What Dreams May Come

"After life there is more. The end is just the beginning."

1998 1h 53m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 2,627

DramaFantasyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After Chris Nielsen dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert. His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie, 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.

“After life there is more. The end is just the beginning.”

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Cast

Robin Williams
Chris Nielsen
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Albert Lewis
Annabella Sciorra
Annie Collins-Nielsen
Max von Sydow
The Tracker
Jessica Brooks Grant
Marie Nielsen
Josh Paddock
Ian Nielsen
Rosalind Chao
Leona
Lucinda Jenney
Mrs. Jacobs

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Vincent Ward
Writers: Ronald Bass
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $85M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 84% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Vincent Ward, shot by Eduardo Serra. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Brenner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. and Annabella Sciorra carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "After life there is more. The end is just the beginning.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Vincent Ward directs. Eduardo Serra behind the camera. Michael Kamen scores. David Brenner cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $85M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 84% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
328 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Vincent Ward, shot by Eduardo Serra. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor David Brenner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. and Annabella Sciorra carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "After life there is more. The end is just the beginning.".
9IMDB entry: tt0120889 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "paradise", "husband wife relationship", "soulmates", "afterlife".
11Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Eduardo Serra
Original score: Michael Kamen
Editing: David Brenner
Production design: Eugenio Zanetti
Costume design: Yvonne Blake
Makeup / hair: Terry Baliel
VFX supervisor: Stuart Robertson
Sound: Patrick Cyccone Jr.
Stunt coordinator: Charles Croughwell
Runtime: 113 min · 1h 53m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $85,000,000
Box office: $71,485,043
Return: 84% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: What Dreams May Come (1998)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Vincent Ward

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-08-07
★ 6/10
Hindsight, and all that, but I wonder how much of the things going through the mind of his character here were actually going through the mind of Robin Williams himself in his later life? Here, he is doctor “Chris” who quite literally collides with “Annie” (Annabella Sciorra) in their boats, and the whirlwind that ensues sees them married and living in the USA. An accident in a road tunnel sees him try to help a stranded driver, but before he can assist he comes a cropper himself and is soon up in heaven being looked after by Cuba Gooding Jnr. So far, it does sound quite heavenly! Unfortunately, “Annie” just cannot handle life without her new husband especially as this is not the first time tragedy has affected her life, and now she is truly bereft. Her solution sees her sent elsewhere and so “Chris” has to convince his new friend “Albert” that - yep - true love conquers all, even in matters of heaven and hell. To prove that very point, he decides to sacrifice his Elysian existence and set off to find her - but that is a journey fraught with emotional pitfalls that build on his memories of her, their family, and of his own frailties. Upon his journey, he is also to have the sagely honesty of “The Tracker” (Max Von Sydow) on his shoulder. Perhaps I’m a bit of a cynic, but though Williams’s effort is engaging, I found this all just a little too soft-focus sentimental. It presents character difficulties and flaws at us, but never ones that we know won’t be resolved, and usually fairly predictability. The bumps in his not so yellow brick road seem contrived for the plot rather than to really showcase the ghastliness and loneliness of grief. On that front, Sciorra delivers quite potently for a time; as the story develops it gives Gooding a little more to get his teeth into, and von Sydow has his “Seventh Seal” (1957) to draw from - which he does with a scene-stealing integrity. Mainly, though, it is a showcase for the star to show he is not just about comedy. He can clearly tackle more substantial issues and at no point throughout didn’t ever feel like laughing. Sadly, though, I didn’t ever feel like crying either. For a film that is all about the essence of what makes us people, it’s remarkably soul-less.

Production companies