October 8, 1998 -- "What Dreams May Come," is an ambitious and great-looking film about love and what happens to people after death. The title comes from Hamlet, act III, scene I.

The film argues that death, like life, is what you make of it. The emotional baggage of your life goes with you. You can wallow in despair forever or continue the loving relationships you had in life.

Robin Williams ("Good Will Hunting") stars as Chris Nielsen, a doctor who has good luck and bad luck. The good luck is that he meets and marries his soul mate. The bad luck is his whole family is destroyed by accidents long before their time.

Nielsen's wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra) is so distraught by the loss of her children she tries to commit suicide. She almost loses her mind, but Chris' love saves her. After Chris is killed in a car crash, she faces an even bigger challenge. Can Chris reach out to her from beyond the grave to save her?

The film includes spectacular images of heaven, hell and earth. The set design, artistic direction, special effects and cinematography of this film are all stunning. Williams and Sciorra give excellent performances as does Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Jerry McGuire") and Rosalind Chao (a regular on "Deep Space Nine").

The only problem I had with the film was that it just didn't know when to quit. There are at least three endings to the film. It is like the screenwriter, Ron Bass (based on a Richard Matheson novel) couldn't decide which ending he liked best, so he used them all. The first two endings were O.K., but the third, and final, ending was beyond belief. I'd talk about what's wrong with it, but I don't want to spoil it for you. The film also seems a little fragmented by overuse of flashbacks.

Due to the stunning visual nature of the film, it probably won't translate well to television, unless you can see it on a wide-screen high definition TV. So see it on the big screen if you can. It is currently playing in Cheyenne. I don't know if it will get to Laramie. It rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.