Life or Something Like It

Plot synopsis:
Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie), a successful reporter for a Seattle television station, interviews a self-proclaimed prophet, Jack (Tony Shalhoub), to find out if he really can predict football scores. Instead, Prophet Jack not only predicts the football score, and that it would hail the next day, but also that she would die in seven days, meaning the following Thursday. When his first two prophecies turn out to be correct, Kerrigan panics and again meets with Jack, asking him for another prophecy so that she can prove it wrong, which would imply uncertainty of her death. Jack tells her that there will be a relatively significant earthquake in San Francisco at 9:06 am; she hopes that it will be wrong but again it also becomes reality. Now Lanie becomes sure of her upcoming death and is forced to reevaluate her life.
The remainder of the storyline - which runs for the week of the prophecy - revolves around her attempts at introspection. She seeks consolation in her famous baseball player boyfriend Cal Cooper (Christian Kane), and in her family, but finds little there. Her lifelong ambition, that of appearing on network television, begins to look like a distant dream. In her desperation, she commits professional blunders, but ends up finding support in an unlikely source: her archenemy, the cameraman Pete Scanlon (Edward Burns), with whom she once had casual sex. He introduces her to a new approach to life; to live every moment of her life and to do whatever she always wanted to do.
Lanie implements Pete's advice; she moves in with Pete for a day, and he introduces her to his son Tommy (Jesse James Rutherford), who lives with his mother, and they spend a whole day together with Tommy. That night they sleep together for the second time. The next day Lanie receives an opportunity for a job she always dreamed of in New York. She asks Pete to come with her, but he declines and tells her that her appetite for success and fame will never end. Lanie sadly leaves for New York.
Pete meets Jack and tells him how wrong he is, as Lanie got the job which Jack foretold she would not get. But Jack explains that he was right as Lanie will never be able to get the job as she'll die before it begins. He again gives a prophecy of the death of a famous former baseball player in a plane crash. Pete receives the news of the death of the baseball player as foretold by Jack, and tries to call Lanie to warn her. When he cannot reach her, he flies to New York.
Lanie - unconcerned with Jack's prophecy - interviews her idol, famous media personality Deborah Connors (Stockard Channing). Lanie realizes how petty the opening questions are and shares a heartfelt moment with Deborah live on air. The interview receives huge ratings. The network immediately offers her a position, but Lanie declines, realizing that she wants a life with Pete in Seattle.
As she leaves the studio, a police officer gets into a conflict with a man, who shoots a bullet into the air. Pete tries to warn Lanie across the street, but she is shot in the crossfire. Luckily, Lanie survives, and Pete tells her in the hospital that he has loved her since the first time he saw her, and Lanie says she loves him, too. Later, Pete, Lanie and Tommy watch Cal's baseball game, while Lanie (in a voiceover) says that one part of her has died — the part which didn't know how to live a life.

Tags: paranormal, romantic, boring, prank

Review:
It attempts to address the question `if you suddenly discovered that you might only have a week more to live, how would you spend that remaining time and what changes would you make to your life?'  Perhaps because this IS a romantic comedy, the best the film can manage to do within the tight strictures of the format is to raise a few of the more provocative issues surrounding the theme  those dealing with the meaning of life and the vagaries of fate, for example  then drop them so it can address itself to the customary clichés one would expect to find in a film of this genre.
One only wonders how a more serious-minded European filmmaker, for instance, might have tackled the same subject matter.Angelina Jolie plays a beautiful, but thoroughly superficial and self-absorbed TV news reporter living a near-perfect life in Seattle.
(The film, incidentally, endorses a rather reactionary view of women in the workplace, arguing that a woman needs to consider whether achieving success in the corporate world is worth sacrificing a chance at achieving marital and familial happiness  a quandary that never seems to be posed to male characters in movies).Despite the fact that it has moments of quality and charm, the film, ultimately, feels like a case of lost opportunity.
I found this movie very predictable for the most part but the characters are so engaging  (especially Jolie's) that you find yourself getting wrapped up in them and the story that surrounds them.
I enjoyed this movie, thanks in large part to the fact that I saw it on FX channel, on their "DVD on TV" movie night, where those two hosts (can't remember their names...) give you supplementary facts and other commentary about the movie during the commercial breaks.The story was actually fairly engrossing: Angelina Jolie's character (Lanie Kerrigan), who is a news reporter, is told by some strange street prophet, Jack (played by Tony Shaloub), that she will die in a week.
The story unfolds as she proceeds to live her rather hectic, self-absorbed life interspersed with romance, a somewhat strained relationship with her father and sister, and the ever-present wonderment as to whether Jack the Prophet will be correct in his prophecy that Lanie will in fact die in a week.
(The ending was a bit lame, but still had a good message if you care to adjust yourself to it.)Jolie's character, Lanie, is interesting, because if you watch the movie more than once, you will most likely start to be intrigued by her appearance: the platinum blonde hair, the puffy lips, the expressive eyes, the makeup....
I like the Ed Burns character, Pete, because he reflects reality, whereas Jolie's character is kind of too unreal, but still fun to watch.I liked the setting of the movie, Seattle, since I live in Seattle.
They changed their real names, though, which was kind of weird.There were a few things I didn't like about the movie, the main one being that Lanie, who works as a modern-day TV reporter, comes across to me as just way too much of a sex-pot, I mean just way outside the realm of reality.
as Conan O'Brien would say.) But mainly I liked the movie, and it was actually worth a repeat viewing, as it kind of grows on you, and ultimately makes you THINK about your own life, your own values, your personal destiny, etc.
BTW, there's a pretty good batch of songs that accompanied the movie too, though I don't believe there is an actual soundtrack available, so you will probably have to hunt down each song individually.All in all an interesting movie, with a message worth pondering - if you can get past the steady distraction of the appearance of Angelina Jolie, of course.Well, that's my review.
The director is Stephen Herek, who also directed the dull, forgettable Eddie Murphy vehicle "Holy Man."  Like that movie, "Life..." is horribly uneven, taking a serious turn way too early in the film and never recovering.
Instead, the movie gets preachy and sentimental about the subject of carpe diem and developing the all-too-predictable love affair between Jolie and Edward Burns.
I'm not surprised to see him in a corny flick, but he is an underrated comic actor and I loved him on "Wings."  Jolie decided she would take a break from movies after done with "Tomb Raider."  Why, oh why, did she change her mind and star in this ultimately forgettable pseduo romantic comedy?
Life Or Something Like It fails to do both.Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) is a local Seattle news reporter who is being considered for posh job in New York, for "AM USA." She must first prove herself in the field by working with Pete, an experienced cameraman (Edward Burns) whom she supposedly hates.
LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT has a premise of reporter Lanie Kerrigan being told by a homeless man that she's going to die in a few days from now and right away I was expecting some bitter-sweet angst , a sort of present day morality tale inspired by Frank Capra and I guess very early in production this was the idea but I was left confused .
Angelina Jolie is breath takingly beautiful and in many ways she's like a female Leonardo Dicaprio in that her good looks disguise she's a much better actress than critics give her credit for and imagine how worse the movie would be if her role was taken by say Sandra Bulloch while Dave Newman's haunting score also helps the movie greatly.
I wouldn't watch this movie.I gotta start off by saying that I'm still not sure if Jolie's character was a brunette or a blonde naturally.
Honestly, when I leave a movie that's supposed to make me re-evaluate my life and what it means to live (like American Beauty did) and the only thing I can think about is the hair color of the star I think the movie failed.
Sure, it wasn't too hard to watch and it worked out well as a Saturday afternoon hang-out w/ the lady-friend flick, but w/ Jolie I was really hoping this movie would fulfill its promise and be the engaging, interesting, thought-provoking film that it could be.
They were so believable (well, except for Jolie's hair, which really is a character in its own right) and their performances were so strong that as I look back on the film I really don't understand where it went wrong...maybe it tried to hard at the end, maybe all the logic fell apart just to bring about the thrilling climax, maybe it felt too much like a parody of tv news to also be the love story/life lesson that it also sought to be.
Fancy directorial touches--and Angelina Jolie looking sexy in a Marilyn Monroe platinum 'do--cannot save innocuous, superficial film about a TV news-anchor being told she will die in a week by a street psychic with an impeccable record.
Still, it was a pretty good film if you like moral movies.
It was a movie with a lot of very good actors in it, particularly Angelina Jolie, Ed Burns, and Tony Shaloub.
For those reasons, the movie was really just okay to me; not great.Angelina Jolie stars as Lanie Kerrigan, a young ambitious TV reporter who is already well-recognized and credible in her local Seattle network affiliate.
Burns is still likable in his role, but this romantic subplot is so cliché that it really ruins the film.The plot involving Jolie trying to deny or avoid death was also completely unbelievable, particularly towards the end.
I think the critics of this movie have been watching too much "reality TV",  suspend your disbelief a little (ok maybe a lot) and this film and it's not so bad.This is a good film to recommend to your parents who live in Florida..
Clichés and unreal situations spoil what would have otherwise been an easy going "what if I changed my life" movie.Angelina Jolie is a news reporter that wants to hit it in life.
She then is put in a situation where she realizes that her perfectly built life is meaningless and that she need a good man and happiness instead of good money and unhappiness (suposedly).What made the difference between boringly average and this slightly better average rating is Tony Shaloub.Conclusion: if you are watching the movie to see if she dies, yes, she does.
Any intelligent viewer should know that she is not actually going to be killed off.Angelina Jolie ("Tomb Raider") is charming in this film, but cannot hold it up completely.
Edward Burns ("Sidewalks of New York") and Tony Shalhoub ("13 Ghosts") give solid performances, although Burns is beginning to look a little one-sided.Director Stephen Herek ("Rock Star") keeps the film at a fairly brisk hour and forty minutes, but somehow it seems that there were plenty of scenes that could've been taken out and replaced with ones that would fill the plot holes.
Angelina Jolie,(Lanie Kerrigan) was a news reporter and gets involved with a homeless man that she interviews and this man predicts without any hesitation on his part, that Lanie is going to die on a Thursday, a week away.
LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE ITSTARRING: ANGELINA JOLIE, EDWARD BURNS, STOCKARD CHANNING, AND CHRISTIAN KANE"Life or Something Like it," is a comedy-romance movie.
This time of film is not the kind a lot of people would see Actress Angelina Jolie be in.
Angelina plays Lanie Kerigan, a local Seattle news-reporter, who meets  a lonely profit in the streets, and he tells her she is going to die in one week.
Hello Ed. I initially rented the movie Life or Something Like it because of Angelina Jolie who has been my favorite actress for years due to her talent and ability.
So it is not a must-see romantic comedy but I could at least sit through this one and understand it, unlike something acclaimed such as English Patient.A self absorbed, egocentric, perfectionist journalist interviewed a homeless man claiming to be a prophet, learned her fate is sealed 1 week from the date of interview.As he predicts the local baseball team win, a weather forecast & natural disaster...she starts to become aware that her fate may yet be fulfilled come Thursday.She is conflicted and emotionally upset during the first few days then learns to live life as it should be while desperately trying to prove the prophet wrong.The time winds down and the suspense of whether she will live or dies keeps you guessing.
Evidently, she decides to live life to the fullest during this time, although I don't feel as though she really changes her daily routine or her mores, other than acting "wacky" during a news broadcast and asking a fellow reporter a "tough" question.Edward Burns has a mullet, but is still the aloof and cool dude.
Angelina Joile was ok, supporting cast: eh.If you're a real romantic and don't pay much attention to filmmaking, watch this movie b/c you'll probably like it.
As my unfortunate friend watching the film with me said "maybe all the cheese has clogged up the works." This movie was clearly written by a committe, perhaps the board of directors of the Altoids company (shameful product placement), or more likely, an undergraduate scriptwriting class.
Jolie's character, Lanie Karragin, is a successful TV news-reporter in Seattle engaged to a sports star, Kal, offered a great job in New York, and struggling with her father and sister.Disaster strikes when a homeless man on the street predicts her death for next Thursday.
i like the "strike" scenes the most, with everyone singing to 'cant get no satisfaction' , i wouldnt say its funny, but it do gives the feel good feeling watching it , and also the scene where jolie was in AMUSA interviewing, and this movie has quite good soundtrack as well.overall..
i'd say its an average shot by everyone , i wouldnt classify it as comedy, maybe a lil romance , angelina jolie can do better than this in her attempt to make comedy, she have what it takes to do good comedy, but maybe not sloppy "romantic comedy" like this , lets just hope she gets better comedic role in future.movie rating : 5/10.
Stephen Herek's new film, LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT, starring Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns is the story of a career gal on the wrong path.
.. Before I start my actual review, I just want to say that Angelina Jolie with white-blonde hair in an homage-to-Marilyn style is just so, so wrong.Jolie plays Lanie Kerrigan, an ambitious Seattle television reporter.
Lanie Kerrigan is a successful TV reporter who leads a life she defines as perfect: good job, famous baseball player as a fiancé, great body...
Even though the movie features a respectable cast with Angelina Jolie in the lead, the characters are somewhat dull.
'Life or something like it' is about Lanie Kerrigan (played by Angelina Jolie), a news reporter who only cares about her career, her hair and fame.
First she doesn't pay much attention on what he said but when she sees that his other predictions has come true, she realises that the guy could be right about her too.This is the moment in the movie that Lanie starts to ask herself some real big 'life-questions'.
She realises that he's happy, no matter what other people think; and that's what she is jealous about.Great movie with excellent performances by Jolie and Burns.
This movie has got very interesting plots but somehow the movie didn't came out as I thought it would be, especially with Angelina Jolie with blond hair.The story of the news reporter interviewing the psychic homeless man who said she going to died in a week time.
(Like The Ring, I know) Within the next day his other saying became true which scared the hell out of her, while she realize she haven't done anything much in her life.If the movie is base on pure solid drama, I think the movie would turn out much better than romantic/ comedy.
Which make this type just one movie that been make and nothing else at all.Recommendation: Try Other Romantic/Comedy Film, as least you will avoid her singing, which was a very irritating scene.Rating: 5/10 (Grade: C-).
Edward Burns seems to like lightweight relationship movies so that's probably why he went with this one, only that the ones he does himself are far better.A thing with romantic comedies is that you should preferrably like the characters in order to get involved, however Jolie's character comes off as quite obnoxious and self-involved.
A Love Story or Something Like It. Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns try their respective bests in this misguided mess of a movie, they really do.
Maybe they were going for a surrealistic look?Jolie just doesn't give her all and her character in the movie is very changeable so you never know what to expect from her.
Despite the fact that it's supposed to be somekind of comedy.The script needed much reworking and tightening up before being comitted to film stock, because as it is now the movie meanders almost aimlessly as Jolie's character goes from one odd (and I'll add very unfunny and non-humorous) moment to the next.
An interesting concept, though more conducive to late night coffee house musings and discussions than a feature length film treatment, provides a pleasant, if less than insightful vehicle for it's star, in `Life or Something Like It,' directed by Stephen Herek, wherein the oft reflected upon question, `What would you do if you found out you had only a week to live?' becomes a showcase for the beautiful and talented Angelina Jolie, albeit a rather vapid and shallow one.
Burns is a good actor, and he gives a solid performance here, but his character, Pete, even after his `personal' story comes to light, just isn't that interesting.The saving grace of the entire film is Tony Shalhoub's portrayal of Jack, a character that will capture your imagination.
Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns starred in Life or Something Like It. Jolie plays a news reporter who found out she got a week to live, and Burns plays a cameraman who used to be in love with Jolie.
If you are looking for a brilliant piece of film, you probably will be disappointed here, but you will be entertained and will walk out the theater with a smile on your face and a new outlook on life.Jolie's acting is marvelous and she really looks like she enjoyed playing this character.
If you are looking for a good movie, Life or Something Like It is a must!
Angelina Jolie plays Lanie Kerigan, a self-absorbed TV personality, in Life or Something Like It. Her life is perfect.
He needs to get his career pumped up soon or else people will be asking, `Edward who?'Angelina Jolie tries her hardest to save Life or Something Like It, but in the end her efforts are futile.
not a bad movie...I enjoy looking at Angelina Jolie.
LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT(2002)****(out of 5) Anjelina Jolie and Edward Burns.In this dramedy romance, Jolie plays Lanie, a stuck up news reporter.
This movie just proved what kind of range she can do: from a ditzy blonde to a deep, insightful person in one film!Lanie (Jolie) is a beat reporter for one of the local stations in Seattle, WA, where she finds she's up for a big move to the network station in New York.
It's so sad that Angelina Jolie would pick a movie like this--I know she wanted to do a comedy,  but this really wasn't the one.
I'm not a huge fan of Angelina Jolie, but i do think she did a good job with her character.
I did not think that Angelina Jolie was a good actress until I saw this movie.
Angelina Jolie plays a news reporter who is told by a street prophet (among other predictions) that she is going to die in a week.