What Dreams May Come (1998)

 

Chris Neilson finds himself in Heaven after his death. However, when his inconsolable wife commits suicide and goes to Hell, he decides to risk his eternal soul to search for her spirit.

Basically a big sobby tearjerker, this movie presents some fascinating and spectacular, and at times cheesy, depictions of heaven and hell, albeit with a lot of half-baked theology.

Halliwell (no star): "Hollywood's brand of warm, huggy theology gets ever stranger: heaven here is a gooey oil painting, psychobabble is the angelic language, there's no deity in view, and the occupants can't wait to leave the place and get back to Earth. The mind boggles."

Maltin BOMB: "Off-putting gobbledygook...Despite its pedigree (a novel by Richard Matheson, a good director and cast), this film fails to evoke any tangible emotions. It just doesn't work. Its elaborate (in fact, overelaborate) special effects won an Oscar." 

The Butler (2013)

A butler serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.

Sprawling dramatic life story exemplifying the civil right's era with its conflicts and inner contradictions, at times heartwrenching, then polemical and sometimes simplifying; it offers good performances all around and leaves a memorable impression.

Maltin***: "Surprisingly effective as a metaphor for that emotional journey, thanks to superior acting by a dazzling ensemble...although it does veer towards soap opera near the end. Winfrey is exceptional in an unself-conscious performance as Whitaker's loyal (but tested) wife.. On the White House side, the casting is novel and intriguing; Rickman and Fonda are perfect as Ronald and Nancy Reagan."

The Big Wedding (2013)

A long-divorced couple fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding.

Slightly entertaining but quite unfunny comedy; the biggest joke is the quantity of first-rate stars wasting their talent and our time.

Maltin**: "Considering the couple in question is played by De Niro and Keaton, one might hope for more than this sitcom-like movie delivers. The Big Question is how this Big Wedding attracted an A-list cast with such B-grade material."