Alicia I love this movie so much

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

blanche-2 Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen star in "Living with the Dead," a 2002 Hallmark film based on the book by James van Praagh,"Talking to Heaven." The film also stars Queen Latifah, Michael Moriarity, and Jack Palance. I am interested in spiritual phenomenon, but I'll be honest and say that I've never been a particular fan of James van Praagh. I can't even really tell you why, I just never found him particularly authentic.I'm guessing that van Praagh's book is non-fiction regarding the early life of the main character but that the adult part is fiction. I could be wrong; I don't know that much about his life. In the movie, van Praagh realizes his psychic abilities early on and is encouraged by his mother not to discuss them (and as it turns out, his mother had the same ability). Therefore, he grows up to find his abilities an annoyance. When young boys who are deceased start to appear to him, ask for help, and try to give him a message, his life becomes nearly unlivable. A police detective (Steenburgen) believes him and works with him on the case -- one of the boys had disappeared some 30 years earlier.I found this movie scary, suspenseful, spiritual, and very well acted by all involved. It has a very slow buildup -- it's in two parts - and as the years go on, we become less and less used to stories that have the art of the buildup. However, I urge you to stick with it.There has been a proliferation of this type of material since 1999's "The Sixth Sense" both in films and on television. I think this is one of the better ones.

kevandeb like most people, the combination of Made for TV + Ted Danson = thanks, but no thanks!! this is where the subscribers to IMDb earn their corn! i was happily willing to give this a miss, and thanks to the comments here i am pleased i watched it. Ted Danson has never before played a role so well, and Jack Palance is a class above, but this lends itself to his dominance over the life of James Van Praagh. A well directed, suspenseful film that never appeared to be overlong and well acted throughout the cast. Normally in movies for TV there is 'deadwood' throughout the supporting cast, but not here. the subject of the film was never over-hyped or glorified into a scare fest and remained balanced throughout the movie giving the viewer an 'edge of the seat' experience. definitely recommended viewing, and so much better than over-hyped offerings currently available.

sevenof9fl I'd had this movie recommended to me by a friend, but didn't have a lot of faith in Ted Dansen's ability to carry a role such as this. I can say, however, that I was not only pleased, but astounded by his performance.His reactions to his character's abilities were played on a pitch-perfect note. I can't imagine living inside the head of anyone who could actually "see dead people" but Danson's portrayal rang true for me. I can imagine being just as "freaked out," scared out of my mind, and wondering if I were indeed insane. It's a wonderful and terrible burden, I'm sure, if true.And even if Van Praagh doesn't have the abilities as described, this made-for-TV movie was one of the best I've ever seen. The pacing was excellent, the dialog believable, and the characters and their interrelationships well-developed - and it was also a great, old-fashioned creepy "whodunit," good enough to keep most folks fooled until the very end.I highly recommend this movie for anyone who not only likes a good story of the supernatural, but anyone who likes a good, old-fashioned murder mystery.

Andreas Niedermayer Talking to Heaven aka Living with the Dead is based on the book by James van Praagh, one of America's most famous mediums. He is also the main character, played by Ted Danson. The movie features the story of James' ability to connect with dead people and traces his supernatural gift back to his childhood. Now he is in his forties. When his mother (Diane Ladd) dies everything comes back and his abilities grow stronger. Mysterious things start to happen, dead boys haunt James and want him to do something. James is baffled and starts investigating with the help of detective Karen Condrin (Mary Steenburgen). While they come across a 30-year-old murder case involving seven young boys, James delves deeper into the mysteries and finds evidence of a connection to his own past. But their time is running out and the life of another boy (Reece Thompson) is on the line.The story is very complex and sophisticated. You never stop making your own assumptions and the numerous subtle hints and connections between times and places give the story tremendous strength and add substantial quality to the plot. I have seen many mystery movies and thrillers, but hardly any is able to match the suspense and the complexity of Talking to Heaven. Despite its length of almost three hours and due to the wonderfully paced unraveling of mysteries and the ability of Ted Denson in particular to maintain the level of suspense, the story keeps the audience alert and never becomes slow or corny. There are so many connections and hints, so many scenes that are simply awesome and so many sub-plots with underlying themes and messages that Talking to Heaven can be called a revelation and a stunning mystery masterpiece.The strongest aspect of the story is the link between the murder of the boys and James' own past. This makes him emotionally very much attached to the crime story and is perfectly connected to the introductory sequences that feature him as a boy. Everything is a puzzle at the outset and there is never a point in the course of the story where you could predict what is going to happen next. Very few movies achieve this level of unpredictability.James' life and his struggles make up a significant part of the story, especially his relationship and his ensuing contact with his late mother. She provides some sort of guidance for him and makes him understand the issue of death and accept his gift as a blessing rather than a curse. The relationships with his father (veteran Jack Palance) and his friend Midge (Queen Latifah) have no immediate connection to the crime story, but provide substantial depth for understanding him as a character. The many scenes in which James talks to strangers about their late relatives collaborates to get a sense of his abilities and the mysteries of his life.The murder case is the core of the story, its major strength and the main source of suspense. Even without the mystery aspect, this would make an awesome thriller. Mary Steenburgen as detective Condrin acts as a kind of buffer between the supernatural background story and the terrific real-life murder case and helps to combine the strengths of both. There are many pieces that need to be collected, many assumptions that need to be made and many secrets that need to be unraveled.A major sub-theme is the story of Eddie Kats (James Kirk) and his mother. Their paths are a significant part of the story and add another very sophisticated emotional level. The scenes that feature Eddie and James reminded me very much of thematic elements that pervade the writings of Stephen King, who makes strong use of these cross-time stories that appeal emotionally and make you think about values and life in general. A similar pattern surfaces in the story of Reece Thompson's character, who is terrorized and trying to escape death. Both boys (Thompson and Kirk) are perfectly cast and deliver superb performances – though they appear on entirely different settings. They shine and add authenticity to the story, in particular on an emotional level.Talking to Heaven is a combination of different genres. It features a complex and outstandingly sophisticated storyline, awesome actors and so many sub-themes that culminate in an entirely stunning and satisfying climax that leaves you at the edge of your seat. The final denouement connects with all the layers of setting, both time and place, and by then you realize the complexity and quality of the story. A brilliant mystery masterpiece by all means.