Review of What Dreams May Come (1998) by Alysia V — 13 Oct 2009

So, for the first thirty minutes or so of this film I was totally enamored. Visually, it was amazing. I love that, for awhile, the entire world that was created was completely paint. Gorgeous. Loved the scene where his wife paints that purple tree and it appears before his eyes, only to wilt away once she destroys it was emotional and beautiful all at the same time.

And then there was the scene when he was in Hell with his wife and says: "Thank you for every kindness. Thank you for our children. For the first time I saw them. Thank you for being someone I was always proud to be with.

For your guts, for your sweetness. For how you always looked, for how I always wanted to touch you. God, you were my life." One of my two favorite scenes of the movie, most definitely. Such wonderful words.

All of that, I loved. But then it started going downhill after that... Far too many "out there" views of Heaven and Hell, for me. Everyone having their own personal Heaven and then him going into Hell to bring his wife back and his children in these completely different human forms and then to top it all off, reincarnation.

Not only do I not believe in reincarnation but I could not remotely understand why they would want to leave their paradise with their entire family reunted to go back to Earth as young children and do it all over again.

Everything was finally so perfect for them! Not to mention, it started to drag on a bit and I found myself just losing interest. I think this movie had the potential to be amazing..the first thirty minutes certainly were.

Unfortunately, the other hour and a half or so wasn't.