Hello Again (1987)

Lack of good storyline.

Excellent but underrated film

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I love this movie. I watch it over and over and over. My husband comes home and says are you watching this AGAIN. It has everything. I love the store and the little restaurant that is run by the Son after her passing.It's full of magic and makes me feel just great after watching it. It makes me cry each time I watch it too. Some people would think it is a little dated but not me I think its perfect. The clothing that they wear is fun. I also really like the actress they used for the Son's wife. She is full of fun. The psychic store is just beautiful and I love the crazy sister, Zelda. Shelley Long plays a great part in it. It is also a reminder of making your dreams come true while you are here. Finding your passion and making it happen. Abundant Blessings everyone. Sharon

Shelly Long is an excellent comedic actress who has excruciatingly terrible taste in choosing films. Watching her on Cheers is a joy. She has perfect comedy timing and is at her best as an intellectual in a company of clowns.BUT she should NOT be cast as the clown! In her movie career she pulled a "Chevy Chase" and spiraled down from an attractive bright person to a buffoon. Hello Again is the nadir (I hope!).Where do I start? The writer, Susan Issacs, must be somebody's niece. She is a rotten writer. Making Lucy's character a stumble bum is pointless. Why? Who would think the constant pratfalls are funny?? It is embarrassing to watch.Judith Ivey should get the ham of the year award for drastic overacting. Gabriel Byrnes is wonderful. I had not seen him before, but seeing how he could even pretend to be in character in this turkey was impressive. And I liked Corbin B.I watch this movie to cheer myself up. No matter how bad things are in my life, at least I didn't appear in this film.

A saccharine little comedy, with ooey-gooey sweetness dripping from it's pores, about how Long returns from the dead and finds life a mess. The film sets her up as a plain-Jane housewife, with a cardboard doctor of a husband, and a son ready for college. Feeling at a loss of what to do with the rest of her days, she does the most interesting thing she can: she dies. Fortunately, her nutcase sister is a pseudo-witch doctor who "chants" her back to life. Only for Long to be hounded by the media and jilted by her husband. It's all handled so tamely, so TV-movie-like that it could qualify for MST3K showings. Hard up for laughs, Long is written as a klutz, who trips, falls, spills, slides, and even at one point, undresses herself while trying to walk stairs. Her new love interest is a lifeless doctor who smiles at her maybe twice in the film, yet somehow falls for her. Throw in a melodramatic, over-baked finish, and you have a real eye roller. But what might be the clincher are just some of the shots used. Director Perry has people walking arm in arm and laughing gleefully, while entering rooms, or adjourning from others. Or they jack up the saxophone score on Long's "me so cute" smile, and even add a head tilt for Byrne's predictable, "I love you. " The ultimate pile of sugar is during the end credits, as a photo album is thumbed through. Pictures of all three lead couples, getting married, getting pregnant, and then posing with their babies. And Long is even blessed with twins! Then a male hand puts his on a female hand oh so sweetly as they look at the pictures. Please. Talk about redefining "And they lived happily ever after".

Director Frank Perry, who in the early 1970s showed some honest talent and an abundance of visual wit, channels the same cartoony approach to 'life' here as he did with his "Compromising Positions"...and the affects are equally as meager. Shelley Long dies but comes back, however there's nothing relatably human about Long's approach to acting. Yes, she's playing a klutzy ditz with a heart of gold, but Long has no shadings, and when she tries for sincerity it rings hollow (even her overly-clear speaking voice sounds as if it's coming from an echo chamber and not a person). I liked Long in the underrated "Irreconcilable Differences", where she really had a chance to carve out a character beyond her snippy "Cheers" persona. It's not that she's a bad actress, there just doesn't seem to be a soul in that body. Pert and perky, she's utterly one-dimensional, pink-and-blonde-and-bland. Who cares if she returns from the dead? *1/2 from ****