This is the story of Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams), a good man with a good life. Chris has a loving wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), two beautiful children (Jessica Brooks Grant and Josh Paddock), a beautiful house and a good job. That is, until one day when it all comes crashing down when his children die in a car accident. Annie is thrown into a deep, suicidal depression, but through constant love and care Chris is able to bring her back to her old self. Annie is doing much better…until Chris also dies in a car accident.

For Chris, life in heaven is wonderful. Everything is perfect as he is shown around by his guides (Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Rosalind Chao), except that he misses his wife. He is assured by the knowledge that he will see his wife again one day, and is willing to wait as long as it takes. That is, he’s willing to sit back and wait until he’s told that Annie committed suicide and can’t join him in heaven. Now Chris faces eternity alone, or he must brave the self-made hell that Annie is living in to try to bring her back out.

In an epic love story along the lines of Orpheus and Eurydice, Williams and Sciorra shine on a fantastical background created by the characters’ love of art and paintings. With the explanation that dreams are the true reality and life is but a passing thing before we recede into dreams, we’re launched on a journey into worlds that could only exist in the best dreams or the worst nightmares.

The visuals are absolutely stunning and would make the movie worth watching even without a good story and acting. Luckily, this movie has those as well. I chose to watch this movie primarily because of my fascination with dreams, but also because I can never pass up a film starring Robin Williams. This is one of Williams’ serious roles, one which has little of the comic relief he became known for before his talents for heart-wrenching takes became well-known. Each role was so well-cast in this role; I even enjoyed the performances by the younger actors, which is a rare thing for me.

Pacing is the only area that I see room for improvement. The story started off very slow (and requires many Kleenexes!) and then went into a series of stops and starts throughout. If the pace could have been smoothed out a bit, this movie could certainly be considered a masterpiece. As is, there are some parts that the slowness actually detracts from the enjoyment of it, though for the most part it’s barely noticeable.

As mentioned above, the story line is loosely based on the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, in which Orpheus descended into hell to bring his deceased beloved back. This story is applicable to many real-world relationships. As my other half put it, “He had to live her hell in order to lead her to paradise,” a phenomenon that the significant others of any number of abused or otherwise afflicted people can relate to. I think this was the main appeal to me, to be able to watch this movie as a couple and be able to draw parallels to our own lives.

I am very glad to have watched this movie. In terms of popular classification, What Dreams May Come no doubt qualifies as a chick flick as it focuses on emotions throughout and it will elicit some tears. Even a year after losing my three-year-old nephew, the aftermath of the first car accident was very difficult to watch, as well as the torment after the second accident of a woman dealing with losing her entire family. There are some more light-hearted parts of the movie and an ending that I personally enjoyed, so it’s a great one for people who expect movies to make them feel something.

Overall, I’d suggest grabbing the closest loved one and a soft blanket, snuggling up on the couch, and spending an evening relaxing with this wonderful movie. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but definitely a great movie to take a look at.