Always (1989)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

Jerry Belson (screenplay)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

They couldn't hear him. They couldn't see him. But he was there when they needed him... Even after he was gone.

Plot:

A romantic adventure about a legendary pilot's passion for dare-devil firefighting and his girl.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Forest Fire | True Love | Grief | Firefighting

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Pete Sandich
Holly Hunter	...	Dorinda Durston
Brad Johnson	...	Ted Baker
John Goodman	...	Al Yackey
Audrey Hepburn	...	Hap
Roberts Blossom	...	Dave
Keith David	...	Powerhouse
Ed Van Nuys	...	Nails
Marg Helgenberger	...	Rachel
Dale Dye	...	Don
Brian Haley	...	Alex
James Lashly	...	Charlie
Michael Steve Jones	...	Grey
Kim Robillard	...	Air Traffic Controller
Jim Sparkman	...	Dispatcher

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Spain:T | South Korea:15 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Iceland:L | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Bull Lake, Montana, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

This film is a remake of A Guy Named Joe (1943), which was watched on television in Poltergeist (1982), which was co-written by director Steven Spielberg.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the club, Dorinda, after changing into her new white dress says, "If you want to dance with this dress, you have to wash your hands." The firefighters wash and dry their hands and as they leave the bathroom, their shirts are still dirty, but when they are dancing with Dorinda, their shirts are clean.

Quotes:

Pete Sandich: [Speaking to Dorinda after he's dead] I know now, that the love we hold back is the only pain that follows us here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "South Park: Cripple Fight (#5.2)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

NICK OF TIME

Positive review of movie, comparing and contrasting to Ghost

This is a quality film, and it is one of the reasons why I think John Goodman is a really a good actor who often goes unnoticed. This movie would have been decent with any cast, but I think the combination of John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Richard Dreyfuss really brought the story to life. Additionally Spielberg does a good job of incorporating the supernatural presence of Pete Sandich's ghost without relying on dramatic special effects. This movie is somewhat similar in theme to Ghost (which came out one year after Always), but Ghost focuses more on the supernatural aspects and goes to great lengths to show the ghost walking through doors and other objects. To a certain extent these special effects take center stage in ghost, whereas in Always you never see Richard Dreyfuss walk through anything. All of the cool supernatural stuff happens offscreen leaving the plot and the characters as the main focal point. That being said I think that the action scenes with the planes flying over the forest fires are really thrilling. It's beautiful, and intense. (I think it makes the dogfights in Top Gun look like a Carousel ride) Go rent this movie.