Original artwork, not a still
Why can't I see you?
— What Dreams May Come • 1998
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Said by a man who has lost everything and cannot yet grasp that he is the one who has changed. The question works as the film's grief in miniature: the dead can still see the people they love, but cannot be seen. Fans quote it for anyone separated from a loved one by death, distance or silence, and it is a staple of the film's tearjerker reputation.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for What Dreams May ComeShow the scene
What Dreams May Come (1998, directed by Vincent Ward from Richard Matheson's 1978 novel) follows Chris Nielsen, a doctor who dies in a car crash four years after losing his two children. Unaware that he is dead and confused that nobody will interact with him, Chris lingers on Earth as a ghost and watches his wife Annie, an artist, try to cope with his loss. He tries to reach her, despite a presence advising that it will only hurt her, and each attempt deepens her grief. The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Sources (1)
- What Dreams May Come (film) (Wikipedia)Lead and PlotReference checked
Context reviewed
