What Dreams May Come

[Mobius]

G,day Dan

I havn't read the book, however I have seen the movie & have a copy on video as it's my favourite movie for visual OBE descriptions. Although I don't believe they represented what happens to suicides very well, but it's still worth it for the rest. The books are usually always better than the movies, have you seen the movie? How do they compare?

Good journeys mate

Mobius

[WalkerInTheWoods]

I have not read the good. I have seen the movie. Are they suppose to be similar or are they different? I did not even know there was a book.

I think they showed suicides pretty well considering they were making a film. Though I am sure they could have done better. What would you suggest they have done?

[PeacefulWarrior]

I suggest they should have followed the book, and by the way, the book is VERY different and of course a lot more detailed.  I have mixed feelings about the ending...and obviously the author put in a lot of his own beliefs, but he does mention at the end that the people's afterlives are as varied as the lives people live in this sphere.  Anyway, I recommend it...the author's names is Richard Matheson.

fides quaerens intellectum

[PeacefulWarrior]

CUSTOMER REVIEWS - An Open Forum


Number of Reviews: 17    Average Rating:  

grace (kandiegirlie55@hotmail.com), 18 year old b&n employee, November 17, 2000,  
one of the best titles i ever read
i saw the movie when it 1st came out...and i am an employee at b&n...and one day i found the book while i was shelving...so i bought it...and i couldn't put it down...1/2 way through the book...i rented the movie to compare...and the movie leaves out so much...the book is fantastic...i recommened it to anyone...fabulous book


Jen, September 19, 2000,  
touches your soul
This is a true story and unlike the movie!! you will cry the whole time and yet have your heart filled with love.

Also recommended: only love is real, brian weiss


A reviewer (cang@interpharma.com.ph), August 18, 2000,  
UNCONVENTIONAL! CONVINCING!
It may be purely fictional & just a figment of the author's imagination but death is something we all end up to. & knowing that there's life after that is very interesting & scary at the same time. Reincarnation may not be acceptable in all forms of religion, but I believe that one gets what he deserves after life. If you live honorably, there's a place for you to harvest what you sow. If you hurt people, there's also another place for you to either suffer or cleanse. At the end, I believe we will all join God in Heaven (wherever that may be) at the right time.

Also recommended: Somewhere in Time


LEYA, A 15 YEAR OLD POET FROM N.Y., May 1, 2000,  
THE BEST BOOK I EVER READ!!!
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. WONDERFULLY WRITEN. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! NO OTHER BOOK IS GOOD TO READ EXCPET THIS ONE.


A reviewer, UCA CHEERLEADER, November 23, 1999,  
The Most Powerful love Story I've Ever Read!!
I knew from the start that this book would apeal to my taste. I've always dreamed of a love as powerful as the love Chris and Ann had. Their love caried them through the depths of hell. their experiences could make any reader cry. They were actually each other's soul mates, which is completely amazing. They could actually communcate with eachother and not know they were doing so. Each knew what the other was thinking and loved eachother more deeply than anyone else could love.


A reviewer, September 8, 1999,  
timeless classic for searchers
I read this book 15 years ago. It was a borrowed copy and it was out of print at the time. I am thrilled to find it back in print and cannot wait to re-read it. Not many books have remained so vividly in my mind for so many years. It's truly a masterpiece of suspence as you follow the journey of the characters in the afterlife.


A reviewer, a New Yorker, August 5, 1999,  
'A Powerful force'
I've watched the movie and now I'm reading the book and I must say that the book is a completely different version. I will not give away any details of what the book offers compared to the movie. However, the same concept of the afterlife remains unchanged. The book makes you rethink your view of the afterlife and your existence on Earth.


John, a hopeless romantic resurrected, June 17, 1999,  
BEST PIECE OF MODERN LITERATURE EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is one of best that I have read. This book tranforms you at a level that's unthinkable. If you are dealing with any kind of problems and you aren't able to let go of them, then read this book THEN see the movie; It will kill the faults within your soul and from the remains of the faults, the quintessence of your soul shall rise


Natalie (Swaggyp@aol.com), I am a 26 year old in Chicago, June 1, 1999,  
Best Book I've ever read!
This is the perfect book for anyone, but especially for those who are dealing with death in any way. This book will change your life. Maybe death is something we should all look forward to instead of fear.

Also recommended: The Reader, Message in a Bottle, The Deep End of the Ocean, Tuesdays With Morrie, Reaching to Heaven


A reviewer, a 15 year old reader., May 12, 1999,  
Life Altering!
You will never be able to look at life the same again. So realistic and life provoking, it makes your mind bend. A true inspiration to live and a wonderful story to know. A suggested reading for anyone.

Also recommended: Other novels are Lord of the Flies and Great Expectations.


Carlitos, a little Zen homey from California., April 8, 1999,  
Don't die without this one!!!
Wow, now that's writing! So death does not change a thing after all... This book is amazing for one reason: even though it deals with a subject as occult as the afterlife it never stops making sense! Beautiful piece! Everyone will find something in it that they will just love.

Also recommended: Love Story by Erich Segal


Keri, a teenage bookworm., March 2, 1999,  
Awsome!
This has to be one of the best books I have ever read. I have not seen the movie yet, but I am sure that they could never make you feel what you feel when you read this book. There is such a mixture of emotions that you actully start talking to the characters in the book!


Antigone, February 22, 1999,  
Very... thought provoking
Wow. This was one of the strangest books I've ever read. I finished it in two days but its content stays with me even now. Some parts may be rather disturbing, because the realism and depth in the characters and emotions make an unbelievable setting and plot seem very real.


Melinda, a 27 year old at home mom, January 18, 1999,  
Best love story I have ever read
I loved this book. It had me crying throughout the whole thing. It really shows you what true love for someone is and how far a person is willing to go for that love. I couldn't put it down. I recommend it to everyone.


A reviewer, a career woman in city employ., December 28, 1998,  
FASCINATING!
It gives a varied idea of what happens to our souls after death and why. I found it interesting how hell and heaven was delinated into levels, which gives new meaning to 'my house has many mansions', as stated in the Bible, but this book isn't religious in its content. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is interested in life after death.


A reviewer, a career woman in city employ., December 28, 1998,  
FASCINATING!
It gives a varied idea of what happens to our souls after death, and why. It also has a romantic twist to it, but it focused more on life after death and on rebirth, or reincarnation, and the choices we make before our rebirth.


A reviewer (shizznik@Sover.net), a teacher and Christian, December 9, 1998,  
Superb
The movie was great. The book is 100% better. This is a case where a movie cannot convey the deep feelings and emotions that are hidden in this book. I loved this book! A timeless classic.


fides quaerens intellectum

[PeacefulWarrior]

RICHARD MATHESON

The following details about Richard Matheson and the book "What Dreams May Come" were found at the Tor Website

Date Of Birth - 1926
Born - New Jersey
Lives - Richard Matheson has lived and worked in California since 1951
Some Awards He Has Won - The World Fantasy Convention's Life Achievement Award, the Bram Stoker Award for Life Achievement, the Hugo Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the Golden Spur Award, The Writer's Guild Award
Some Television Scripts He Has Written - Some episodes of The Twilight Zone, including "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (the one where William Shatner sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane), "The Invaders," and "Little Girl Lost."  Episodes of Have Gun, Will Travel, Night Gallery, Star Trek (including the episode called "The Enemy Within," in which Captain Kirk is split into good and evil halves).
Novels And Stories Made Into Films - The Shrinking Man (filmed as "The Incredible Shrinking Man" in 1957), I Am Legend (filmed twice, once as "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price in 1964, and again as "The Omega Man" starring Charlton Heston in 1971), and Bid Time Return (filmed as "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour in 1980).
Movie Scripts He Has Written - Duel (Stephen Spielberg's first feature film), the TV-movie The Night Stalker, and several of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe films, including House of Usher (1960), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Raven (1963).
Quotes About Richard Matheson By Some Famous Authors - Ray Bradbury - "One of the most important writers of the 20th century"
Stephen King - "The author who influenced me most as a writer,"
Dean Koontz - "We're all a lot richer to have Richard Matheson among us."



fides quaerens intellectum

[Mobius]

Hi guys

Now I'll definately get the book, as the movie just blows me away. Every time I see it I look at others reactions or talk to people who have seen it, they have a pretty casual disinterested reaction to it, for me, it's like someone pulled some of the places I've been on the astral straight out of my head & put it on film. The way they represented suicides didn't ring true to experiences I've had, but then again the astral is a big place & places like the "sea of heads" may exist & some may have seen it, I havn't. I guess in one way if the sea of heads did exist, it would be a convenient visual phonebook, just walk around until you see the head that you want to find,hehe.The place he first goes after he dies is very familiar for me & even sounds like Franks training ground. I also love how they show people you know changing in appearance & someone who appears to be just a good friend actually turns out to be a relative.

The only lower level astral planes I've seen concerning suicides matched the hell depicted in the movie "the others". Which I guess is fairly similar to the wifes hell depicted in WDMC, although in " the others" the place they lived was pretty clean & tidy (although dark) as opposed to the damp dirty unkept place the wife from WDMC, which I,ve seen as well, but just not the shear isolation of the astral realm she was in. But as I said before, it's a big place & thousands would have seen all sorts of realms.

I love the movie & doesn't really bother me the depiction of where suicides go, as it is only a movie & they couldn't have done everything perfect & pleased everyone I guess.

A movie that for some reasons makes me uncomfortable when I see it to do with lower astral realms is "the Cell". That too is only a movie, but the part where jennifer lopez is going into a trance & into peoples minds especially this killers mind freaked me out a bit, as some lower levels disturbingly look like that for me, not pleasant.

It will be interesting to see how different the books version of the suicide bit compares to the movie & if it is much different, I wonder why they changed it?

Good journeys all

Mobius

[PeacefulWarrior]

Mobius-

The depiction of the consequence of suicide is much different in the novel than the film and I personally attribute this to the fact that when the screen play was written I am sure they decided the major part of audiences wouldn't have found it compelling in the film because it is much to realisitic and depressing.  Although books have to be altered for film, it's tragic that some of the alterations are made simply to make sure the film will appeal to a wider audinence and make more money.  

I too have found that most people who see this film regard it as purely fantastic when in reality it should truly evoke some very introspective feelings. Anyway, I wasn't all that pleased with the end of the novel, and a few things in the book I disagree with completely, but all in all it's an EXCELLENT read and is definetly food for thought.  A lot of what is written is dead on, excuse the pun!  Please let me know how you like the book once you've read it, or even begun it!  
-Dan

fides quaerens intellectum

[Cylentpanthur]

I've read the book, but I did it two years ago, so I don't remember much. I loved the city though, and talking about the works of art that he saw there. I need to read it again. I really liked it, and I thought it was better than the movie. Much more thought provocking than heart-string tugging. (Forgive the bad spelling)

[Mobius]

Hi Daniel

What didn't you like about the ending or what bits did you disagree with? I have another couple of books to get through, so that one will have to wait a month or 2. Is the end part of the book portrayed the same as the movie? Where they re-incarnated? Or made a conscious decision to re-incarnate? like the movie?

It was a little strange that they had only just got to the other side & were finding out about their new found freedoms & the whole family was back together again & the confusion was dissipating about the afterlife, then he says " lets go back & do it all over again", she says " How will we ever find each other again?" he says " I found you once, I'll find you again".

Although I have heard that sort of talk from old folks in the physical. " life is complex & when you finally figure it all out, it's time to go". From the movie, it's a bit like that for people on the other side too. A small percentage stay on as guides, angels, administrators etc. & the majority just cycle through.

Welcome Cylentpanthur & it's ok about the spelling, it's a given, good journeys all.

Mobius

[WalkerInTheWoods]

I also have a few books to read first but hopefully will get around to this one in a few months. I do ask that if you start giving info about the book to answer the questions ask here to please let us know at the top of the post that there are Spoilers in it. I do not want to know any details about it before I read. Thanks.

[Mobius]

Sorry fallenangel, lucky he didn't post yet, I was just curious, but will buy the book & read it regardless of how much he divulges. It's a few years past the movie/book now so I could probably pick it up at a second hand bookstore.

Maybe Daniel could put in bold SPOILER & leave a gap so anyone can skip it. I don't mind though Daniel, so fire away.

What OBE's may come

Mobius

[Stephen]

Hello Peacefull Warroir  you mention s one of the charactors in

sk

[Stephen]

Strange I hit delete  and it the whole thing was posted. Iwas trying to ask   PeacefulWarrior about some  characters he  read about that are soul mates .            
Does this phenomenon exist?    
I dont get much time to spend on the computer maybe the topic has been covered if you  could point me in the right direction
            Many thanks  Stephen

sk

[PeacefulWarrior]

First of all FallenAngel, I don't think I personally put any spoilers in my posts did I?  Regardless if I did or not I will edit the opening message and write "SPOILERS".

Anyway, STEPHEN about soul mates, I truly think the phenomena does exist insomuch that in my opinion every experience in life has meaning and some of it has to do with fate and our higher selves.  I don't pretend to understand how it all works, but someday I think we will...and I think we will realize that certain relationships, including family relations, were the consequence of decisions we made before this life.

fides quaerens intellectum

[WalkerInTheWoods]

quote:Originally posted by PeacefulWarrior:
First of all FallenAngel, I don't think I personally put any spoilers in my posts did I?  Regardless if I did or not I will edit the opening message and write "SPOILERS".

No you have not given anything away yet. I did not mean to imply that you had spoiled anything. Some people were just asking questions which when answered could give some things away that I would prefer to find out by reading the book. If you were going to answer them I just wanted you to make it known so that I could skip that part but still be able to read the posts concerning the ideas of the book/movie. I hope that clears things up. Sorry for the confusion.

[PeacefulWarrior]

Hey, no problem!  I got scared when I read your post and thought, "Uh-oh, I hope I didn't spill the beans about some vital part of the story" and so I glanced over the thread and thought, you know, I don't think we spoiled anything...I mean myself and few others sort of talked about the plot, but we didn't spoil anything.  ANYWAY, I am glad we got that cleared up.  I really do look forward to hearing what you think of the book when you get a chance to read it.  I loved it and my father just finished it in like 3 days, so now I will continue to pass it on.  It's a good intro to OBE, NDE, etc. for people who may not know a lot about these things but enjoy a good story.  Happy trails!
-Dan

fides quaerens intellectum

[Cylentpanthur]

SPOILER WARNING


Now that I remember it, I thought the whole soulmates thing was really interesting to me. The idea that being soulmates did not necissarily mean being lovers as a male/female unit. I thought it was interesting that they had shared other roles throughout their lives together. And I just said interesting a lot. http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/images/icon_Smile_tongue.gif" border=0>

MEOW http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/images/icon_Smile_sleepy.gif" border=0>

[Mobius]

MOVIE SPOILER WARNING!


I'm not sure if this part is the same in the book, but in the movie, my favourite part would have to be, when he first dies & his son who had died a couple of years earlier arrives on the scene ( In the guise of someone who's words he could believe,eg. a peer as opposed to a child) to teach him about the astral & the afterlife & what he could do & where he could go.

When he went to follow his friend/son & his friend/son went across water & he tried to follow. His perceptions were still firmly based in the physical & he sunk straight to the bottom of the lake, he panicked briefly as he thought he would drown, even though he was dead & had no lungs anymore. Then his friend began to explain & the penny dropped for him.

His friend/son says " what is you?"...................."If I cut off your arm, would you still be you?"........"Yes" he replied....................." If you lost your arms & legs, would you still be you?"............" Well yes" he replies again........................"Well, what is you then?"........................"I guess it's my brain".he says confused. "Your brain is a body part, like your heart & other organs".

When the moment of realisation dawned on him, as to the possibilities, he really began to think, even question the people allready there & push the boundaries on the astral, to do things veterans hadn't done.

The soulmates concept in the movie was pretty good, in the movie though, he doesn't mention the kids. Daniel were the kids added to the equation in the book, when he decided to reincarnate & convinced his wife to do it also?

I am hoping they don't rap things up so quick in the book, I wonder what happens to the kids? do they just hang out for another 20 years or so until their parents have kids again, giving them another window of oppurtunity? Or do they start their own new path, new soul? Or where they someone else, just entering those parents lives briefly, to give & share experiences, adding to their allready numerous lives.

I feel I have found my soulmate & the concept really interests me too.

Good journeys all

Mobius

[PeacefulWarrior]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse (I say that because I think I may have mentioned something to this effect earlier) but I believe this novel/book is a great introduction to NDE/OBE, etc. for those who have not yet expanded their horizons...my sister, for example, read the novel in her comp. religion class and now she and I can talk about the sliver cord, etc and had I mentioned any thing like that to her before she would have just looked at me and uttered, "You're crazy!" or something.  Anyway, I am still looking forward to hearing from those of you who read the book in the future...

-Dan

fides quaerens intellectum

[PeacefulWarrior]

Some Editorial Reviews of the film:
                     Amazon.com
                     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

                     From Widescreen Review:
                     Picture Quality: 4    (5 is the highest rating)     Sound Quality: 5    (5 is the highest
                     rating)


                     Spotlight Reviews (what's this)
                     Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

                     4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

                              Really Dreamy !, June 5, 2001
                     Reviewer: Umeshchandra Tongbra (see more about me) from Bangalore, Karnataka,
                     INDIA
                     Firstly, it deserved it's Academy award for Visual Effects . The painted style of Robin
                     William's "heaven" is breath-taking. You begin to appreciate this scene more after you go
                     through the "extras" on the DVD where the SFX people explain the efforts that had gone
                     into it.You marvel at the SFX of the movie but I wonder if one would still be amazed
                     considering the glut of plotless SFX movies in these times. The overall picture quality of
                     the DVD is good and the dolby digital 5.1 sound is excellent with good surround effects !

                     Coming to the movie, it starts of with a breathtaking scene of Switzerland (the scene
                     was actually shot in Montana) with it's lush surroundings and the crystal clear water
                     with the breathtaking mountains in the backdrop. You can almost smell the flowers and
                     one is inclined to take a deep-breath on experiencing the opening scene.

                     The movie then starts to crawl for the next 20 minutes or so. I guess the director was
                     probably trying to build up the characters and their interactions but nonetheless, it
                     crawls a bit. Once that's over the tempo starts to build up !

                     And yea ... the alternate ending if of lessor audio/video quality but is pretty nice
                     nonetheless. I like the part in which Cuba Gooding says "What do you mean by 'I' ? Is it
                     your arm, your leg ... we are IN a house but we are NOT the house..." and implies that
                     when we are finished with a house we move on and it's the same with our body and soul.
                     The depiction of hell is pretty gloomy and at the same time leaves us confused as to
                     what to make of the director's interpretation and depiction of the scenes.

                     Was this review helpful to you?    

                       

                     8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

                              Stellar film and visual effects!, February 12, 2001
                             Reviewer: David Litton (see more about me) from Topsail Beach, NC USA
                             There is such a profound sense of drama, magic and emotion behind the story
                     in "What Dreams May Come," a film based on the novel by Richard Matheson. There is a
                     strong story with which anyone who loves someone else can identify, as well as an
                     austentatious and elegant scope of visual and auditory imagery that jumps right for your
                     eyes onscreen. Matheson's visions of heaven and hell are magnificently realized here, as
                     well as the love between two people that is unbreakable, even after death.

                     The movie begins with the chance meeting of two American tourists traveling in
                     Switzerland. Soon after, Chris and Annie become inseperable, and after their wedding,
                     they bear two children. Many years later, Ian and Marie are killed in a car collision,
                     leaving their parents distraught yet overcoming. Another couple of years later, Chris dies
                     in a car accident as well, on his way to celebrate the "Double D" anniversary of his wife's
                     emotional recovery from their childrens' deaths. This begins his trip into heaven, which is
                     rocky at first during his attempts to console his living wife, then graduating into his
                     acceptance of his immortality and ascemding into heaven, which turns out to be the
                     creation of his own thoughts and settings. When he realizes that he is not completely
                     happy without Annie, he becomes depressed, so it is no surprise that when Annie
                     commits suicide and is sent to hell, he readies himself to rescue his wife from her
                     emotional confines that keep her in her prison of eternal darkness.

                     The story for this movie is very ambitious, as are the filmmakers who bring it to life.
                     There is an abundance of vivid memories in the form of flashbacks, many of which are
                     precisely used to move the plot along and keep the story moving. Instead of becoming
                     bored with the ongoing story of Annie and Chris's married and parental life, I found
                     myself becoming more and more entranced as their lives unfolded, and say what you will,
                     but the only way to tell a story like this is through flashbacks. If you were to take all of
                     the memories and place them in order at the beginning of the movie, the audience would
                     forget about the important moments that have an effects on the actions and events
                     that take place in later instances of the film. Each one is a separate piece of the puzzle,
                     and they all fit together quite well.

                     This film is one of those movies that showcases the possibilities for filmmaking in the
                     future. Really, when you think about it, there is no way that the movie could have been
                     made thirty years ago and still have the same impact as it does now. The settings and
                     scenery play the most important role of the movie, for they provide the reason for the
                     emotion and action that affects our characters. The beginning shots in Switzerland show
                     us beautiful vistas of mountains and lakes, which will later become the inspiration for
                     Chris's heaven, as well as many of the paintings Annie creates. Their home bursts forth
                     with color and brightness, proving that color plays a big role in the film. When everyone
                     is alive, everything seems light and airy. After Chris's death, all is dark, and the walls of
                     the home seem dismal and gray. One scene in particular is a scene in which Chris
                     watches his children being driven away in their van down a long line of lilac trees, a
                     slight fog covering the scene. Their is that brilliance of color, yet the dark fog makes us
                     uneasy, hence the accident that kills their children.

                     Heaven is elegantly portrayed in this film, and is done so with a new twist: that each
                     person has their own private heaven created in the image of their own personal desires
                     and thoughts. Chris's heaven is based on the paintings of his wife, from the mountains of
                     Switzerland to a small island in the middle of a mountain lake with an opulent, airy house.
                     The filmmakers give each scene the precise look of a painting, even after the special
                     effects fade, using vivid colors, lots of flowers and mountainous backdrops, to transport
                     us into Chris's new world. This is one of the most incredible film achievements ever,
                     taking us to a special place that is warm, inviting, and personifies every thought we, as
                     an audience, have ever had for beauty and vision.

                     Hell is given a truly horrifying and intense treatment, displaying visions of suffering as
                     well as the personal and emotional pain of life that haunts us all. Somewhat like the way
                     in which Heaven is created, Hell is seen as a persons's "life gone wrong," which allows for
                     the creation of their pain-driven eternity. The gateway to hell is a stunning visual image,
                     a vast, smoky graveyard of smoldering shipwrecks that creak and groan. There is also a
                     dismal, endless sea of decrepit faces of hell's inhabitants, that groan and scream at one
                     another. The most striking of all the settings is the overturned cathedral, where Annie
                     resides. The columns rise from the ceiling and go on forever into the darkness, which
                     gives the whole place a sense of the neverending.

                     There is a unique chemistry between the two leads that carries on the film's emotion and
                     power. Robin Williams is charming, humorous and bold as Chris Nielsen, and through his
                     acting and talent, he is able to make us believe in the love that Chris holds for Annie.
                     Annabella Sciorra is moving as Annie, embodying all of the emotions and grief that set
                     the stage for the second half of the story. When the two are together onscreen, they
                     are happy and in love, and we buy it because they make it appear very authentic. Cuba
                     Gooding, Jr. plays the angel that brings Chris to heaven, doing well in his performance of
                     helping Chris through his struggle to realize his death. Max von Sydow, whose part is not
                     as big as others he has had, is the tracker who takes them all to hell, and his words of
                     wisdom keep the film's informative angle moving.

                     "What Dreams May Come" will go down in history as one of the most innovative and
                     spectacular films ever made, full of ambition and inspiration. In its story, we are taken on
                     a journey of the human heart, as well as a striking vision of what may lie in store for
                     everyone under God's eye.

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                              What my dreams became..., July 2, 2002
                     Reviewer: Carrie from Easton, PA USA
                     I fell upon this while watching the sci-fi channel, and thought that it looked interesting.
                     It ended up being my new favorite movie! It had a very distinct plot, yet I do not
                     recommend this for children under 12. 'What Dreams May Come' follows the quest of a
                     man who dies and goes to heaven. When he finds out that his wife has commited
                     suicide, he ventures off the the underworld to persuade his wife to forgive herself so she
                     can join him in heaven. --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

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                     2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

                              Interesting Premise, Great Special Effects & Bonuses (DVD), May 4, 2002

                     Reviewer: sirch (see more about me)
                     The strength of "What Dreams May Come" is the fascinating vision of the afterlife and
                     Robin Williams' Homeric odyssey to the underworld to rescue his wife, plus the wonderful
                     visual effects/cinematography [the scene where Robin Williams' character finds himself in
                     a painted world (literally) come to life (or afterlife, technically) is amazing].

                     The DVD hilights these strengths with extras that include cool menus, a making of
                     featurette, a not-so-happy alternate ending and various production and special effects
                     notes.

                     As a purely dramatic film, "What Dreams" falls a little short (being at times overly sappy
                     and melodramatic), but with an original story, some good acting (Williams and Cuba
                     Gooding, Jr. aer a good amtch, and the actress who plays Williams' adult daughter is also
                     very good) and strong visuals and some good extras and you have a keeper.
                     Also recommended: 'City of Angels' (an angel gives up its wings for love); 'Michael' (angel
                     of the afterlife visits Earth) and 'Princess Bride' (a fairy tale quest for true love).

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                          Joel Coen



fides quaerens intellectum

[PeacefulWarrior]

ATTENTION- THE FOLLOWING POSTS MAY CONTAIN "SPOILERS" REGARDING THE NOVEL & FILM "WHAT DREAMS MAY COME"

I am about to finish this novel, has anyone else read it?  I would like to discuss some of the details in the novel.  Although it is fiction,. the authro claims to have gotten all of his info from research of real NDE's and OBE's.

-Dan

fides quaerens intellectum