What Dreams May Come

Rating: ****
Date Seen: 1998-10-02

Movies with this level of brilliance and integrity are rare. A visually and philosophically stunning movie. I predict that this one wins an Academy Award for cinematography. Based on previous experience with movies this profound, it is also likely to flop at the box office. (Although I hope I'm wrong there.)

The premise: suppose, like many religions profess, that a person's consciousness continues to exist after the body dies. Not only do people's minds keep living, but after a time they leave Earth and reach "Heaven", where their world becomes whatever their minds are able to "paint". Now, try to envision what this experience would actually be like. Thus begins the premise for "What Dreams May Come".

The visuals for Chris Neilson's Heaven are spectacular, successfully conveying an image of a real-life animated impressionist painting. The whole movie is dreamlike, really; even the "real life" scenes are so stylized as to merit being framed and hung.

The movie tells a great story about love, commitment, and sacrifice. Awesome man.