What Dreams May Come
Rent & Buy
After Chris Nielsen dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert. His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie, commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were sharply divided on What Dreams May Come, with almost everyone agreeing that the film is a visual marvel — its painted-world afterlife sequences are genuinely unlike anything else — but disagreeing bitterly on whether there is anything substantial underneath. Supporters found the love story affecting and the performances moving; detractors saw the ornate imagery as a substitute for genuine spiritual depth, and the plot as thin to the point of irrelevance.
“This is a film that even in its imperfect form shows how movies can imagine the unknown, can lead our imaginations into wonderful places. And it contains heartbreakingly effective performances by Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Many movies have offered representations of heaven and hell, but few with as much conviction and creativity as What Dreams May Come. The plot, which focuses on the sacrifices one man will make for true love, is neither complicated nor original, but, bolstered by the director's incredible visual sense, it becomes an affecting piece of drama.”
James Berardinelli·ReelViews
“There's a central contradiction in a fairy tale like this one: the film may preach to the audience about matters of the spirit, but its bejeweled special-effects vision of the afterlife can't help but come off as aggressively literal-minded.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- moderate
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Cast & Crew
Vincent WardDirector
Robin WilliamsChris Nielsen
Cuba Gooding Jr.Albert Lewis
Annabella SciorraAnnie Collins-Nielsen
Max von SydowThe Tracker
Jessica Brooks GrantMarie Nielsen
Rosalind ChaoLeona
Lucinda JenneyMrs. Jacobs
Maggie McCarthyStacey Jacobs
Wilma BonetAngie
Matt SalingerReverend Hanley
Michael KamenComposer
Ronald BassWriter
Richard MathesonWriter
Eduardo SerraCinematographyWhat Dreams May Come
After Chris Nielsen dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert. His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie, commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were sharply divided on What Dreams May Come, with almost everyone agreeing that the film is a visual marvel — its painted-world afterlife sequences are genuinely unlike anything else — but disagreeing bitterly on whether there is anything substantial underneath. Supporters found the love story affecting and the performances moving; detractors saw the ornate imagery as a substitute for genuine spiritual depth, and the plot as thin to the point of irrelevance.
“This is a film that even in its imperfect form shows how movies can imagine the unknown, can lead our imaginations into wonderful places. And it contains heartbreakingly effective performances by Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Many movies have offered representations of heaven and hell, but few with as much conviction and creativity as What Dreams May Come. The plot, which focuses on the sacrifices one man will make for true love, is neither complicated nor original, but, bolstered by the director's incredible visual sense, it becomes an affecting piece of drama.”
James Berardinelli·ReelViews
“There's a central contradiction in a fairy tale like this one: the film may preach to the audience about matters of the spirit, but its bejeweled special-effects vision of the afterlife can't help but come off as aggressively literal-minded.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- moderate
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- moderate
Genres
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Cast & Crew
Vincent WardDirectorRobin WilliamsChris NielsenCuba Gooding Jr.Albert LewisAnnabella SciorraAnnie Collins-NielsenMax von SydowThe TrackerJessica Brooks GrantMarie NielsenRosalind ChaoLeonaLucinda JenneyMrs. JacobsMaggie McCarthyStacey JacobsWilma BonetAngieMatt SalingerReverend HanleyMichael KamenComposerRonald BassWriterRichard MathesonWriterEduardo SerraCinematographyRent & Buy