What Dreams May Come

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What Dreams May Come

PG-13

1998

1h 53m

Fantasy

Romance

Drama

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Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

After Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.). His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.

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Critics Consensus

An insubstantial plot overshadows the beautiful, surreal scenery.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/29/2010

3/5

Worthwhile for thoughtful teens.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

3.5/4

`What Dreams May Come' is so breathtaking, so beautiful, so bold in its imagination!

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Paul Tatara

CNN.com

01/01/2000

A visual blast.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

11/26/2022

1.5/4

“Dreams” tries too hard to be a serious allegory of the afterlife and falls on its face in the absence of an appropriate or intriguing plot. The visuals, while stunning, take over the film too easily.

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

05/12/2013

It's a sullen and woefully boring religious sermon...

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

05/20/2009

D

Aside from having one of the worst titles in recent film memory, "What Dreams May Come" fails by trying to be all things to all people.

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Rhonda M

@RhondaMac 4d

I saw this movie years ago first, loved it visually and didn't care that my grip on what it was about was a bit loose - man dies, and what happened then. The film representation of a possible after life was enough because it was like something I'd never seen before or have since. The sheer artistry of it was enough. I've since read the book and the superb mish mash in my memory means my first guess was good but lacking in the finer points of interpretation. I therefore thoroughly reccomend finding the book which, incidentally, I didn't think was as good as the film. If nothing else its an excuse to try again to locate a copy so you can watch it again.

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Jerry B

@RT22901247 May 30

A poignant picture of the power of love. Robin Williams is fantastic as usual, but Annabelle Sciorra was spectacular! The visuals are stunning and deserved the Academy Award! One of the best and one of the most romantic movies ever made.

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Monika S

@RT48008645 May 1

Fantastic. To write everything that makes this a master film, it would take forever. I'll keep it short: it's in my top 10.

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Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Mar 24

What a hell of a movie. One of the best Robin Williams movies of All-time. The visuals and art direction is out of this world. The love of the father towards his wife and children is unlike anything I've ever seen in a movie. Williams delivers lines that'll take your breath away and yes damn it you will cry. The purple tree is gorgeous. Tim Treakle

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Konnie H.

@KonichiHua Mar 2

I give this film a C grade for effort because the afterlife is a difficult topic to cover. However, I really hope my afterlife is a lot more interesting and uplifting than this depressing and boring film.

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Alyan H

@AliHus Feb 24

This movie was a colossal waste of time. I am a fan of Robert Williams, but the storyline was so generic and predictable, and it was a waste of 2 hours. I never leave poor reviews, but this time I had to.

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Vincent Ward

Director

Robin Williams

Chris Nielsen

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Albert Lewis

Annabella Sciorra

Annie Nielsen

Max von Sydow

The Tracker

Jessica Brooks Grant

Marie Nielsen

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Thank You For Every Kindness

2:04

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - The Shores of Hell

3:06

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams Dies

2:48

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Heavenly Kiss

2:43

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - The Floor of Faces in Hell

3:19

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams Meets Cuba Gooding Jr.

2:50

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Boat Ride to Hell

1:45

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams Naruto-Runs

2:24

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Robin Williams In Painted Heaven

2:38

What Dreams May Come: Official Clip - Max Von Sydow is the Ferryman

2:53

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Synopsis

After Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.). His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.

Director: Vincent Ward
Producer: Stephen Deutsch, Barnet Bain
Screenwriter: Richard Matheson, Ronald Bass
Distributor: Polygram
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.5M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)