I watched What Dreams May Come recently with my aunt who was visiting me from Australia. We always have entertaining conversations that are wide ranging and informative or at least entertaining. She was recently the main guest speaker at what is known as a First Ladies’ Luncheon in Sydney. These First Ladies’ Luncheons are all about networking in the business community. It’s a great way for both experienced and novice female business women to connect and exchange ideas. Faye offered great tips which, she said, may seem simple, but are so important to entrepreneurs and women starting out in small business venues. I was surprised that my Aunt Faye was such a romantic, because, let’s face it, What Dreams May Come is a really romantic film. Just look at the story plot line.
It is the story of an epic journey a man take through life & beyond with his soul mate. He is a Doctor who find himself struggling with the loss of his children. He and his wife scramble to make it through this trying time. He is an emotionally strong man who tries mightily to help his wife as she spirals out of control with grief. Eventually, unable to cope with her demons, she ends up in a psychiatric facility in Las Vegas. The doctor, wanting to remain close to his wife decides to move. After his wife is released from the psychiatric facility, the two move once again back to California.
It is years after the loss of their children the doctor finds himself in the middle of an errand for his wife when an accident happens on a rainy road he is traveling on back to his house. As a doctor he can’t help but want to help the distressed people still trapped in one of the vehicles. As he attempts to free someone in the wreck he is hit by another vehicle that loses control.
An accident takes his life and he finds himself in a beautiful painting which he is very familiar with. It is comforting to him and after a visit from an old friend he comes to realize the truth that he did not survive the accident. He comes to this realization after being helped through with the aid of people from his past. Soon he finds family and friends on his path but in the midst of this he learns of the death of his wife. To begin with he is excited with the thought that they will once again be together but he soon finds out that she was a suicide and they go to another place.
Of course he sets off to learn the secrets and find a way to locate her. He soon learns that he can see her if he wants. He can see her so he can say what he has to say then he must leave her. He is told that she will not recognize him or be affected what he is saying. He sets off on this journey with his companions to find his soul mate. He soon learns that his companion is actually his son and he helps him through hell to find their loved one. Once he finds his wife he tells her what he needed to and when he was supposed to leave her behind he decided that he could not go without her. He chooses to join her in her hell. Something he could not do in her torment on earth. He tells him companion to go back and continue on without them knowing they were together.
He rejoins her and soon she comes to realize who he is and where they are. He begins to lose his mind just as she regains hers and they find their way back to heaven to enjoy the rest of eternity. In a novel twist they soon find themselves re-incarnated to experience life’s little adventure all over again.