host/manager of The Improv comedy club inside Harveys and hosts "Howie's Morning Rush" on Tahoe's KRLT radio, and you can see his film reviews on RSN. For past reviews, blogs and audio clips, visit www.HowieNave.com.