Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie (Annabella Sciorra) are soulmates — they have a perfect life with the kids, the maid and the big kitchen. When Chris and Annie lose their kids in a tragic car accident, the two struggle to get on with their lives after their deaths. Then Chris gets killed in a car accident leaving Annie completely alone. Yikes.
But don’t worry because death is cool. Chris goes to heaven and discovers, through friendly angel Cuba Gooding, Jr., that we all make our own heaven. So Chris constructs his world out of images from the beautiful paintings by his wife. The effects are incredible and if you’ve seen the trailers, you’ve already seen most of them. What’s so disappointing is that the film had so much potential as a concept. The story slowly degenerates into a plodding, sappy bore.
Chris learns that his depressed wife has committed suicide and is doomed to spend eternity in hell. That’s when Chris chooses to travel to hell to rescue her. This description sounds a lot more exciting than the way it is portrayed on screen. In fact, it felt as if the film was heavily retooled and recut. The constant flashbacks and slow motion made the film painful to watch at times. A major disappointment.
