Directed by Vince Ward. Written By Ron Bass. Based upon the novel by Richard Matheson.

Robin Williams/Chris Nielsen

Annabella Sciorra/Anne Nielsen

Cuba Gooding Jr/Albert Lewis

Max Von Sydow/The Tracker

In my review of "Snow Falling On Cedars" I credited screenwriter Ron Bass for working with director Scott Hicks to masterfully bring David Guterson's novel to life on the big screen. This time around, Ron Bass' adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1978 novel "What Dreams May Come" doesn't quite hit the mark. For starters, I think that the ending of "What Dreams May Come" suffers from a bit of a continuity problem. What do I mean? Well, let me tread lightly, lest I spoil anything for the reader who has not seen this film yet. There is an edict that the Robin Williams character is made aware of as he searches for his wife in the pits of hell. For the Williams character to change said edict is rather unbelievable, seeing as how he was informed by his tracker, (Max Von Sydow) that his actions would NOT have any impact on said edict. Besides, "What Dreams May Come" seems to cast aside everything that we've learned about Chris' perilous journey and the drawbacks that have been clearly outlined for him. All I'll say is, there's a time limit that is seemingly forgotten when Chris (Robin Williams) finally reaches his intended destination.

To be completely fair, I don't want to lay all of the blame at screenwriter Ron Bass' feet. Production Designer Eugenio Zanetti's vision of the "afterlife" is colorful but VERY un natural looking. Director Vincent Ward doesn't help matters by isolating on Zanetti's seemingly plastic back drop during more than one sequence. The more you look at the backdrop of Chris "afterlife," the more clear it becomes to the audience that Williams and Gooding are working on a sound stage. This is a world where the clouds never move, where the water is perfectly still, where the sun shines brightly. TO brightly, if you know what I mean. I know that what I'm seeing is an illusion but director Vince Ward should be savvy enough to keep the curtain closed. I'm thinking of the moment where Chris (Williams) enters his self imposed "utopia" after dying in a car wreck. My main bone of contention is the sequence where Chris (Williams) steps in what looks like a CGI enhanced field of painted in scenery. Keep in mind, this is a pretty normal looking sequence EXCEPT for the painted in CGI field. To me, this lack of continuity is very distracting and this leads me into my next point. As far as director Vincent Ward is concerned, he is yet another in a long line of directors who feel compelled to treat us to a sequence that is obviously an illusion. What am I talking about? Take a look at the sequence where Chris is coaxed by his angel, Albert (Cuba Gooding Junior) into testing his new found ability to fly. Naturally, Chris takes a running leap and ends up free falling down a cliff. Again, you can see the strings involved in this sequence when director Vincent Ward moves in for a close up on Williams' character as he's falling. Why this technique seems to be in vogue is an absolute mystery to me.

Plot: Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) and Anne Nielsen (Annabella Sciorrra)are soul mates who have been be set by tragedy. First, their daughter dies and then their eldest son is a killed in a car wreck with Anne behind the wheel. Through Anne's struggle to keep it together, Chris is one her constant. That all changes when Chris dies tragically in a car crash of his own one stormy night. Upon his demise, Chris enters a version of the "afterlife" that has all the color of a Fellini film. It is here that Chris meets his guide/angel, Albert (Cuba Gooding Junior.) It is Albert who informs Chris of Anne's suicide shortly there after and the consequences of said action. According to the laws of creation, suicides are deemed "self serving" and are sent to an alternate version of "hell." So begins Chris' journey through the deepest reaches of hell in order to find his beloved Anne. Coming along for the ride is a tracker played by Max Von Sydow. The tracker is the one who warns Chris that his decision to find Anne might be in vain. I'll stop there, you can decipher the rest of the plot on your own.

I was reading the reviews on "What Dreams May Come" and most of my fellow scribes took this film to task for its sentimentality. I would agree.. slightly. The scene where Chris tries to reach Annie after she makes an unsuccessful attempt on her life is rather poignant, especially when Chris sees the scar on Annie's wrist and then looks away. If anything, I think that director Vincent Ward has a great way of letting both Williams and Sciorra sort of guide the material where it needs to go. This particular sequence is filmed with out any creative bells or whistles and that's good. No overly dramatic score pounding us over the head, no fancy camera tricks. Director Vincent Ward makes the smart play by isolating on the faces of Chris and Annie and allowing us to try and read what they're feeling deep down inside.

Having said all this, screenwriter Ron Bass really over uses the "I'm not me, I'm someone else" bit in a major way. There's a moment like this involving the tracker (Von Sydow) when he reveals himself to be an alternate version of Albert (Gooding Jr.) There's also another moment when another guide reveals herself to be Chris' long departed daughter. In all honesty, I have to question why screenwriter Ron Bass would even take this particular route in the first place. To me, it seems simpler to just let Chris encounter his departed children in their own human form. In any event, the scene with the guide turning out to be Chris' daughter DOES give weight to the critical argument over this films sentimentality. There's way to much sap in this sequence for my taste.

Performances: Robin Williams' performance is a mixed bag, in my view. He's doesn't have any moments where you doubt his performance but there's never that moment where Williams simply takes over the film and elevates it past the level of simple melodrama.

In grading Annabella Sciorra's performance, hers is also a mixed bag of sorts. She doesn't quite have that certain twinkle to make us fall in love with Annie but she's competent enough to make us understand why Chris would risk everything in order to rescue her. Like Williams though, Sciorra doesn't quite elevate the material past the level of over wrought melodrama. If you want a perfect example of two leads elevating emotionally perilous material, one can look no further than the work of Jennifer Connelly and Billy Crudup in a slightly better film called "Waking The Dead."

If there's a weak link in terms of the cast, it has to be Cuba Gooding Junior as Albert. Gooding tries hard but he really doesn't have the chops to make us wanna invest in his character. Good actors.... they always blur that line between themselves and their characters. In this case, you continously see Gooding Junior but you don't see his character, Albert.

Final Thoughts: Considering the sub text of this film, the ending seems oh so wrong. I guess it's the old Hollywood rule, that an audience must be given resolution in order to be truly happy. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't have objected one bit if this film had ended differently. I would agree with one sentiment echoed by a fellow reviewer; this film has an intriguing premise but its overall execution leaves something to be desired. I haven't read Richard Matheson's 1978 novel but I suspect that it's a bit more satisfying than the film that it's based on.