Life or Something Like It follows Lanie Kerrigan’s (Angelina Jolie) concerns about her possible death after a prophet tells her she has only one week left, but she learns some valuable lessons in the process. Directed by Stephen Herek, Life or Something Like It is the story of Lanie, a successful reporter for a Seattle television station living her perfect life. Lanie is told she’s being considered for her dream job in New York, but in the meantime, she has to work with cameraman Pete Scanlon (Edward Burns), with whom she once had a one-night stand.
One day, Lanie interviews Jack (Tony Shalhoub), a self-proclaimed prophet who not only correctly predicts the score of a football game but also a hailstorm the next morning, and he tells Lanie she won’t get the job and she will die next Thursday. When more predictions come true, Lanie begins to worry about her possible death and makes radical changes in her life, beginning with ending her engagement to a baseball star. In the process, Lanie and Pete become closer, but it all takes a turn when the day of her death arrives.
Lanie’s “Death” In Life Or Something Like It Explained – How Jack’s Prophecy Comes True
Lanie Does Die, But Not As Expected
Lanie has spent a big part of her life worrying too much about her image, always wanting to be and look perfect, and thus have the perfect life: she works out every day, is very careful with her diet, always does her hair in a Marilyn Monroe style, has a job where she can earn many people’s approval and validation, and is engaged to a professional athlete. Once she realizes that Prophet Jack might be right about her death, Lanie finally loosens up, and this helps her realize which parts of her life aren’t working anymore.
First is her relationship with her fiancé, Cal Cooper (Christian Kane), as he doesn’t show support when she’s having a crisis and is instead more worried about her not looking perfect as she always does. Lanie also loosens up at work, truly empathizing with her interviewees, which, in turn, leads her to become a TV sensation and to get the offer of her dream job. Before the job offer, Lanie also lets her guard down with Pete, with whom she spends an entire day and even meets his son, Tommy (Jesse James Rutherford).
Pete confronts Prophet Jack, who tells him that Lanie won’t get the job if she dies, so he isn’t wrong.
As Prophet Jack had said she wouldn’t get the job, she’s relieved when she does and accepts it, telling Pete to move to New York with her, but he declines. While Laine flies to New York, Pete confronts Prophet Jack, who tells him that Lanie won’t get the job if she dies, so he isn’t wrong. Pete rushes to New York and sees Lanie leave the network’s building, but there’s a conflict between the police and an armed man on the street, and Lanie is caught in the crossfire. Lanie is taken to the hospital, where she dies in the operating room but is brought back.
Prophet Jack was right and Lanie does die, although briefly, but the whole point of his prophecy isn’t about Lanie’s physical and literal death – instead, Lanie’s “death” is about the way she has been living her life so far, and the changes she has to do so she can finally start living.
What Does Prophet Jack’s Message Really Mean?
Prophet Jack’s Messages Aren’t To Be Taken Literally
Had Laine not made those changes in her life, she wouldn’t have gotten the job and she wouldn’t have gotten sH๏τ, but her death would have been more of a spiritual one.
While Prophet Jack is right and Lanie does die for a couple of seconds, her death didn’t necessarily have to be a physical one. Had Laine not made those changes in her life, she wouldn’t have gotten the job and she wouldn’t have gotten sH๏τ, but her death would have been more of a spiritual one. Lanie would have stayed in a meaningless relationship, in her obsession with her image, out of touch with her emotions, and wouldn’t have bonded with Pete at all. The prophecies, then, would still have been fulfilled: Lanie wouldn’t have gotten the job and she would have “died” on the inside.
Ultimately, her brief physical death is what Lanie needs to make the final changes to her life. Lanie is already on the right path when she turns down a second offer at her new job, but she still has to reconcile with Pete. After getting sH๏τ, dying, and reviving, Lanie finally lets go of her ego, fear, and obsession with controlling everything and starts fully and truly living, meaning that the old Lanie is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
Why Lanie Leaves Her Dream Job In New York
Lanie Had A Big Realization While In New York
Lanie’s dream job is an anchor position at AM USA, which is everything she has been working so hard for. To Laine, this job would validate all her effort, everything she has built around her job and her self-image, and her control over everything, so even though she has already gone through significant changes by the time she gets the job, she’s still unable to turn it down. Not even Pete is able to change Lanie’s mind, and she flies to New York that same day.
On her first day at AM USA, Lanie interviews her idol, Deborah Connors (Stockard Channing), but instead of following instructions, she goes with her heart, and the interview is a huge success. Not only is Lanie able to “crack” Connors and get her to show emotion, but Lanie opens up too and confesses she gave up love for her new job.
This is what leads Lanie to realize what’s truly important to her now, and it’s not the job at AM USA and all the attention, fame, and success it could bring. Lanie leaves with the intention of going back to Seattle with Pete, but despite Pete’s efforts to get Lanie’s attention before she’s sH๏τ, she ends up dying and coming back in the operating room before she can return to Seattle.
Do Lanie & Pete End Up Together?
Lanie & Pete Had To Be Honest About Their Feelings
Despite the whole theme of death and prophecies that come true, Life or Something Like It has a happy ending (of course). Lanie’s transformation and rebirth included mending her relationship with Pete, as she was pretty hostile to him after their one-night stand. It’s Pete who tells her she needs to start living her life truthfully and to enjoy every moment to the fullest, which leads her to finally opening her heart to him and life, in general.
The final scene in Life or Something Like It shows Lanie, Pete, and Tommy at a baseball game.
Lanie taking the job in New York also helps Pete see and accept that he wants to be with Lanie, so much so that he flies there to try to save her. The final scene in Life or Something Like It shows Lanie, Pete, and Tommy at a baseball game (where they wave at Cal, showing there are no hard feelings between all parties involved), with Lanie and Pete now married, as seen on a billboard advertising Lanie’s news section, where she’s billed as “Lanie Scanlon.”
The Real Meaning Of Life Or Something Like It’s Ending
Life Or Something Like It Has A Message About, Well, Life
The core message of Life or Something Like It is rebirth, though not in the literal sense of dying and being revived. As mentioned above, Lanie’s old self “died” when she finally let go of her need to control everything, of always looking perfect, and her obsession with having the “perfect” life. Lanie is “reborn” as her true self now, one that’s able to enjoy every moment to the fullest and is finally in touch with her feelings, is vulnerable, and open to life.
Lanie had to go through that entire experience triggered by Prophet Jack and his messages to see how she had been “wasting” her life and how that would eventually take her nowhere. As Lanie’s final voiceover in Life or Something Like It says, she finally learned how to live, and she’s aware that she had to go through a literal death to see what she had been missing.
