What dreams may come (1998)

Director: Vincent Ward

Starring: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding jr., Annabella Sciorra, Max von Sydow

After he dies in a car crash, a man searches heaven and hell for his beloved wife.

What happens when we die? Don’t we all want to know? This is a very vivid telling of what happens, and the place we go to before heaven or hell. The film has some very interesting visuals. As usual, Robin Williams gave an extraordinary performance, in a very different role for him, I might add. Humor, drama and adventure are very effectively intertwined, without any one of them becoming overbearing.

The film also touches on a very touchy subject: suicide – especially having lost a friend to suicide not long ago. This surely must be a very difficult film to watch for parents, as well, who have lost a child. The film in its entirety was quite wonderful, actually, with a brilliant production design. I did find the ending a bit too much of a forced happy ending.

The film won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and won further awards for Best Effects, as well as Best Supporting Actor and Best Feature Film.