Monday, October 5, 1998
Lost in a dream
FILM: Innovative concepts, uplifiting messages inspire actors
and
Director Stephen Simon to make "What Dreams May Come"
By Lonnie Harris
Daily Bruin Staff
After he died in a horrible car wreck, Chris Nielson expected to
find the Heaven dictated by convention – a lilting cloudscape
filled with angels strumming harps, robed souls sporting halos and
massive, pearly gates welcoming all those who have lead a good life
on Earth. Instead, Chris’ Heaven more closely resembles the work of
the German Impressionist painters and is actually composed of oil
paint.
This is but one of the many landscapes included in Vincent
Ward’s "What Dreams May Come" that diverge from the traditional
view of the Afterlife.
Over the course of the film, Nielson, portrayed by Robin
Williams, wanders through his own personal Heaven, the Heavens of
his recently deceased children, and even the Hell created by his
wife after she kills herself.
None of these locales is quite what the average, Judeo-Christian
individual would imagine.
Indeed, the story of "What Dreams May Come" could not be
described as typically Judeo-Christian. It follows Chris Nielson, a
caring man very much in love with his wife Annie and their two
children. His kids die in a car crash, and he dies four years later
in an unrelated car crash.
Annie kills herself out of grief. In the Afterlife, then, Chris
must venture into the depths of Hell to retrieve his lost love.
It was this unique view of humanity and the Afterlife that
initially drew producer Stephen Simon to the work of novelist
Richard Matheson, who wrote the novel upon which the film is based.
Simon formed Metafilmics, a production company designed to create
films with a spiritual or humanitarian point of view. Simon cites
"Field of Dreams" and other optimistic, spiritual fare as the
inspiration for Metafilmics.
"Metafilmics is about making those kinds of movies that empower
and inspire and often ask the question: what if?," Simon said.
"What if everybody functioned at their very best? What would the
world look like in 10 or 20 years? That to us is the recipe for a
visionary film about utopian futures."
Making a film with such a different view of traditional
religious dogma was a challenge for the actors as well. Cuba
Gooding Jr., who plays Robin Williams’ guide through the Afterlife,
had to deal with the issues raised by the film and integrate them
into his own Christianity.
"From my standpoint, I saw the positive message that was coming
from the movie," Gooding said. "No matter what your religion, you
are going to see your loved ones again. I do believe there’s a
Heaven, I do believe there’s a Hell, and a movie making that
statement is something that was very important to me."
Gooding’s co-star Williams, however, views Heaven somewhat
differently, and brings his insight about what Eternal Bliss could
be to the project.
"There are some places on Earth that I’ve visited that are so
wonderful, if they’re not Heaven, they’re certainly pretty close,"
Williams said. "We were shooting in Montana, and the power of that
place really affects my soul."
Despite the specific view of Heaven, it was certainly far from
easy to create it and put it on a movie screen. Director Vincent
Ward’s vision of Heaven was a place that each human creates for
himself. Williams’ character, because his wife is a painter, sees
his paradise as one of his wife’s paintings, so the actor spends a
good deal of the film traipsing around a Heaven made of oil paint.
While the effect on screen is original and innovative, it was not
easy to create. The actors were shot on a set built in Montana,
amidst a sea of bright orange balls. The film was then placed into
a computer, were the balls were digitally replaced with the painted
scenery that was already animated. The final image then looks like
Robin Williams running through a landscape that never really
existed. This unique use for computer technology was one of the
main attractions for Williams to sign on to the project.
"What drew me in was that they were using technology to create
something other than an explosion or a dinosaur," Williams
said.
What attracted Simon, however, has much less to do with special
effects. He is committed to making movies that enrich humanity
through positive messages and stories of spiritual enrichment.
"There is a market out there for uplifting, spiritual films,"
Simon said.
"The only problem is that they only come out once every five
years. Hollywood seems to reject these films, and I don’t know
why."Photos courtesy of Polygram Films
Robin Williams, left, and Anabella Sciorra star as Chris and
Annie Nielsen in "What dreams May Come," a film about a man’s
search for his wife in the afterlife.
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Albert, Chris Nielsen’s guide through
Heaven.
Max Von Sydow plays the Tracker, Chris Nielson’s guide in Hell,
in "What Dreams May Come."
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