Hollywood’s Version of Heaven Looks Very Familiar

There are almost as many hypotheses in movies about what the afterlife looks like as there are religious interpretations on the subject.

But, while no one can quite agree on how big the wings might be and whether the architecture is Grecian or Victorian, most movie-makers do agree on something basic: Stick to one vision of the sweet hereafter.

But director Vincent Ward and writer Ron Bass have taken a little bit of everything to whip up their postmodern, post-mortem romantic drama, “What Dreams May Come.” Robin Williams, as Dr. Chris Nielsen, dies, goes to heaven and then must journey to hell to rescue his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra). His guide in the world beyond is Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a younger version of the doctor who served as his mentor after medical school.

Sometimes, less is more. With “What Dreams May Come,” all approaches to the post-living experience are honored, in a film that blends every idea about the afterlife into once creamy metaphysical slush.

Over the years, afterlife movies have sorted themselves out into several distinct story lines. Here’s a look at some of them:

Story Line: The Walking Miracle

Description: Moments after death, the deceased realizes that he/she has some crucial but incomplete bit of business to be tackled from beyond the grave before his/her soul can rest easy.

Examples: “Ghost,” “Carousel,” “Always,” “Ghost Dad.”

Typical afterlife business: Dead person tries with heartbreaking sensitivity to make a grieving survivor feel his/her presence in the room. Usually results in sudden spinal chills among the living.

Typical special effect: Incorporeality, or the inability to touch or be touched because of ghostly transparency.

How it’s used in “What Dreams May Come”: Chris uses love-power to force Annie to write the words, “I Still Exist,” nearly sending her into a nervous breakdown.

Story Line: Heaven Help Us

Description: A newly dead person decides he/she has been taken from life prematurely and argues to be put back on Earth, if only temporarily.

Examples: “Heaven Can Wait,” “Here Comes Mr. Jordan.” (The 1978 film “Heaven Can Wait” is actually a remake of 1941’s “Mr. Jordan.”)

Typical afterlife business: The dearly departed is forced to watch his own funeral.

Typical special effect: Deceased gets a new set of clothes.

How it’s used in “Dreams”: After dying in a car accident, Chris attends his own funeral and tries to talk to the benumbed, widowed Annie--while still refusing to accept that he’s dead.

Story Line: Angels Rush In

Description: Ghosts get involved as helpers in the lives of a living person to work off some eternal debt of their own.

Examples: “Hearts and Souls,” “The Heavenly Kid,” “All of Me,” “Angel on My Shoulder.”

Typical afterlife business: The living person has a conversation with an angel no one can see, making it appear he is talking and gesticulating at empty space.

Typical special effect: Translucent ghost figure enters living person’s body.

How it’s used in “Dreams”: Each of Chris’ spirit guides in the afterlife turns out to be someone significant to him, in disguise.

Story Line: Ghosts, Buster!

Description: Ghosts get involved as helpers in the lives of a living person, with often comic results.

Examples: “Topper,” “Casper,” “Oh Heavenly Dog,” “Hearts and Souls,” “Blithe Spirit.”

Typical afterlife business: Live person realizes the surreal nature of talking to a ghost. Typical line: “Why am I even having this discussion with a dead person?”

Typical special effect: Objects float through the air, seemingly by themselves.

How it’s used in “Dreams”: Ghostly Max von Sydow serves as Chris’ spirit guide to hell.

Story Line: Devilish Doings

Description: A simple mortal must have a battle of wits with Satan to escape from hell.

Examples: “Devil’s Advocate,” “The Exorcist,” “Damn Yankees,” “Faust.”

Typical afterlife business: That first glimpse of those piercing red-rimmed eyes (alternate choice: a hoof) that shows whom we’re really dealing with.

Typical special effect: Stomach-churning morph from beauty to the grotesque.

How it’s used in “Dreams”: Chris discovers hell is like watching “Titanic” over and over.

Story Line: Regrets, I Have a Few

Description: Having crossed the last finish line, the recently deceased looks back on his/her life and reevaluates it.

Examples: “Heaven Can Wait” (1943 version), “Defending Your Life.”

Typical afterlife business: The devil wears a suit, making hell’s waiting room seem quite civilized.

Typical special effect: One man’s story becomes perfect omniscient flashback to a long-ago incident.

How it’s incorporated in “Dreams”: Chris must look back at crucial moments in his life to find the key to his future.

Story Line: Put Me In, Coach

Description: An angel on a mission becomes distracted by the wonders of love and life on Earth.

Examples: “Wings of Desire,” “City of Angels,” “Michael,” “Death Takes a Holiday,” “Meet Joe Black.”

Typical afterlife business: The realization that access to human pleasure also makes one vulnerable to human pain.

Typical special effect: The big unfurling when the fallen angel reveals the wings--or just shows a bit of feather.

How it’s used in “Dreams”: A slight variation in the theme; the heavenly Chris goes to hell--instead of Earth--to rescue his wife and while there begins to lose his mind--and thus his way out.