Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2899 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-11-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Dutch
• Dubbed in: German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra star in this visually stunning metaphysical tale of life after death. Neurologist Chris and artist Annie had the perfect life until they lost their children in an auto accident; they're just starting to recover when Chris meets an untimely death himself. He's met by a messenger named Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and taken to his own personal afterlife--a freshly drawn world reminiscent of Annie's own artwork, still dripping and wet with paint. Meanwhile a depressed Annie takes her own life, compelling Chris to traverse heaven and hell to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

The multitextured visuals seem to have been created from a lost fairy tale. Heaven recalls the landscape paintings of Thomas Cole and Renaissance architecture complete with floating cherubs, while hell is a massive shipwreck, an upside-down cathedral overgrown with thorns and a sea of groaning faces popping out of the ground (one of those faces is German director Werner Herzog). Williams is the perfect actor to play against the imaginative computer-generated imagery--he himself is a human special effect. But the lack of chemistry between Williams and Sciorra is painfully apparent, and the flashback plot structure flattens the story's impact despite its deeply felt examinations of the heart and the spirit. Still, there's no denying Eugenio Zanetti's triumphant production design and the Oscar-winning special effects, which create a fully formed universe that is at once beautiful, eerie, and a unique example of movie magic. --Shannon Gee

Special Features
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
German
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English German
Dolby Digital 5.1
Interactive Menus
Original Theatrical Trailer
Cast And Crew Interviews
German

Synopsis
One man's visually compelling journey through heaven, hell, and other worlds. Chris Nielsen (Williams) dies but cannot rest until he finds and joins his deceased wife (Sciorra) in the afterlife with the help of a friendly spirit (Gooding Jr.). Academy Award winner, Best Visual Effects, nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.

Customer Reviews

Trouble in paradise?
"What Dreams May Come", is Vincent Ward's free adaptation of Richard Matheson's eponymous novel (1978), starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra, Cuba Gooding Jr and Max von Sydow. Short version: the movie is about the fairy-tale like life of Chris Nielsen and Annie Collins, and how after the two children, the husband and finally the wife died tragically, they cope (can one say 'cope' here?) in the after-life. Intrigued? I was, although I must say that this otherwise drop-dead gorgeous movie, fail to deliver the 'magic' it seems to promise. Let's have a closer look. In "What Dreams May Come" which, by the way won four Oscars for - best visual effects, best production design, best blockbuster entertainment award and finally best international monitor award - we embark in some sort of metaphysical romance, with two main messages: love is eternal and death does not end anything. That's good news, isn't it? To make his point real good, Vincent Ward relies heavily on the astonishing visual effects created by the Fuji Velvia (RVM) film stock,that is usually used for still photography of landscapes. If I wanted to be cynical about Ward's movie, I guess I could say that - once he asserted his (Matheson's) beliefs about love and death, he pretty much ran out of original thoughts or hypotheses. At a deeper level, the whole movie can be viewed as a catalogue of intriguing theories or common beliefs about the meaning of life, death and the after-life, only without a unifying thread. Well, you know something that would make the whole experience more universal and less subjective. And this is clearly the Achilles' heel of "What Dreams May Come". Despite the stunning and overpowering beauty of the scenery, the magic doesn't really work. Mind you, it has the fairy-tale atmosphere, the poetic view of human destiny, all the after-life scenic vistas (a special mention to Annie's purple Jacaranda tree) one can possibly wish for, and is never poor on emotional or spiritual melodrama. But? Well, I don't know about you guys, but I need more. Because the movie deals with universal matters: death, suicide, love, redemption, after-life, reincarnation and finally God ("He's up there somewhere, talking to us, hoping we could here Him" says Albert/Cuba Gooding Jr to Chris/Robin Williams), I would have expected some ultimate truths to be disclosed, something to which all of us could relate. Sort of. When Chris died in a freak accident, he finds himself bathed in some sort of painterly paradise light - which is in fact a visual recollection of Annie's impressionist paintings. There, he is told by Albert that he is the one who creates his own paradise, wills things, and finally that he is the one who can find grace or mercy. In short, heaven is in your mind, and if it is messy, then it's your mess. Trouble in paradise? You're on your own! Where is God, where is the common ultimate revelation in all that (meaning not just in your mind)? "In the city across the river, we have to have a common vision", says Leona (Rosalind Chao) to Chris. Unfortunately, it's nowhere to be found in this movie! What's left however, is the beauty of the journey (the ethereal visual imagery), which admittedly could compensate for the blandness of the storytelling. Conclusion, "What Dreams May Come" has the qualities of its faults. It's extremely beautiful and comforting (love is the winner, after all), but it is so fairy-tale like, you're never really buying it. Did I forget something? Ah, yes, I like Williams' and Sciorra's performances. They both are very likable characters, and they made me terribly envious of the love they feel for each other. Perhaps, that's why I like "What Dreams May Come", despite its many flaws. It makes me feel good about being human. "It's not about not giving up", as Chris/Williams said to Annie, it's about knowing why you're not, as I venture.

beautiful
I dont know how anyone can say that this is a depressing film, I found nothing but hope and love in it, I disagree with a former reviewer that there is a lack of chemistry between Robin williams and Annabella, they seem perfect for their roles. The visuals are stunning along with the acting. The ending to the film is probrably the most perfect ending to any film Ive seen. It is a film that will stay with you long after seeing it, dont look too hard to find fault, just become lost in the breathtaking story of heaven brought to life.

Wonderful, beautiful & thought provoking
THIS IS MY REVIEW OF THE FILM & NOT THE HD-DVD

I love this film & can't wait for it to be released on Blu-ray.

It tells the story of life, death, afterlife & rebirth. Robin Williams plays Chris Nielson, a man who finds his soulmate (the beautiful Annabella Sciorra), they have two children & are all happy for mny years. Untill a car accident kills the children. That takes a toll on their parents & the bond between them wavers. However, after four years of healing, there comes another car accident which kills Chris. He is, after a transitional period, guided to Heaven by Cuba Gooding Jrs character & as he's settling in he realizes that he still has a connection to his wife. After settling down, Chris is informed that his wife has killed herself in despair & has gone to a specialised hell for people who've commited suicide. This is unacceptable for Chris & embarks on a quest to find her.

I wont give out any more but its a wonderful story, with some stunning SFX. Heaven looks as it should, beauty beyond words & Hell is an erie, desolate looking place filled with torment & drained of hope.

For me, this is one to own. But everyone else should at least give it a try.