Movies/Scenes Representing Afterlife/Heaven & Hell

See "Movies With Afterlife Themes" by Kevin Williams

• Gladiator (2000)
  • The Garden he enters is completely white, symbolizing the holy spirit.  He also must enter through a narrow gate.  This alludes to the passage in Matthew's Gospel. (submitted by Steve Ash, Memphis TN)
• Stir of Echoes (1999)
  • Samantha haunts Tom and Jake until her death is avenged.
  • Tom, Jake, and others are able to participate in other realities and communicate with those living in an afterlife, even while others fake that ability.
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
  • "Ghosts" have unfinished business to complete before they can move on - can communicate with the living.
• What Dreams May Come (1998)
  • raises issues of the afterlife, heaven, hell etc. (submitted by Ellis I Washington, Columbus GA)
  • The character of Christy (is it accidental that this name is so like Christ?) goes into Hell where his wife, who has committed suicide is alone and unable to recognise or accept his help. He decides that, though she cannot respond, and he will himself soon lapse into the same unresponsive 'dead' state, he will stay with her. He says that he wished she could know that here is a man who loves her so much that he would rather be in Hell with her than in Heaven without her. At this moment she reconnects with him, and, since he is now becoming oblivious, she rescues him and they both find themselves in Heaven together. It reminded me very much of Christ's descent into Hell. He is the one who would rather be in Hell with us than in Heaven without us, and in doing so sets us free. It is an interesting idea, too, that Annie's response in the end 'saves' Christy and brings out of Hell- perhaps Christ risked more than we thought in order to save us (or at least was scared that he might indeed lose himself completely)? At points in the film Annie says in despair "sometimes even when you win, you lose" , but at the end she says "sometimes even when you lose, you win" ...reminiscent of "those who lose their lives will find them." (Anne Gordon)
• Wandafuru Raifu [After Life] (1998)
  • When people die they choose one memory (with the help of counselors) to take with them throughout eternity. A teenage girl is helped to take a memory other than Disneyland with her through eternity.
• Deconstructing Harry (1997)
  • Harry goes to hell via an elevator, and meets Satan (Billy Crystal). Harry realizes that he has consigned his father to hell, and says that he didn't mean it that way. (DVD ch 16)
• Groundhog Day (1993)
  • "There is an old belief that everyone is rewarded with the heaven or hell that he deserves. For Phil, the nasty, self-centered weather forecaster played by Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," that hell reveals itself one morning in the Groundhog Capitol of Punxsutawney, Pa...Groundhog Day will repeat itself over and over and over again, apparently until the end of time, and Phil will be permanently condemned to cover it. He's trapped in some kind of time warp...." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times Review)
• Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
  • The theme of the movie is that you can find love again after the death of a spouse.  Early in the movie Tom Hank's son has a nightmare that wakes him; it's about his dead mother.  He asks Tom Hanks if he believes in heaven.  Hanks remarks that he didn't used to, but since his wife died, he believes that there may be an afterlife.  Although it's a touching scene, as a Christian I know it to be wrong.  Our promise of heaven does not come because we cannot bear the thought of the death of a loved one.  Our promise of heaven is based on Jesus resurrection and the promise that if we put our faith and trust in Jesus, that he will grant us life eternal. (Stuart Luce)
• The Rapture (1991)
  • The Rapture -- made probably in early 90's; with David Duchovny and Tom Cruise's first wife. Extremely racy (near X-rated) at the beginning, but worth getting through. Tells of an woman who has a religious conversion and who awaits the Rapture -- and when it doesn't happen the way she believes Scripture says it will, she turns her back on God. Makes you think a whole lot about eternal salvation, and what really happens at the end of life,and just what is eternal damnation, and how far does our free will go.
• Ghost (1990)
  • Issues of after-life, salvation by being a good person in a wonderful relationship with another person, damnation due to being a bad person. (submitted by Rev. Paul W. Mueller, DMiss)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
  • An Iowa farmer hears a mysterious voice borne on the wind blowing through his corn field, "If you build it, he will come!"  The voice becomes more insistent, until he gives in and builds a baseball diamond, complete with lights for night games and bleachers for spectators.  A host of long-dead ball players come out of the night fog of the corn to play on the ball field, one asking, "Is this heaven?"  To which, the farmer responds, "It's Iowa."  But the real "He" who was to come is the farmer's long estranged and now dead father.  In a simple game of "catch" on the field they have a chance to talk, see life from the other's point of view, and experience forgiveness and a restored relationship. (submitted by Mark D. Johns, Instructor of Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa)
• Cocoon (1985)
  • from the point of where the grandfather and grandson are fishing together - standing in a river, and the grandfather tells the grandson he's going to leave.
• Resurrection (1980)
  • Edna McCauley's near-death experience of an afterlife.
    

Index of Movie Titles

Index of Movie Themes