It came out several years ago, starred Robin Williams (not a funny film), and took place in the afterlife. I was wondering what people thought of the writer's take on the afterlife. I found it most agreeable.
2007-12-15 13:06:38 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
John M. his wife was the artist and he loved his wife, hence the paint. His kids looked different because they were who they wanted to be, although I understand you about Cuba Gooding Jr. (I just love him)
2007-12-15 13:16:40 · update #1
Jasumi I sent a very brief description that does not do the concept or film justice. I think Target has the DVD for $5 or $10
2007-12-15 13:26:29 · update #2
Trina: I read that and Mitch Album's "Tuesdays with Morrie." Both were great but I cried through every single word of "Tuesdays"
2007-12-15 13:28:32 · update #3
I never got past the 7th level of hell in "The Divine Comedy" so I could see the film without foreknowledge. (Dante's Inferno gave me nightmares!)
2007-12-15 13:30:57 · update #4
I liked it. Richard Matheson is a good author. This movie obviously had a big Dante influence, but it was original enough to be worth watching. If you like Matheson, you should read "I Am Legend." I haven't seen the movie yet, but the book is one of my all-time favorites.
2007-12-15 13:15:51 · answer #1 · answered by Pull My Finger 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The movie is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, with some stunning visuals that capture the splendor of Heaven, and the cold solitude of Hell.
It's not about understanding... it's about not giving up!!!
In the plot, when Chris & Annie's son and daughter are killed in a car accident, Annie becomes mentally unstable, but intreguing dreams come to the mind of Chris.
Skipping ahead four years, tragedy falls once again on the Nielsen family in the form of another car crash, this time taking the life of Chris.
A man named Albert guides Chris through his grief and confusion, and shows him the beauty of heaven, through those odd dreams, that are perhaps much "MORE than just a dream".
As this is happening, Annie's depression deepens, and in her torment, she takes poison. Albert sadly breaks the news to Chris.
At first Chris is able to find joy in the terrible news, as he thinks that his wife is now free from her emotional pain on Earth and that he can soon meet her.
His hope quickly turns to anger when Albert explains that suicides are trapped in Hell by their own despair.
Albert claims it is not a judgment by God; it is simply the nature of suicides.
This is a very "Catholic" dogmatic idea, but not necessarily endorse by the author.
Japanese suicide pilots...and Islamic ones too...would adamently disagree!!!
The title (and perhaps the inspiration for the whole movie) comes from the very famous 'soliloquy' from Shakespeare's most challenging play.
A 'soliloquy' means a solo "meditation out loud" speech.
Hamlet, Act 3, scene 1 is famous:
"To be, or not to be...For in that sleep of death ...'what dreams may come'... when we have shuffled off this mortal coil."
The story also borrows from other classic literature. The writter was obviously very well read!
Scenes in the movie, as well as the plot outline in the novel, contain several allegorical references to Dante Alighieri's 1308 epic poem "The Divine Comedy"; plus a connection to the Greek myth of "Orpheus and Eurydice".
2007-12-16 00:43:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was real interesting. I liked how since he (Robin Williams's character) was an artist, heaven was a bunch of paints and textures that he could change with his mind to make works of art.
I remember that there were a couple of things I thought were theologically "unsound," but only one comes to mind right now: the deception in heaven of the Cuba Gooding Jr character, who was really his son, but was hiding that fact because of some or another reason.
Oh, I remember something else I really liked: the depiction of hell, with all those people flowing around each other, but each one essentially alone. Very insightful, I thought.
And his wife who had killed herself -- it showed in a very clear way that the only reason she was in hell was because the same selfishness and short-sightedness that cause her to commit suicide also kept her locked in there in a bad Bizarro-World version of her home on earth.
2007-12-15 21:08:15 · answer #3 · answered by Acorn 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I've seen it, and I love it. It got horrible reviews, but I thought it was awesome... probably had something to do with the fact that my father had just died and he resembled Robin Williams quite a lot.
I don't believe in an afterlife, but if there were one, I think that'd be my preferred scenario... other than the hell part, that is.
2007-12-15 21:08:55 · answer #4 · answered by Snark 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I have wanted to see that film since someone mentioned it before, as I am very interested in the afterlife.
2007-12-15 21:14:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen the movie and read the book. The movie is great, but the book is infinitely better. I like the writer's idea of heaven, and rather agree with it.
2007-12-15 22:02:15 · answer #6 · answered by LadySuri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really liked that movie. It was a interesting look at heaven, hell and the afterlife in general.
2007-12-15 21:09:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I thought it was very interesting. But I don't believe in heaven and hell like that. It was a good interpritation of a traditional but more modern view. I do agree with the thought that you make it whatever you want it to be.
2007-12-15 21:10:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I saw it and I liked the vision of it, the artist vision, especially of how hell was, not that I hold the belief of a literal hell or heaven.
2007-12-16 00:40:20 · answer #9 · answered by Automaton 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought it was pretty good, although a lot of it was ripped off Dante's Divine Comedy. It was glaringly obvious to those of use who read Dante.
2007-12-15 21:17:27 · answer #10 · answered by Abriel 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋