What Dreams May Come (1998)

October 2, 1998 (US) • Drama, Fantasy, Romance • 113m

Overview

Chris Nielsen dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife. After he died, his wife Annie killed herself and went to hell. Chris decides to risk eternity in Hades for the small chance that he will be able to bring her back to heaven.

Director

Vincent Ward

Writers

Ronald Bass, Richard Matheson

Top Billed

Robin Williams

Keywords

paradise husband wife relationship soulmates afterlife painting hell heaven car crash death death of husband spiritism death of a child lost souls dramatic souls informative

Where to watch

Rent

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Top Billed 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

Maggie McCarthy

Stacey Jacobs

Wilma Bonet

Angie

Matt Salinger

Reverend Hanley

Carin Sprague

Best Friend Cindy

June Carryl

Woman in Car Accident

Werner Herzog

Face

Clara Thomas

Little Girl at Lake

Benjamin Brock

Little Boy at Lake

London Freeman

Kid by the Dock (uncredited)

Phaedra Neitzel

Angel (uncredited)

Tom O'Reilly

Devil (Hell Scene) (uncredited)

Crew

Vincent Ward

Director

Ronald Bass

Screenplay

Barnet Bain

Producer

Ronald Bass

Executive Producer

Stephen Deutsch

Producer

Ted Field

Executive Producer

Erica Huggins

Executive Producer

Scott Kroopf

Executive Producer

Eduardo Serra

Director of Photography

David Brenner

Editor

Maysie Hoy

Editor

Richard Matheson

Novel

Daryl Tucker

VFX Artist

Jeff Habberstad

Stunts

Clay Donahue Fontenot

Stunts

Rosine 'Ace' Hatem

Stunts

Dane Farwell

Stunts

Gary Morgan

Stunts

Gilbert Rosales

Stunts

Brian Smrz

Stunts

Gregg Smrz

Stunts

Kelly Smrz

Stunts

William Morts

Stunts

Patrick J. Statham

Stunts

Scott Sproule

Stunts

Russell Solberg

Stunts

Keith Woulard

Stunts

Bob Yerkes

Stunts

Darlene Ava Williams

Stunts

Merritt Yohnka

Stunts

Michelle Wright

Executive In Charge Of Production

Graham Stumpf

Post Production Supervisor

Dawn Solér

Music Supervisor

David Kneupper

Supervising Sound Editor

Peter Michael Sullivan

Supervising Sound Editor

Patrick Cyccone Jr.

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Jim Dultz

Supervising Art Director

Tomas Voth

Supervising Art Director

Christian 'Pipo' Wintter

Art Direction

Patricio M. Farrell

Art Department Production Assistant

Erin Kemp

Set Designer

Dawn Swiderski

Set Designer

Aric Lasher

Set Designer

Alicia Maccarone

Set Designer

Mike Helbig

Leadman

John W. Micheletos

Set Dresser

Peter Bankins

Property Master

Carol Sadler

Costume Supervisor

Michael Becker

Costumer

Cindy J. Williams

Key Makeup Artist

Fríða Aradóttir

Key Hair Stylist

Terry Baliel

Hairstylist

Barbara Lorenz

Hairstylist

Mark Van Loon

Steadicam Operator

Nelson Stoll

Production Sound Mixer

Stephen Balliet

Boom Operator

Scott Kinzey

Boom Operator

Fred Runner

Boom Operator

Frank Masi

Still Photographer

Phil Bray

Still Photographer

Carol DePasquale

Script Supervisor

Chris Furia

First Assistant Accountant

Christine Bonnem

Location Manager

Michael Pew

Assistant Location Manager

Gretchen van Zeebroeck

Production Coordinator

Maureen Stanton-Leveque

Assistant Production Coordinator

Jack English

Gaffer

Don L. Henderson

Dolly Grip

Duane Robinson

Key Rigging Grip

Roy Arbogast

Special Effects Coordinator

James Reedy

Special Effects Supervisor

Lorisa D. Francis

Post Production Coordinator

Marci Graber

Post Production Accountant

Jessica Gallavan

ADR Supervisor

Chris Jargo

ADR Supervisor

Thomas O'Neil Younkman

Assistant Sound Editor

Laura Graham

ADR Editor

Constance A. Kazmer

ADR Editor

Mary Ruth Smith

ADR Editor

Simon Coke

ADR Editor

Dean Drabin

ADR Mixer

David Novack

ADR Mixer

Dan M. Rich

Dialogue Editor

Neal J. Anderson

Dialogue Editor

Laura Harris Atkinson

Dialogue Editor

Dino DiMuro

Sound Editor

Jon Title

Sound Editor

Scott Martin Gershin

Sound Editor

Hector C. Gika

Sound Editor

Bob Beher

Sound Editor

Paul Timothy Carden

Sound Editor

Patrick N. Sellers

Sound Editor

James Moriana

Foley Artist

Sarah Monat

Foley Artist

David W. Alstadter

Foley Mixer

Randy K. Singer

Foley Mixer

Daryl B. Kell

Music Editor

Brent Brooks

Music Editor

Bill Abbott

Music Editor

Mike Schmitt

3D Supervisor

Karen Ansel

CG Supervisor

Scott Gordon

CG Supervisor

Peter G. Travers

CG Supervisor

Daniel P. Rosen

Compositor

Lawrence Littleton

Digital Effects Supervisor

Kenneth Littleton

Digital Effects Supervisor

Jacques Levesque

Digital Compositor

David Crawford

Digital Compositor

Brandon McNaughton

Digital Compositor

Ann Monn

Digital Compositor

John Rauh

Digital Compositor

Brent Gilmartin

Digital Compositor

Brian Hanable

Digital Compositor

Bob Wiatr

Digital Compositor

Seth Lippman

CG Artist

Sandra Germain

CG Artist

Keith Kolder

CG Artist

Richard Michalak

Second Unit Director of Photography

David Fudge

Second Unit First Assistant Director

Michael Umble

Unit Publicist

Monika Mikkelsen

Casting Associate

Nina Henninger

Location Casting

Kris Nicolau

Additional Casting

Rodney Armanino

Construction Coordinator

Elise Ganz

Studio Teacher

Victoria Carlson

Standby Painter

Robert Butch Samarzich

Greensman

Wayne Nelson

Transportation Coordinator

Michael Keller

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Anastas N. Michos

Camera Operator

Kim Marks

Camera Operator

Patrick McArdle

First Assistant Camera

Paul Sanchez

First Assistant Camera

Eric Amundsen

Second Assistant Camera

Jan Ruona

Second Assistant Camera

Anne Lee

Camera Loader

Michael Kamen

Original Music Composer

Eugenio Zanetti

Production Design

Nina Henninger

Casting

Heidi Levitt

Casting

Robert E. 'Bobby' Powell

Rigging Gaffer

Stephen McLaughlin

Scoring Mixer

Audrey Chang

VFX Editor

Kevin Scott Mack

Visual Effects Supervisor

Joel Hynek

Visual Effects Supervisor

Nicholas Brooks

Visual Effects Supervisor

Stuart Robertson

Visual Effects Supervisor

Ken Jones

Visual Effects Supervisor

Ellen Somers

Visual Effects Supervisor

Ellen Somers

Visual Effects Producer

Carl Seibert

Visual Effects Producer

Michael Van Himbergen

Visual Effects Producer

Dean Wright

Visual Effects Producer

Patti Kuwaye Mauck

Visual Effects Producer

Joshua Rosen

Visual Effects Art Director

Yvonne Blake

Costume Design

Cindy Carr

Set Decoration

Charles Croughwell

Stunt Coordinator

Michael Anthony Mitchell

Stunt Double

Tierre Turner

Stunt Double

Debbie Evans

Stunt Driver

Chase Allen

Stunts

Joey Anaya

Stunts

Noby Arden

Stunts

Dan Bell

Stunts

Liisa Cohen

Stunts

Tammy Brady Conrad

Stunts

Gwynn Turnbull Weaver

Stunts

Matthew E. Butler

3D Artist

Jon Guterres

Key Grip

Rexford L. Metz

Underwater Director of Photography

Reviews

CinemaSerf

⭐ 6/10

August 7, 2025

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.

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