What Dreams May Come – 1998
Director: Vincent Ward
Cast: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Annabella Sciorra
Rating: 
A movie that I ran into by chance not choice, which ended up being one of the loveliest depicts of fantasy movies that I have ever watched.
This piece justifies every reason the concept ‘Movie’ was ever made for; a one-way ticket to fantasyland, a deliberately multicolored optical illusion, or a mind blowing visualization of the void beyond the boundaries of life. A surreal theory very well triggered and skillfully portrayed about the never ending junction between life and death, heaven and hell, angels and demons.
Proceeding with a classic plotline about the domestic life of one dreamy family, until an unexpected acquaintance with tragedy whips Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie’s (Annabella Sciorra) future longings for happy moments when a car accident offers their two kids, Marie and Ian, to the Angel of Death. Just when the couple was about to gets a grip back on life when Chris was revisited by that very same angel leaving Annie to fight demons on her own.
Ascending to heaven, Chris comes to terms with immortality amid the guidance of a pleasant angel, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.). Heaven is startling but nothing amazes Chris but the joy Annie’s company for his inner senses assures him that laying down his arms to the dazzling adventure in the realms of Eden will match the horrid nightmare of lonesome Annie is about to go through.
Communication was a hope that the beloved has relied on when Annie, as an artist, could connect with Chris through her paintings which would be reflected on an occasional spot of heavens landscape. To Chris, astonishment and disbelief were his immediate reactions but then he comes to learn that in heaven, love beats all barriers and imagination delivers the strongest emotions… then of course there wouldn’t be any better place to unwind to an unreasonable reminisce of love but heaven… where a pink apple, a red banana, or even a purple tree would magnificently make sense.
Soon enough, virtual connection fails to gratify the two lonesome souls. He had to see her, touch her, and be with her but he had to find his two kids as well… if only he could ever know how to find them.
Spoilers are not intended for this review and if I try to elucidate, words will fail to offer a just explanation for the beauty that lies in this soul searching journey. What I can promise is that Chris will decide to choose between two journeys; a joyous soar to cloud nine in search for two young angels or a gruesome trip to the deep end of hell to rectify Annie’s lost soul.
We’ve always been bound to compare heaven and hell by classical contrasts as in bright and dark, colorful and colorless, chanting and squealing. So seeing heaven and hell from an imaginative eye is worth the watch…
3 responses so far
If you like the movie, you more than likely wouldn’t like the book. This has been through my personal experience. The book is one of my favorites, and then I saw the movie and was deeply disappointed, which usually happens with book adaptations. Perhaps if I hadn’t read the book I would have enjoyed the movie more. Great story though.
i’ve never heard of this movie, but Robin Williams and Fantasy together, sounds great
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Hey Jimmy… What u said u totally makes sense. A movie always fails to satisfy the reader’s imagination to his or her fav. book and the opp is true; when u watch a movie then u read the book, u are already influenced by characters, moods, and the whole feel of it. In my case,no I haven’t read the book and I understand why u were disappointed… its such a touching fanatasy. Thanks for the comment, keep visiting
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