Welcome to The Best Movie You NEVER Saw, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained traction throughout the years, earning them a place as a cult classic or underrated gem that was either before it’s time and/or has aged like a fine wine.
This week we’ll be looking at WHAT DREAMS MAY COME!
THE STORY: After dying in a random accident, a man (Robin Williams) goes to heaven, while – on earth – his wife (Annabella Sciorra) struggles to cope with her grief and eventually commits suicide – an act which ends with her committed to a personal hell of her design. To save her, he must cross the boundaries of heaven and hell, while struggling with his grief over a life left unfinished.
THE PLAYERS: Starring: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Annabella Sciorra & Max von Sydow. Directed by Vincent Ward.
The funny thing about heaven in this picture is that it doesn't have a God or a rabbi. In the United States, this has made some people apprehensive. What I can tell about the subject is that it was better than acting in an action movie filmed in space. Vincent Ward made my mind about making this movie. When it comes to convincing people of something, he is better than a drug lord. – Robin Williams – 1998 Interview – Veja Magazine
THE HISTORY: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME was a prestige project back in 1998. Robin Williams was at the peak of his popularity, having just won an Oscar for best-supporting actor in GOOD WILL HUNTING, proving once again his versatility in dramatic roles, after several years spent concentrating on comedy. His follow-up to that triumph would be this highly unusual, arty sci-fi love story, pairing him with acclaimed director Vincent Ward (MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART) and fellow Oscar-winner, Cuba Gooding Jr.
A huge production for Europe-based production hub, Polygram Pictures, WHAT DREAMS MAY COME boasted a massive $85-90 million budget, as well as state-of-the-art (for the time) CGI effects. When it was released in the fall of 1998, it was indifferently received by both critics and audiences, only grossing $55 million – not a disastrous number for a fall release but a huge disappointment given the budget. It eventually gained something of a modest following after becoming one of the earliest films to get a full-on DVD special edition in that nascent market.
WHY IT’S GREAT: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME is a painful film to revisit for obvious reasons. This week marked the fifth anniversary of Robin Williams’s death, and I must admit that of all the celebrity passings to happen in my lifetime, few have hit me harder. I grew up idolizing the man, who, I would argue, ranks among the greatest on-screen actors of all time. Case in point: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, which was based on the novel by noted genre writer Richard Matheson.
Now, I’m not going to argue this is one of the greatest movies ever made or anything like that. It’s not. It’s a fairly flawed film but it has an intriguing premise and some dazzling eye candy. But, Robin Williams’s performance is first class and it’s a shame it’s become one of his more obscure films. What made him so great was his versatility. He was a big personality, and you paid to see Robin Williams, and it didn’t necessarily matter that he only occasionally vanished into roles (ONE HOUR PHOTO being a good example). You went to see him and his persona was well-suited to pretty much any genre. Comedies were the most obvious choice for him but he was more than equally adept at drama. He could make you laugh and he could make you cry – there was never really anyone quite like him and I doubt there ever will be again.
This is what makes WHAT DREAMS MAY COME such an interesting piece of his body of work. Here he’s a straight-up romantic lead, being the gentle husband who loves his wife so much he’s willing to spend an eternity in hell if it means he could be with her. Williams always radiated kindness, and this informs his role perfectly.
It helps that director Vincent Ward uses CGI in a painterly way, making his vision of the afterlife alternately inspiring and foreboding. It won a much-deserved visual effects Oscar, as well as receiving a nod for its impeccable art direction. Annabella Sciorra is hugely sympathetic as his tortured wife, while Cuba Gooding Jr. is low-key and effective as Williams’s kindly guide through the afterlife. Max Von Sydow also has an intriguing role as a “tracker”, the one man who can enter heaven or hell at his discretion, making it an interesting take-off on his role in another famous film about the afterlife, THE SEVENTH SEAL.
Heaven is also depicted in a way that tries to remain somewhat ambiguous about God and religion, with even the idea of hell not being a kind of punishment, but rather a place of one’s own making, the same way heaven is depicted. The idea isn’t to somehow redeem Sciorra’s character – she doesn’t need it. Rather, it’s to make her realize that she belongs in heaven with her family. Again, I’m not one for religion necessarily, but it does seem that this is tailored to be an agnostic’s version of the afterlife more than anything else.
Interestingly, the film has two musical scores. In Europe, the score is by Ennio Morricone and perhaps more heavy-handed than what was intended (although it’s a gorgeous score), while in North America, it was given a subtler soundtrack by the late Michael Kamen (also a very good score). I believe the only version on disc has the Kamen score, but I could be wrong here.
BEST SCENE: It’s hard not to get a little choked up in the climactic moments of the film, where Williams tries to make peace with his wife and convince her of his undying devotion to her, which is so strong he’s willing to spend an eternity in hell just to be by her side. Williams sells it here in a way I don’t think any other actor of his generation could have done quite as effectively.
SEE IT: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME is available via streaming, digital download, and Blu-ray.
PARTING SHOT: Again, WHAT DREAMS MAY COME is a hard film to watch, in that it’s a movie that features the late actor dealing with questions of mortality. I understand if, for some, this is too grueling a watch in light of what happened, but I still think it’s a tragically underseen piece of work, and a performance he put a lot of himself into. It deserves to be seen. And also, if there is indeed a heaven, there’s no doubt in my mind that Robin Williams is there. He brought joy to millions and millions of people, and every time I think about him I can’t help but get a little choked up – even half a decade later. He was one of the greats and his kind doesn’t come along too often.