Always (1989)

Best movie of this year hands down!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Always has a lot of special things about it, a few of which I'm going to name in this review.It is these details (subtle as they are) which make it the gem that it is (although I don't think the fact that this is a classic is recognized by very many people).A softer, more lighter version of Ghost, as well as a remake of a 1943 movie called A Guy Named Joe, Always is set in the world of firefighting, and daredevil pilots.Peter Sandich, a.k.a Pete St. Pete (Richard Dreyfuss), and his best friend Al Yackey, a.k.a Al The Pal (John Goodman), have been flying together for years putting out fires in the forests of Colorado.The only rift between them has been Pete's dangerous flying which also causes problems between him, and his girl Dorinda (Holly Hunter) who knows his number's up.When the movie opens, Pete barely makes it back to the base on an empty fuel tank, stating sarcastically that he's been "a little rusty on panic."Dorinda is furious; Al tries to persuade him that maybe it's time to quit, and get a job doing something safe like helping pilots get their license in a place called Flat Rock.In what will turn out to be their last night together, Pete gets Dorinda's birthday wrong, and throws her a party, in what is really one of the nicest scenes I've ever noticed in a movie.A young pilot named Ted Baker (Brad Johnson) just happens to be present, and falls in love with Dorinda even though she's with someone else.The next day, after being persuaded by Dorinda to take the job in Flat Rock, Pete dies saving Al's life.He then encounters an angel named Hap (Audrey Hepburn), who informs him that he is in fact dead, and that six months have gone by since his passing.Dorinda isn't over it. Al isn't over it. And it's up to Pete to help them find closure, as well as give inspiration to a pilot, just as he was given inspiration.The pilot chosen to be his protege is none other than Ted Baker, still hopelessly in love with Dorinda even though he only saw her the one time.This makes things very difficult for Pete who can't bear to see her fall in love with someone else.Always is an extremely well done movie. It's classy, it's funny, it's heartfelt, and sad.It's a worthy Swan Song to Audrey Hepburn who is, in a sense, the movie's crowning glory, as the quiet and graceful angel Hap.It's fitting that her last role should be as an angel.Another thing that's great is the chemistry between Holly Hunter, and Richard Dreyfuss which shines throughout the entire movie.Also, the presence of John Goodman, who gives the movie it's humour, and levity.And Brad Johnson whom I've never seen in anything else, and was excellent.I have great respect for Stephen Spielberg for directing this movie, and admire the script which he co-wrote.One of the best things about this movie was how it depicted the afterlife.None of these ridiculous dress-ups, and special effects disasters.They kept it simple, honest, and to the point.A really wonderful love story. Far better than the original could've ever beenOriginally, Review #89

A remake of a 1943 romance drama, and also notable for Audrey Hepburn's final film appearance, Always is a low-key Steven Spielberg film that features a simple premise, carries a sentimental tone, and is finely steered by sincere performances from its faithful cast.Always tells the story of an aerial firefighter whose risky endeavours & daredevil acts deeply trouble his girlfriend. But when tragedy strikes on what was to be his final mission, he meets an angel who sends his spirit back to mentor a newer pilot who falls for his still grieving girlfriend.Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is a straightforward romance drama about love, loss, grief & moving on that comes pierced with elements of fantasy. It is a small scale production that's tenderly crafted & nicely narrated but its saccharine treatment may not go well with every viewer.Emanating a sense of warmth, there are moments in it that are at times touching but their impact is short-lived. The acting department packs a fine cast in Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman & Brad Johnson, and all of them play their part earnestly, leaving not much to complain about.On an overall scale, Always is a sugar-coated love story that's well-made but the sentimental approach taken to bring it to life dilutes its overall effectiveness to quite an extent. Its aerial scenes & forest fire segments are masterly filmed but Spielberg plays too safe with other elements and doesn't risk much to make the movie stand out. A fine effort that's easily forgettable.

Considered to be one of Steven Spielberg's worst movies a massive flop at the time of release in 1989. I never got round to watching it until today when it was on TV, and in the absence of anything else on, I decided to give it a go. The likable cast is headed by Richard Dreyfuss as the spirit of a recently deceased expert pilot who mentors a newer pilot, while watching him fall in love with his surviving girlfriend.I can't praise the cast enough of this movie enough here. The still gorgeous Katherine Hepburn (in her last role), Holly Hunter and John Goodman offer stellar support to Dreyfuss who is on top form. A good movie for me is one that does not end with the credits, and this one stayed with me for a while after it's heartwarming conclusion. All the lead characters seem nice people to hang out with, and I'm not gonna lie, I shed a year at the end too. Given the talent involved, I'm surprised this failed to find an audience, and I think If it was sold it differently it might have done differently.

This is a classic 80's action/humor/romance movie centered around aerial firefighting. Thankfully this film was shot before the CGI era, so the aircraft flight scenes are all live action. The storyline is a bit corny, and the hair/clothes are dated, but the acting is great. In my opinion this is one of the best John Goodman movies. I think it really captured his range as an actor. Richard Dreyfus also had a strong showing in this film, and the on camera chemistry between the two seemed genuine. My only criticism of the film was the technical inaccuracies involving the aircraft. As is often mentioned, the A-26 would have no problem climbing after dropping it's load. In fact, with the inertia it gained after diving heavy, NOT climbing after dropping the load would have been difficult. All-in-all though I thought it was a great movie, definitely a must watch from the Dirty Dancing era.