Bertram Pincus (Gervais) dies for a seven-minute period during his routine colonoscopy, then awakens to realize he has gained the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Problem #1: He never had people skills, in life or in death. Problem #2: His ghostly patron, Frank Herlihy (Kinnear), pesters him into meddling with the impending marriage of his widow, Gwen (Leoni), who lives in Bertram's building and isn't necessarily his number-one fan.