Always (1989 film)
Steven Spielberg's 1989 film "Always" takes audiences on a heartfelt journey beyond life itself, exploring themes of love, loss, and letting go. This romantic fantasy is a modern reimagining of a classic wartime drama, imbued with Spielberg's signature touch for wonder and emotion. It also marks the poignant final screen appearance of a cinematic legend, making it a particularly special entry in film history. "Always" is Steven Spielberg's personal homage to a beloved 1943 film, transforming a wartime story into a tale of modern aerial firefighting. The film explores the spiritual journey of a deceased pilot who must learn to guide his successor and release his earthly love to find happiness again. It features Audrey Hepburn's final and memorable screen role, a heartfelt performance driven by her dedication to philanthropy.
AI Summary
Steven Spielberg's 1989 film "Always" takes audiences on a heartfelt journey beyond life itself, exploring themes of love, loss, and letting go. This romantic fantasy is a modern reimagining of a classic wartime drama, imbued with Spielberg's signature touch for wonder and emotion. It also marks the poignant final screen appearance of a cinematic legend, making it a particularly special entry in film history.
- "Always" is Steven Spielberg's personal homage to a beloved 1943 film, transforming a wartime story into a tale of modern aerial firefighting.
- The film explores the spiritual journey of a deceased pilot who must learn to guide his successor and release his earthly love to find happiness again.
- It features Audrey Hepburn's final and memorable screen role, a heartfelt performance driven by her dedication to philanthropy.
A Heavenly Remake
Released in 1989, "Always" is an American romantic fantasy film helmed by the legendary director Steven Spielberg. It's a modern retelling of the 1943 classic romantic drama, "A Guy Named Joe," but with a captivating twist that transports its spiritual love story into a contemporary setting.
The original "A Guy Named Joe" was set against the backdrop of World War II, following a deceased pilot who returns as a ghost to guide a young airman. Spielberg's version, however, shifts the dramatic stakes to the thrilling and dangerous world of aerial firefighting operations.
Despite the change in scenery, the core emotional plot remains beautifully intact. We follow the spirit of a recently deceased, expert pilot who is tasked with mentoring a newer, younger flier. The ethereal twist? He must watch, heartbroken, as this new protégé falls in love with the very girlfriend he left behind.
The Story Unfolds
Our story centers on Pete Sandich, a daring aerial firefighter whose fearless, almost reckless, approach to flying constantly worries his girlfriend, Dorinda Durston. Dorinda is not just Pete's love; she's also a skilled pilot and air traffic controller for the firefighting team, giving her a unique, nerve-wracking perspective on his dangerous feats.
Pete's best friend and fellow firefighter, Al Yackey, shares Dorinda's concerns. After yet another hair-raising mission that Pete shrugs off with a casual smile, Al suggests a safer path: a job training new firefighting pilots in Flat Rock, Colorado.
Pete initially resists, but a tearful confrontation with Dorinda changes his mind. She confesses her constant fear of losing him, her anguish over his perilous life. Moved by her pain, Pete finally relents, agreeing to take the training job and step back from the front lines.
Before he can start his new life, Pete flies one last mission—a decision Dorinda senses with a dark premonition. During a critical firebombing run, Al's engine catches fire. Without hesitation, Pete executes a dangerously steep dive, dousing Al's plane with fire retardant slurry and saving his friend from certain doom.
But Pete's heroic maneuver comes at a terrible cost. Struggling to regain control from the dive, his aircraft flies directly into the inferno, igniting his own engine and causing a catastrophic explosion. Pete's life, as he knew it, ends in the flames he fought to extinguish.
Pete awakens to find himself strolling through a burned-out forest, eerily calm. In a small clearing, he meets a mysterious figure named Hap, who gently explains his new reality: Pete died in the explosion. His purpose now? To serve as a spirit guide, providing "Spiritus" or "divine breath" to inspire others, who will interpret his guidance as their own thoughts.
From Pete's non-linear perspective, time is fluid, but in the real world, six months have passed. A grieving Dorinda is urged by Al to move forward. He brings her to Colorado, to the very flight school where Pete was supposed to lead, now training a new crop of firefighters, including a hopeful young pilot named Ted Baker.
More months tick by, and to Pete's profound anguish, Ted begins to fall in love with Dorinda. As she slowly emerges from her year-long mourning, Pete tries desperately to sabotage their budding romance. Hap, however, reminds him of his true mission: his life ended, and he was sent not to cling, but to inspire Ted and bid Dorinda a final, loving farewell.
Inspired by Pete's unseen guidance, Ted plans a perilous rescue mission for trapped firefighters. Unable to bear the thought of another loss, Dorinda bravely takes his aircraft to perform the dangerous job herself. Pete, invisible to her, tries to dissuade her, but ultimately helps her navigate the treacherous conditions, saving the firefighters.
On the return flight, as Dorinda battles the elements, Pete delivers everything he wished he could have said to her in life—a heartfelt, invisible monologue of love and goodbye. Faced with an emergency water landing in a lake, Dorinda seems hesitant to escape the sinking cockpit.
In a truly ethereal moment, Pete appears before her, visible only to Dorinda, extending his hand and leading her to the surface. As she wades ashore, Pete, with a loving smile, finally releases her from his heart, allowing her to embrace a new future. Dorinda walks back to the airbase, accepts Ted's love, and Pete, now at peace, steps into his place in the afterlife.
Behind the Scenes
The idea for "Always" simmered for years between Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss. During the making of "Jaws" in 1974, they bonded over their shared love for "A Guy Named Joe," often quoting lines and dreaming of a remake. For Spielberg, who saw the original as a child, it was a film that deeply inspired him to become a director, connecting him to his father's wartime experiences.
Principal photography for "Always" began in May 1989. The stunning backdrops were found across the American West, with much of the filming taking place in the majestic Kootenai National Forest in northwestern Montana. Scenes involving the iconic lake landings and takeoffs were captured at Bull Lake, near Troy, Montana.
The fictional "Flat Rock, Colorado" scenes were actually filmed around the Moses Lake airport in eastern Washington. Even the vast, sweeping wheat field where Pete meets Hap was brought to life in Sprague, Washington. For the intense fire sequences, real footage from Yellowstone National Park's devastating 1988 fires was expertly integrated.
A Legend's Last Role
"Always" holds a special place in cinematic history as the final film role for the incomparable Audrey Hepburn. Her cameo appearance was a unique opportunity for her to contribute to a cause dear to her heart. She generously donated much of her substantial salary—over a million dollars—to UNICEF, the humanitarian organization she passionately championed as a goodwill ambassador.
Aircraft on Screen
The true stars of the aerial sequences were two robust Douglas A-26 Invader fire bombers, specifically a B-26C and a TB-26C. These powerful aircraft were masterfully flown by renowned film pilot Steve Hinton and Dennis Lynch, who also owned the planes, bringing authentic airborne action to the screen.
The film also featured an impressive fleet of supporting aircraft, creating a truly bustling airbase environment. This included various models like the Aeronca 7AC Champion, Cessna Skymaster, Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, and even a massive McDonnell Douglas DC-10, alongside helicopters such as the Bell 206 JetRanger.
Critical Landing
"Always" premiered on December 22, 1989, competing against several other major holiday releases. It earned $3.7 million in its opening weekend, eventually grossing $74.1 million worldwide. Critics offered a range of opinions, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 68% approval rating, praising Spielberg's sense of adventure despite some sentimentality.
Renowned critic Roger Ebert found the film "dated" and a mere "curiosity," deeming it one of Spielberg's weaker efforts. However, Variety offered a more positive assessment, calling it "a relatively small scale, engagingly casual, somewhat silly, but always entertaining fantasy." Audiences, generally, were more enthusiastic, awarding it an "A-" CinemaScore.
Lasting Echoes
"Always" received a nomination for a Saturn Award in 1991 for Best Fantasy Film, with Jerry Belson also nominated for Best Writing. Interestingly, some critics later pointed to "Always" as a forerunner, even a progenitor, for a new wave of "ghost" genre films that gained popularity shortly after its release, such as the blockbuster "Ghost" in 1990.
Musical Score
The film's emotional depth was significantly enhanced by a magnificent orchestral score composed and conducted by the legendary John Williams, performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. An expanded edition of this score was released in 2021, delighting fans with previously unheard musical content.
Music plays a key role within the narrative too. Pete Sandich, the lead character, can be heard whistling classic tunes like "Garryowen" and the theme from "Leave It to Beaver." Most notably, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," performed in the film by JD Souther and later by The Platters, serves as the poignant "our song" for Pete and Dorinda.
A Title Tussle
A minor stir arose due to the film sharing its title with Henry Jaglom's 1985 movie, "Always." When asked about the coincidence, Jaglom humorously responded, expressing delight rather than frustration.
Jaglom quipped that he was "delighted" by Spielberg's choice. He predicted that having two movies with the same title would only help sell more videocassettes of his film, once they sat "side by side in the video store bins, rentable at two bucks each, no matter what their original budget."
Article
Always (1989 film)
Always is a 1989 American romantic fantasy film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is a remake of the 1943 romantic drama A Guy Named Joe, which was set during World War II. The main departure from the 1943 film is changing the setting from wartime to a modern aerial firefighting operation. However, it follows the same basic plot line: the spirit of a recently dead expert pilot mentors a newer pilot, while watching him fall in love with the girlfriend he left behind. The names of the four principal characters of the earlier film are all the same, except the Ted Randall character, who is called Ted Baker in the remake, and Pete's last name is Sandich instead of Sandidge. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson, and Audrey Hepburn in her final film role before her death in 1993. Always was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on December 22, 1989, and received mixed reviews. The film was a mild success, earning $74 million worldwide on the budget of $31 million.
Plot
Always (1989 film)
Pete Sandich is an aerial firefighter whose excessive risk-taking in the air deeply troubles his girlfriend, Dorinda Durston, a pilot who doubles as an air traffic controller for the firefighters. It also concerns Pete's best friend, Al Yackey, a fellow firefighter pilot.
After yet another risky and nearly fatal flight that Pete casually shrugs off, Al suggests he accept a safer job training firefighting pilots in Flat Rock, Colorado. He refuses until Dorinda tearfully confronts him, confessing her perpetual fear and anguish that he will be killed. Pete relents and tells her he will take the training job.
Pete flies one last mission, despite Dorinda's gloomy premonition. During the firebombing run, Al's engine catches fire and is about to explode. Pete makes a dangerously steep dive and skillfully douses Al's engine with a fire-retardant slurry, saving him. As Pete struggles to regain control from the dive, he flies directly through the forest fire, igniting his engine and causing the aircraft to explode.
Pete strolls through a burned-out forest. Coming to a small clearing, he meets Hap, who explains Pete died in the explosion and now has a new purpose: As spirits did for him during his lifetime, he will provide Spiritus ("the divine breath") to guide others who will interpret his words as their thoughts.
Although time is non-linear from Pete's perspective, six months have elapsed in the real world and Al wants a grieving Dorinda to move past Pete's death. He takes her with him to Colorado to work at the flight school where Pete is to lead pilots who will be training to fight fires, one of which is Ted Baker. More months pass and, to Pete's anguish, Ted falls in love with Dorinda as she begins emerging from her year-long mourning. Pete attempts to sabotage the budding romance, but Hap reminds him that his life ended; he was sent to inspire Ted but also to bid Dorinda farewell.
Ted, with Pete's inspiration, plans a dangerous rescue mission for trapped firefighters. Unable to bear another loss, Dorinda takes his aircraft to do the job herself. Pete, unseen by Dorinda, fails to dissuade her. However, with Pete's guidance, she can save the firefighters who are trapped on the ground. On the return flight, Pete tells Dorinda everything he wants to say in life.
Dorinda makes an emergency water landing in a lake. As the sinking plane's cockpit floods, she seems reluctant to escape. Pete appears before her and, offering his hand, leads her to the surface. As Dorinda wades ashore, Pete releases her from his heart, allowing Ted to be in her life. Emerging from the lake alone, Dorinda walks back to the airbase where she accepts Ted and embraces him. Pete appears, smiles, and walks in the opposite direction to assume his place in the afterlife.
Cast
Always (1989 film)
In addition, singer-songwriter JD Souther plays the pianist-singer at the dance near the start of the film.
Production
Always (1989 film)
Steven Spielberg confided that while making Jaws in 1974, he and Richard Dreyfuss had traded quips from A Guy Named Joe, considered a "classic" war film, that they both wanted to remake. Originally intended to be an MGM project, the film underwent a protracted 10-year gestation, with Tom Cruise reputedly being considered for the Ted Baker role. Dustin Hoffman was offered a role but turned it down.
Dreyfuss had seen the 1943 melodrama "at least 35 times." For Spielberg, who recalled seeing it as a child late at night, "it was one of the films that inspired him to become a movie director," creating an emotional connection to the times that his father, a wartime air force veteran had lived through. The two friends quoted individual shots from the film to each other and when the opportunity arose, years later, were resolved to recreate the wartime fantasy.
Principal photography began on May 15, 1989; production took place in northwestern Montana in the Kootenai National Forest, with some scenes filmed in and around Libby. Some 500 of its residents were recruited for the film as extras to act as wildland firefighters. The scenes where the plane flies over the lake at the beginning and lands in the lake at the end of the movie were filmed at Bull Lake, south of Troy. The scenes set in "Flat Rock, Colorado," were filmed at and around the Moses Lake airport in eastern Washington. The scene where Pete and Hap are walking through the wheat field was filmed at Sprague, southwest of Spokane, where they spent two weeks filming in June. Footage of Yellowstone National Park's 1988 fires was used for the fire sequences. Production wrapped in August 1989.
Audrey Hepburn appeared in Always in her last film role. Her cameo was an opportunity to raise money for her favorite cause; much of Hepburn's one million dollars plus salary was donated to UNICEF.
Aircraft used
Two Douglas A-26 Invader fire bombers (Douglas B-26C Invader No.57] and Douglas TB-26C Invader No. 59) were prominently featured in Always. The flying for the film was performed by well-known film pilot Steve Hinton and Dennis Lynch, the owner of the A-26s. A combination of aerial photography, rear projection, and models was used to create the aerial sequences.
A number of other aircraft also appeared in Always: Aeronca 7AC Champion, Bellanca 8KCAB Super Decathlon, Beechcraft Model 18, Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, Cessna 340, Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar, McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and North American B-25J Mitchell. Two helicopters were also seen: Bell 206 JetRanger and Bell UH-1B Iroquois.
Reception
Box office
Always was released the same day as Tango & Cash and grossed $3.7 million in its opening weekend, finishing fifth behind Christmas Vacation, Tango & Cash, The War of the Roses, and Back to the Future Part II. It went on to gross $43.9 million in the U.S. and $30.3 million in foreign territories, for a worldwide total of $74.1 million.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 68% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Its central romance takes occasional dives into excessive sentimentality, but Always otherwise flies high thanks to director Steven Spielberg's rousing feel for adventure." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 50 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times considered it "dated" and more of a "curiosity," calling it Spielberg's "weakest film since his comedy (/wiki/1941(film))". Variety gave it a more generous review: "Always is a relatively small scale, engagingly casual, somewhat silly, but always entertaining fantasy."
Accolades
Always (1989 film)
Always was nominated in 1991 for the Saturn Award as Best Fantasy Film, while Jerry Belson was nominated for the Best Writing category of the award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (USA). Several critics have now considered the film as the progenitor of a new crop of "ghost" genre films, including Ghost (1990).
Soundtrack
Always (1989 film)
• The character Pete Sandich, played by Richard Dreyfuss, whistles "Garryowen" and the theme to Leave It to Beaver. • "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," performed live in the film by JD Souther and played later on tape by The Platters, is what romantic couple Sandich and Durston refer to as "our song." • The album was released in 1990 and featured tracks of the orchestral score of the film, composed and conducted by John Williams and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. An expanded edition of Williams' score was released on June 22, 2021, through La-La-Land Records, which includes unreleased and unheard musical content. • Also featured was Jimmy Buffett's "Boomerang Love."
Title controversy
Always (1989 film)
In 1989, Always director Henry Jaglom was asked how he felt about Steven Spielberg calling his 1989 movie Always, the same title Jaglom used for his 1985 film. Jaglom responded:
“I am delighted, as it seems to me this will help sell quite a few videocassettes for me, once our two movies find themselves side by side in the video store bins, rentable at two bucks each, no matter what their original budget.”