What Dreams May Come is a 1998 American fantasy drama film directed by Vincent Ward and adapted by Ronald Bass from the 1978 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson. Starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra and Cuba Gooding Jr., it won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction. The title is from a line in Hamlets "To be, or not to be" soliloquy. The film received mixed reviews, with praise for its scenery, but criticizing the plot. It was also a box-office bomb, grossing only $75.4 million against a budget of $85‒90 million.

Plot

While vacationing in Switzerland, pediatrician Chris Nielsen meets artist Annie Collins. They marry and have two children, Ian and Marie. Their idyllic life ends when the children die in a car crash. Four years later, Chris is also killed in a car crash. Unaware that he is dead, and confused that no one will interact with him, Chris lingers on Earth.

Awards