The afterlife is a venue that any mortal would wish to witness. Whether it be to find out the truthfulness of its existence or to find out what it really looks like, or what we do there, we would love to just see what someone thinks. One my most favorite movies "What Dreams May Come" and also recent blockbuster hit "The Lovely Bones" both explore the afterlife with no need of subtlety. Religion and film have mixed to draw the ever curious human, longing to either learn or see an interpretation on what millions may believe but cannot explain.
Each movie's plot is set against the death of a main character and that characters ability to communicate with the world they left. What Dreams May Come follow a husband and father (Robin Williams) through his journey of the afterlife. He learns that each dwelling in the eternal world has a personal touch to it from the life before, thus connecting that what he did in mortality effected his lifestyle in the afterlife. The Lovely Bones follows a father's efforts to find the killer of his daughter, while is daughter is caught in a "Limbo" between life and death aiding her loved ones to solve her mystery.
The underlying problem with each afterlife story is the same. The murdered girl, and tragically killed father find themselves in a state of immortality and existence, yet no matter how beautiful, or released they may be from the matters of earth, they are not happy or resolved in their current state.
These movies move the characters to redefine what they feel their true afterlife should be, by suggesting a second chance to fix where they are, although their time of mortality has passed by. To my knowledge, "the Lovely Bones" does not make exclusive labels or personifications of deity, neither does "What dreams may come." The absence of deity (although the afterlife does exist in what is known in popular religion, heaven, hell and limbo) allows each character to in essence become the own maker of their existence both before and after life.
Religion has been no subtle topic in movies. In fact many films embrace religion, using to both inspire and expose current feelings on religion. What "Dreams may Come" and "The Lovely Bones" are unique in their executions because they focus on the ability to control ones final outcome despite whether they have died or not. And although both films allude to fundamental Christian beliefs they also go directly against fundamental beliefs of the same religion that God is the final judge and determines the outcome of life.
Robin Williams runs through "hell"
Questions:
Can a movie successfully explain religion without drawing upon fundamental and otherwise popular stereotypes for conclusions?
