What Dreams May Come (1998)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Vincent Ward

Writers (WGA):

Richard Matheson (novel)
Ronald Bass (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

After life there is more. The end is just the beginning.

Plot:

Chris Neilson dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife...

Plot Keywords:

Heaven | Hell | Soul | Death | Car Accident

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Chris Nielsen
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Albert Lewis
Annabella Sciorra	...	Annie Collins-Nielsen
Max von Sydow	...	The Tracker
Jessica Brooks Grant	...	Marie Nielsen
Josh Paddock	...	Ian Nielsen
Rosalind Chao	...	Leona
Lucinda Jenney	...	Mrs. Jacobs
Maggie McCarthy	...	Stacey Jacobs
Wilma Bonet	...	Angie
Matt Salinger	...	Reverend Hanley
Carin Sprague	...	Best Friend Cindy
June Carryl	...	Woman in Car Accident (as June Lomena)
Paul P. Card IV	...	Paramedic
Werner Herzog	...	Face

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements involving death, some disturbing images and language.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Interscope Communications

Trivia:

The "Hell" scenes were shot on the decrepit, rusted hulk of the Essex class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV-34). The ship was later sunk to make room for an artificial reef on 17 May, 2006.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the bird drops paint on Chris, the shot from above shows it hitting the top of his head and his shoulder. When the angle changes, the paint is on the side of his face and his shoulder, with none on top of his head.

Quotes:

Chris Nielsen: Annie, I'm here babe, I still exist.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Baghead (2008)

Soundtrack:

Hymn II, from Three Sacred Hymns

What Fantastic Movies are Made Of!!!

Ok, This movie was overlooked. Period. Before I saw it, I was one of the many movie going clones who decided not to see it in the theater because it hadn't been getting the rave reviews that the trailer suggested it should.

So, my roommate works at a video store. One night, he brings home "What Dreams May Come." For lack of NOTHING better to do, I pop it in one night when I'm home alone. 113 minutes later I was floored. This was a fantastic movie. At first, I was a bit skeptical. Very little character development creation, and death comes just as the introduction to life begins. Then......it all hits. The absolute best computer animation I've ever seen. A plot line that has no obvious holes. A story that has never been addressed on the big screen. A subject that is explored in a way that is both believable and desirable. An incredible movie that leaves you happy, sad, curious, and most of all, drained of energy and exhilarated at the same time. I can't explain the feeling that this movie gave me, and I bet you can't explain the after-life any better than "What Dreams May Come," unless your 3 letter name begins with "G" and ends with "D." If you have a mind that will allow you to be entertained by something other than a beefy guy blowing things up with an Uzi, see this movie. 10 out of 10 JimmyT-2