What Dreams May Come
for thematic elements involving death, some disturbing images and language.
Reviewed by: W.J. Kimble
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Very Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
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| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Romance Drama Adaptation |
| Length: | 1 hr. 53 min. |
| Year of Release: | 1998 |
| USA Release: |
October 2, 1998 |
This film is based on the novel by Richard Matheson, What Dreams May Come
What is ETERNAL LIFE? and what does the Bible say about it?
What is ETERNAL DEATH?
What is DEATH? and WHY does it exist? Answer in the Bible
What is the FINAL JUDGMENT? and WHAT do you need to know about it? Answer
Is Jesus the answer to your questions?
Good News for Kids!
Is marriage eternal?
Is there an actual place called “Hell”?
Why was Hell made
Is there anyone in Hell today?
Will there literally be a burning fire in Hell?
What should you be willing to do to stay out of Hell?
How can a God of love send anybody to Hell?
What if I don’t believe in Hell?
Does the Bible allow for the possibility of reincarnation?
What is the significance of the New Age Movement?
Did Jesus go to India as a child and learn from Hindu Gurus?
Who is the being of light encountered in near-death experiences?
Will all mankind eventually be saved?
What does the Bible teach us about angels?
Aren’t all religions basically the same? Why do Christians insist that one must believe in Christ alone to be saved?
| Featuring |
Robin Williams Cuba Gooding Jr. Annabella Sciorra Max von Sydow Rosalind Chao Werner Herzog |
| Director |
Vincent Ward |
| Producer |
Barnet Bain Stephen Deutsch (aka Stephen Simon) Polygram Filmed Entertainment Interscope Communications Metafilmics |
| Distributor | Polygram Filmed Entertainment |
“After life there is more”
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus… —Romans 8:1
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind… —Romans 12:2
It is a sad reality, in the church of God today, that men and women alike still feel condemned and unworthy even though they have accepted Christ as their Savior. Paul says this ought not to be. For whom Christ has forgiven there is peace and joy, not condemnation. Many have not allowed God’s Word to transform their minds and renew their spirits. They believe that He has forgiven them; but they hold fast to their self-condemning thoughts and ways. They feel unworthy, unacceptable, guilty and full of shame.
“What Dreams May Come” addresses this issue (in-directly). Annie Nielsen (Annabella Sciorra, “Cop Land”) is living in Hell because she refuses to accept the reality that life is full of hope and love. She has created a hell from which no one can deliver her. She has convinced herself that life isn’t worth living and that her destiny is to live eternally bereft of peace, joy and contentment.
Annie’s nightmare begins after the death of her children, Ian (Josh Paddock) and Marie (Jessica Brooks). Devastated, Annie loses sight of the joys that life can bring; even her husband, Chris (Robin Williams), who has tried everything he can to help her find fulfillment and happiness, fails. Annie’s pain is too great and she remains lost in her own little world of sorrow and grief. To add to her grief, Chris dies in an awful accident; and Annie, who can no longer endure the pain, commits suicide.
Chris, confused and somewhat dismayed, discovers that his children are in Heaven and his beloved Annie is in Hell. Grief-stricken and determined that love conquers all, Chris seeks the aid of a tracker (Max von Sydow, “Jesus” in “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, “The Seventh Seal”, “Flash Gordon”), who has the ability to help Chris descend into the depths of Hell and finds his long-lost wife. Together they trek through the foreboding abyss where they find Annie frightened, alone, and living in a world of her own making. Chris, convinced that they are meant to live together forever, tenderly and lovingly wins her back and together they rekindle the love they once had.
“What Dreams May Come” sadly propagates the New Age concept that we create our Heaven and our Hell. If, in this life, we paint a tapestry that is dark and dreary, then it will come to be. If we believe that life is sweet and precious, it will be so. We are the painters and we design the outcome.
While psychologically this is correct, spiritually speaking, this is an erroneous and terribly deceitful concept. We can do all we can to ensure our place in Heaven, but unless we accept Christ as our Savior, all is in vain. There is no other way!
You can be good, honest and live a wholesome life; yet, Hell awaits you unless you repent and receive Christ as your Savior. Furthermore, Christ said, “I go to prepare a place for you…” He is the master builder, not we. While we can choose our destiny, He (alone) is the creator of Heaven and of Hell.
Since, “New Agers” believe in reincarnation, “What Dreams May Come” disseminates this philosophy with great gusto. It unashamedly discusses it throughout the movie.
REINCARNATION—Does the Bible support this belief in any way? Answer
The truth is: there are no second chances. Either you accept Christ as your Savior now, in this lifetime, or find yourself in Hell! There are no other options!
As much as we like the idea of Chris coming to his wife’s rescue and saving her from this awful dilemma, we must realize that it is entirely impossible. The Scripture teaches that those in Heaven cannot go to those who are in Hell. In Luke 16:26 it says,
“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence” (KJV)
“What Dreams May Come” has profanity spoken at the most inappropriate times. There is some brief nudity as well. In one scene, Annie dives into the lake without any clothes on, and we see just a brief glimpse of part of her bare bottom. Also, a young girl draws a stream of urine flowing from the genitals (of a classical painting) of a naked man.
While, the story line is hard to follow at times, you can sort out the discrepancies and enjoy the movie. Cuba Gooding Jr. (“Jerry Maguire”), does a splendid job portraying an angel/spirit guide.
By the way, there are no such things as spirit guides. Angels are God’s messengers and they are sent to help us; but spirit guides, as the New-Agers teach it, are not sent from God. Talk to your pastor about this, if you are confused.
My friends, if you (like Annie) have done something that you feel is unforgivable, remember, Christ knows what you’ve done; and yet, He stands ready to forgive you and enables you to forgive yourself, too!
How can I be and feel forgiven? Answer
If you haven’t asked Christ to forgive you, won’t you do so now? If you have, won’t you let Christ complete His work in you? Receove His peace, love and forgiveness. John said, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” I John 1:4 KJV. Read the Scriptures. Let those words renew your mind and set you free!
Discover the good news that Jesus Christ offers
Why is the world the way it is? If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and loving, would He really create a world like this? (filled with oppression, suffering, death and cruelty) Answer
Discover God’s promise for all people—told beautifully and clearly from the beginning. Discover The HOPE! Watch it on Christian Answers—full-length motion picture.
Do you understand God’s Story? Take a short journey through the Bible, from Creation to eternity, summarizing of the Bible’s most important records, in chronological order.
Are you good enough to get to Heaven? Answer
How good is good enough? Answer
I can’t see myself leaving Heaven to find anyone in hell but the movie show two things in that #1—Real everlasting, unselfish love #2—the sacrifice that Christ made by coming down from Heaven, giving his life and his blood for each of us, going to the grave (and the bible speaks of the grave being hell) an rose again Victorious on the third day.
That Christ loved us to the point of submitting himself as guilty of our sin surely cannot be lost in this understanding. In spite of some bad words and some horrendously maudlin moments, the movie does a good job of deconstructing the main character’s weaknesses and illuminating his necessary realizations which leads to a truly redemptive ending. While certainly not a biblical story, it can be said to have a strong evangelical bent. That is, if we can ever learn what the word “allegory” means…
The ideas of relativism (self-created Heaven and Hell) and reincarnation are part of a New Age atheology that doesn’t acknowledge the standard of an unchanging and faithful God and mistakenly assigns power to Humanism based upon selfishness.
However, the movie provided a great launching point for a thoughtful family discussion about Christianity and Scripture-based truth versus media images and humanist beliefs that test and challenge our faith.
The very idea that the movie actually went so far as to “paint” a picture of Heaven and hell, where “people” in Heaven float around in a painted world of resembling a resort in Niagra Falls, or sit around the steps like they are in a college campus or on a museum facility, and that people in hell should hang around the gates of hell decorated by wrecked ships, some fighting like gladiators, other buried up to their heads, etc., is just beyond me.
What religion did all this come from I must ask. Certainly not Christianity. The movie was also so depressing and disjointed that I would hardly recommend it to anyone. John Denver and George Burns were a lot more inspiring in “GOD”—One Chrisitian Thumb Definitely Down.
That man chose hell and the love of his wife, over the gift of eternal life, which is what my blood did for Him.” Then I realized it was a real slap in the face to Jesus. What appeared to be love, was a rejection of Heaven over the love of someone. That made me even madder.
And the movie portrayed because he chose the love of his wife, he got Heaven after all. What a lie. I picked up the New Age theme thru and thru and got intensely aggravated. Especially when his children were someone else.
We have lost a small child. I am sure I wouldn’t want to see that child as someone else. I know I will see the child as I knew her. And the ying yang pin on the stewardess was a dead give away. I saw a television program on the making of that movie. Gooding was saying that he hopes it gives someone hope. Hope in what? Without Jesus there is no hope.
Finally, when Robin asks the guide, “Where’s God?” and the ambiguous response: “Oh, He’s up there somewhere…” I knew that this movie was not for me or my kids.
Heaven and Hell are biblical realities. Jesus painted enough of a picture when he said, “it would be better for to lose an eye or limb than for your whole soul to go to Hell”; hell is a “place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This movie deceptively paints eternal realities with no attention to the author of eternity. It acts as a lethal anesthesia that makes people numb to their true spiritual condition and their need for a Saviour.
I walked out of that movie holding both of my boys hands, praying that God would enable me to share adequately the realities of what the Bible paints as Heaven and hell and how we need Jesus to redeem us from our own “rose-colored” views of eternity that do not glorify the Creator but magnify and elevation the created.
The real sin of the Garden of Eden was not disobedience, but the belief that “I don’t need God.” This film does a great job at expressing that one! No one needs God at all. Again, I lie is lie is a lie.
While, at times, visually stunning, “What Dreams May Come” was a disappointment. I could only describe the content as metaphysical-psychotherapy. Let me make it clear that I did not expect this movie to be a treatise on Christian doctrine, nor did I expect it to be such a clear and constant contradiction to the teachings of Scripture. The Heaven in this movie is a very humanistic heaven where God is not present and the greatest sin is the sin of not forgiving yourself. God is described as being “somewhere up-there.”
Furthermore, this version of heaven is whatever you want it to be. Kind of a personal heaven you create. However, there is one section of heaven where everyone must have a common vision. Like a collective consciousness. You also have the option of being reincarnated.
The ideas in this movie are very New Age in origin and the filmmakers are very open about their New Age beliefs and they hope this will be just one of many such films exploring New Age thought.
The only remotely Christian concept in this movie is that of Hell being a self-imposed prison. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis “The gates of Hell are locked from the inside.” While I still grapple with the accuracy and ramifications of that statement, it is the only thread of Christian theology I could find in this film.
Spirituality is now in vogue in Hollywood. From movies to television programs and talk shows. Unfortunately, it is a spirituality that rejects the gospel. We live in dangerous times and it seems New Age philosophy is beginning to permeate our society.
Reincarnation is a given—you can choose to stay in your heaven or go back to Earth and try again! Hell is rightly depicted as a frightening and horrible place, although a lot better than I would have thought it would be! Robin Williams in a serious role acts his heart out and is quite convincing. The colors and special effects were excellent as well. There were several misuses of God’s name, and quite a few vulgar words.
I would not recommend this movie to anyone. Christians will be upset at the messages being sent, and non-Christians may assume that the messages are true and biblical!