What Dreams May Come (1998)

What Dreams May Come is a deeply emotional, visually arresting fantasy drama directed by Vincent Ward and based on the novel by Richard Matheson. Blending themes of love, death, the afterlife, and personal redemption, the film stars Robin Williams in one of his most poignant performances.

Detailed Summary

Tragedy Strikes: The Deaths That Define the Story

Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams), a pediatrician, meets and falls in love with artist Annie (Annabella Sciorra). They marry, build a beautiful life, and have two children. However, their idyllic life is shattered when both children die in a tragic car accident. The couple struggles to cope—Annie falls into a deep depression and is briefly institutionalized.

Years later, Chris himself dies in another car accident. His spirit watches his own funeral and tries to comfort Annie, but she cannot perceive him. Chris’s journey into the afterlife begins here, with his spirit guided by a man named Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), who helps him transition.

The Afterlife and the World of Imagination

Chris finds himself in a vivid, painterly version of Heaven—quite literally resembling Annie’s artwork. His paradise is shaped by his memories and emotions, an expression of his mind. He reunites with his dog and eventually with Albert, who turns out to be a spiritual representation of someone else entirely: Chris’s own son, Ian. He also meets his daughter Marie, who is initially disguised as a flight attendant he once knew.

Heaven in the film is not a fixed place—it is subjective, built from the souls’ expectations and emotions. The afterlife is full of beautiful metaphors rendered with rich visual effects: flowers bloom where he walks, skies swirl like oil paintings, and emotion shapes geography.

Annie’s Suicide and Descent into Hell

Back on Earth, Annie, devastated by Chris’s death and already broken by their children’s loss, takes her own life. In the film’s metaphysical logic, suicides go to a darker realm—not because they are punished, but because they are lost in their own anguish, unable to accept what happened.

Chris learns of Annie’s fate and, despite being warned that no one has ever returned from the realm where suicides dwell, vows to rescue her. He ventures into the depths of the afterlife, passing through surreal and terrifying regions, guided by a Tracker (Max von Sydow). Eventually, he reaches a desolate, gray hellscape—Annie’s personal hell, built from her guilt and grief.

Movie Ending

Chris finds Annie in a mental state where she does not recognize him. She is trapped in a version of their house, but it’s rotting and inverted—a metaphor for her despair. She believes she is being punished and refuses to acknowledge reality.

Realizing he cannot force her out, Chris makes a final act of love: he tells her he will stay with her in hell, even if it means being lost forever. He says he’d rather be with her in her suffering than exist alone in paradise. This pure act of sacrifice breaks through Annie’s psychological prison—she remembers who he is.

In an emotional climax, Annie’s recognition causes the hell around her to collapse. She is “rescued” by her own awakening, and they are both brought back to a higher plane of the afterlife.

Later, Chris and Annie meet their children again in Heaven. The family is reunited. But Chris, ever curious and hopeful, suggests reincarnation to Annie—they agree to try again, to be reborn and find each other in another life.

In the final scene, we see two children (implied to be the reincarnated souls of Chris and Annie) meeting on Earth, suggesting their love is destined to endure through time.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, What Dreams May Come does not feature any post-credits scenes. The story ends conclusively with the reincarnation sequence and the reunion suggestion, offering closure without additional footage.

Type of Movie

What Dreams May Come is a fantasy drama that blends romance, tragedy, and philosophical exploration. It leans heavily into metaphysical themes, with a strong visual emphasis on the emotional landscapes of the afterlife.

Cast

• Robin Williams as Chris Nielsen
• Annabella Sciorra as Annie Collins-Nielsen
• Cuba Gooding Jr. as Albert / Ian
• Max von Sydow as The Tracker
• Jessica Brooks Grant as Marie Nielsen
• Josh Paddock as Ian Nielsen

Film Music and Composer

The film’s haunting and emotional score was composed by Michael Kamen, known for his ability to blend orchestral beauty with emotional resonance. The music perfectly complements the film’s otherworldly visuals and emotional weight.

Filming Locations

• Glacier National Park, Montana – provided the sweeping natural beauty used in Heaven scenes.
• San Francisco, California – used for Earth-based scenes involving Chris and Annie’s life.
• Wairarapa, New Zealand – provided surreal, painterly backdrops for the afterlife sequences.

These locations were digitally altered with CGI and painted textures to create a dreamlike, Van Gogh-style afterlife. The painterly visuals were groundbreaking at the time.

Awards and Nominations

• Won: Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
• Nominated: Art Directors Guild Award – Excellence in Production Design
• Nominated: Saturn Award – Best Fantasy Film

Though not a commercial blockbuster, the film was widely praised for its artistic ambition and technical achievements.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• The visual concept of Heaven as a literal oil painting required groundbreaking visual effects and months of post-production.
• Robin Williams worked closely with the director to shape Chris as a loving, but flawed man—a realistic anchor in an abstract story.
• Annabella Sciorra found the role emotionally taxing due to the mental illness aspects of her character.
• Director Vincent Ward based many visual elements on classical paintings, especially those of Caspar David Friedrich and Romantic-era landscapes.
• The hell sequence was scaled back to avoid a harsher R-rating.

Inspirations and References

• Based on the novel What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson.
• The title comes from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: “For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come…”
• The novel’s structure is more clinical and philosophical, whereas the film takes a more emotional and visual route.
• The film also draws influence from Dante’s Divine Comedy, particularly in its depiction of descent into Hell and spiritual redemption.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

• A darker ending was considered where Chris is unable to rescue Annie, highlighting the permanence of suicide. This was scrapped for being too bleak.
• A longer version of the children’s reunion in Heaven was filmed but cut for pacing.
• Some flashback scenes were trimmed to make the structure tighter and to avoid repeating emotional beats.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The film simplifies and emotionalizes the more philosophical tone of the book. Key differences:

• The book uses footnotes and research-based descriptions of the afterlife.
• In the novel, Annie is not successfully rescued.
• The reincarnation subplot is much more prominent in the film.
• Visual metaphors in the movie (painted Heaven, decaying Hell) are entirely the filmmakers’ inventions.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Chris walking through his painted paradise for the first time.
• The hell journey through upside-down churches and rivers of faces.
• The climactic reunion with Annie in Hell.
• The family reunion in Heaven and the decision to be reincarnated.

Iconic Quotes

• “Sometimes, when you lose, you win.”
• “I found you in Hell. Don’t you think I could find you again anywhere?”
• “A whole human life is just a heartbeat here in Heaven.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• Albert’s true identity (his son Ian) is hinted at through subtle dialogue and mannerisms before the reveal.
• The library in Heaven is based on the concept of the Akashic Records, a metaphysical library of all human knowledge.
• Paintings in the Heaven scenes are styled after Annie’s actual art in their Earth home.

Trivia

• The film was dedicated to Robin Williams’s mother, who had recently passed away before its release.
• The visuals were inspired by Romantic and post-impressionist art, particularly Monet and Van Gogh.
• Williams later spoke about how filming the scenes of despair helped him confront his own depression.
• The movie was one of the first to digitally manipulate live-action footage to simulate brush strokes.

Why Watch?

Watch What Dreams May Come if you’re drawn to deeply emotional stories that explore life, death, love, and the afterlife in a visually bold way. It’s ideal for fans of existential cinema, lovers of Robin Williams’ dramatic work, and anyone who has ever pondered what lies beyond this life.

Director’s Other Movies

• The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)
• Map of the Human Heart (1992)
• River Queen (2005)

Vincent Ward is known for emotionally rich films with spiritual or metaphysical undertones.

Recommended Films for Fans

• The Fountain (2006)
• The Tree of Life (2011)
• Ghost (1990)
• Heaven Can Wait (1978)
• A Ghost Story (2017)
• City of Angels (1998)
• The Lovely Bones (2009)