By definition, any movie with Joely Richardson can't be all bad. In Meg Richman's directing debut, Under Heaven , Richardson gives a glowing performance. But the rest, sadly, is pretty forgettable.
Nothing is left ambiguous, and there's an unfortunate, artificially happy ending.
She is dying of an unspecified cancer, but possessed of an angelic life force. Richardson, God bless her, pulls off this thankless role with a soft-spoken dignity. Once situated in Eleanor's house, the three form an uneasy triangle. We know that Cynthia will be rewarded, because we've been shown how nice she is. Richman, who wrote the script as well as directed, shows an unfortunate heavy-handedness.