What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come is highly effective at arousing extremely intense emotions in a variety of viewers. It is a tale of a man that is determined to let nothing, even Hell, separate him from his soul mate. The story begins by showing a happy, loving couple get devastated by the death of their two children. Four years later, Chris Nielsen, played by Robin Williams, is tragically killed while trying to help a car accident victim. Chris goes to Heaven. Sorrow leads his wife Annie, played by Annabella Sciorra, to suicide. Due to her choice to take her own life, Annie is sentenced to agony and torment in Hell. The moment Chris hears this news is when the adventure and true struggle begins. This film shines in it’s casts’ performances, thought provoking concepts, and it’s visually amazing combination of art and motion picture.

The performances of the cast of What Dreams May Come are believable and often quite intense. Robin Williams plays a man who in life was kind and loving. This is clear in scenes where he talks about his children. Albert, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., briefly sees a completely different side of Chris. In one scene, Albert has to tell Chris that Annie committed suicide and that they will never see each other again because suicides go to Hell. Chris becomes enraged and makes his determination to be with Annie very clear. Annabella Sciorra has multiple heart wrenching scenes where she is overwhelmed by pain and guilt. Her screams and tears are believable and understandable for anyone who has loved someone, lost someone, or wished that they had the chance to. The great performers went past simply arousing emotions, they also stimulated minds.

Many thought provoking concepts are included in What Dreams May Come. One idea is that at the end of life people do not disappear, only die. This concept has been used before in other movies such as Ghost, a 1990 film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg. Another concept presented is that Heaven is a personal paradise that individuals create. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hell is described as life gone wrong. Probably the most emphasized concept is that love has the power to continue after Earthly life into the afterlife. These intellectually stimulating ideas are presented to viewers as they observe visually stunning images.

The amazing images of What Dreams May Come are not easy to forget. Pierre Jasmin, EFX Developer and Tech Supervisor, stated, “What we do is take cinematography and turn it into a painting experience.” This combination of paint and normal filming processes allowed the movie to do things that are physically impossible. They create many larger than life landscapes. As Chris explores his Heaven, he unexpectedly walks into a pool of paint. This image was surprising and aesthetically pleasing. Chris later encounters a sea of faces in Hell while searching for Annie. He must walk past, and sometimes on, tormented faces that are barely able to peek out of the mud that their bodies are buried in. These types of truly original scenes basically span from the movies’ beginning to it’s end.

What Dreams May Come is effective at portraying and arousing the full range of emotions. Yes, intense sorrow and longing are the general tone of the majority of this film. But, comic relief, care for humanity, and the deep love that soul mates share are also present . This film leaves many people with a feeling of hope and encouragement. The believable performances, stimulating thoughts, and entrancing images are likely to stay with viewers long after the end credits finish rolling.