One star

"Over Her Dead Body" would like to be an otherworldly screwball comedy along the lines of Warren Beatty's "Heaven Can Wait" or Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit."

Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the filmmakers that films such as these are filled with immense charm, romance and wit.

Eva Longoria-Parker plays Kate, a vivacious control freak, who, in attempting to orchestrate life into her upcoming wedding, loses her own when a wingless angel ice sculpture falls on her.

A year after the fact, Kate's would-have-been-husband, Henry (Paul Ruud), is still in something of a funk.

To bring him out of it, his sister, Chloe (Lindsay Sloane), arranges a meeting between Henry and Ashley (Lake Bell), a psychic with questionable abilities who also is a part-time caterer.

Ashley is supposed to use snippets from Kate's diary to convince Henry that she is, indeed, communicating with his ex-girlfriend and that the message Kate wants to send is that Henry should forget about her and get on with his life and date other people. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

For Kate, it seems, has been denied access to heaven and her ethereal spirit has returned to Earth to try to figure out how she can get in. As the relationship between Ashley and Henry starts to warm up, Kate becomes convinced that her key to the pearly gates is to play havoc with this relationship.

What transpires is as predictable as a badly written TV sitcom, which really is where this lame attempt at entertainment belongs.

At least people would have the opportunity to change the channel.

The film's television sensibility is no accident. Writer/director Jeff Lowell established himself in television as both a writer and a producer. "Over Her Dead Body" is his first foray into the realm of feature filmmaking.

The final effort reflects this, as Lowell demonstrates a complete lack of understanding as to how good cinema operates. This film is full of stilted scenes that go nowhere, playing out as parts totally independent of the greater whole.

Any gags are so labored and forced that the only way they would elicit laughter would be if there were a laugh track playing on the soundtrack. No greater example of this exists than in an obligatory flatulence joke. The joke is so overdone, so extended, that it doesn't raise a smirk among audience members, let alone a chuckle or a laugh.

None of Lowell's characters are even remotely amusing, likable or possess a shred of depth. The perfect example is the part of Kate, given to the film's star, Longoria-Parker.

Kate is as one-dimensional as Longoria-Parker's Gabri-elle is on "Desperate House-wives," only she's more shrill, self-serving and obnoxious. To that end, Longoria-Parker's casting seems perfect, even if she is only in about a third of the picture.

Ruud walks through the picture looking as if he would prefer to be anywhere but in this bomb. Ruud's other co-star, Bell, seems equally distracted, but for different reasons.

She's simply in a state of perpetual confusion. Without any real guidance from Lowell or characterization within his script, this poor actress is just lost.

Therefore, "Over Her Dead Body" is far from the romantic ghost story it claims to be. Instead, it's a picture that's a horror show of banalities, stereotypes and incompetence that is anything but entertaining filmmaking.