I’ve been sitting here for several long minutes trying to find the right way to describe what makes a movie not just fun to watch, but also, what’s the word … downright satisfying? I mean, what makes a movie work so well that by the time the credits roll, there’s this sort of weight off your shoulders, where you feel kinda free for a moment? Know what I mean? Maybe I’m overdoing it a bit, but I bet you’ve got a short list in mind of a few that do this for you. And so, here’s one of mine.
Steven Spielberg‘s 1989 romantic drama Always, a little film that didn’t do so well considering the man behind the title, but one that, nonetheless, has aged very well with it’s heavy themes layered over a slew of playful yet broadly dramatic performances. This is a production made by a collective group of talents that understood exactly what they were doing, found the precise theatrical delivery in which to do so, and accomplished a rare feat in cinema: they made a perfect movie.
Okay, one might quibble over “perfect” but for the sake of quantifying that “downright satisfying” thing I mentioned at the start … yeah. This is perfect, a film that combines honest drama and human comedy with a clever adventure and unique romance. It’s hard to beat, even if it doesn’t challenge itself or its audience all that much. But there’s plenty more about it that makes this soar.
It starts with a forest fire and a pair of long-time aerial firefighters, smart-talking Pete Sandich (Richard Dreyfuss) and happy-go-lucky Al Yackey (John Goodman) swooping through thick smoke and towering flames. The story quickly establishes that Pete is a bit of a daredevil in the sky, taking risks that maybe aren’t all that necessary. That’s up to him of course, but the thing is, back on the ground in the control tower is Dorinda Durston (Holly Hunter), Pete’s girlfriend who understands Pete’s seemingly reckless tactics to his flying but not entirely all that accepting of it. She wants him to let it go and take a safer job as an instructor at a training facility in Flat Rock, Colorado. They’ve got a life together after all. Enough with the craziness. So, with some genuine love between them, he agrees and decides to give up the flying.
But of course, duty calls, and he goes on one last mission, a dangerous one that sees his pal Al in serious trouble when one engine catches fire. In true Pete Sandich fashion, he makes a dramatic aerial maneuver and saves Al but in the process, ends up in worse trouble. A moment later, his plane explodes and Pete is gone in a flash of fire and debris. Goodbye Colorado. Goodbye Dorinda.
However, this is not the end of his story. He “wakes” and discovers that in fact, while he did die in the sky, he is now a guiding spirit, meant now to help those on Earth. A little hard to believe but, yeah, he’s on board (with the lovely Audrey Helpburn in her final film appearance giving him the tour) and is sent back to help a young pilot named Ted Baker (Brad Johnson) find his way, he currently lacking confidence and skill to follow his dream of being an aerial firefighter himself. Good thing he’s heading for Flat Rock, Colorado where now, nearly a year since Pete’s death, Al is the flight instructor … and a still mourning Dorinda has taken up residence.
It’s not what Pete expects, and seeing Dorinda is devastating, so he finds himself unable to guide Ted, who because – here comes the real test as a spirit – he becomes romantically attracted to Pete’s ex. It only gets more complicated from there, and now Pete must faces his greatest challenge yet … letting go of the only true love of his life. It ain’t easy.
Much of Spielberg’s film is, like many of his movies, funny to watch while soaked in great emotional entanglements. A remake of the 1943 classic A Guy Names Joe, this updated telling is more than held up by its standout performances, with Dreyfuss very good juggling the comedy and drama while Goodman puts on a one-man show of sorts making Al a wonderfully sensitive and deeply affecting “best friend” to not just Pete but almost more so to Dorinda. Goodman’s a better quality actor than most give him credit for.
And then there’s Hunter, who is centers the story, her tough-as-nails Dorinda utterly shattered by the loss, weighted too much by sorrow to move forward. This is a fine line to walk and while some critics labeled the film as overly sentimental, it doesn’t shy away from that, embracing the sort of old-timey romance and fantasy with a targeted heart. That’s something few directors can make work, and you really have to appreciate Spielberg’s grand effort in committing to the potential cheese with a deep layer of honest-to-goodness warmth. This movie just feels good.
Now, the thing is, based on everything you’ve just read, you probably think this some sappy light-weight Lifetime movie of the week sort of thing with it being about an “angel” and all, but it’s not that at all. Okay … it’s partly that, but it’s so much more, and the way Spielberg weaves this altogether, it doesn’t ever really feel like a fantasy. Yes, Pete walks around as a spirit where no one else can see him, but he remains so grounded in the story, you don’t get that kind of Ghost movie vibe. And just when the story begins to feel conventional, it swings it around and reminds you that at the heart of this is a love left unfulfilled and to be free of it, a man must make the greatest gesture of love one can. It’s profound.
They don’t make movies like this anymore, and whatever, that’s cliche to say, but much has changed and if made today, this would be a very different experience, filled with more wild stunts and a toned down script to try and reach a broader international audience. Either way, there’s a lot to like about Always, and so much to explore in how the story develops its characters and fills them with energy, it’s impossible not to feel connected to the romance of it all. A very strong recommendation for those wanting to sink into their sofas and feel a little magic about humanity. And no one does “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” better than J. D. Souther.