Always

After seeing a movie with Marg Helgenberger made in the 90's "Death Dreams" with Christopher Reeve, I felt the need to look for other Marg Helgenberger performances besides her famous turn in CSI - To my surprise, not many, except "Death Dreams" where she gives a performance that goes straight to something truly personal. She is amazing, amazing! That's how I got to Always. The only Spielberg film I hadn't seen. The film is a sort of remake of "A Guy Named Joe" charming with a lovely central performance by Holly Hunter but where is Marg? She's way back in the background. Beautiful and real but way too far away in the background. The most memorable memorable moment, at least for a film buff - is the last film appearance by Audrey Hepburn, as an angel.

Steven Spielberg took a break from his usual sci-fi/action fare with this story of firefighter Pete Sandich (Richard Dreyfuss) who sticks with his friends...even after dying. Maybe "Always" is a little hokey, but it's an interesting look at the possibilities not only of the afterlife, but of personal guilt: not only does Pete feel that he has to right some wrongs, but his friends Dorinda Durston (Holly Hunter) and Al Yackey (John Goodman) also are dealing with the guilt of seeing their friend gone, and the role that they may have played in his death.

On another note, this was of course Audrey Hepburn's final film. She plays angel Hap, who helps Pete through the afterlife. In my opinion, it makes sense for a woman as beautiful as she to play an angel in her final role.

If there is only one reason why someone should rent or buy this film, it is simply to see Audrey Hepburn in her final screen performance. There was no better way to end her magnificent career than making a final, but all too brief appearance as an angel - she was cast beautifully - almost poetic. She was truly remarkable, and sadly, there will never be anyone else like her.

I'll just be honest here --- when I originally saw Always at the cinema in 1989, it was just a few months after my big brother passed away prematurely at the age of forty, and I'm not at all afraid to say that I cried like a baby. Like so many Americans, I have watched far too many films that i have taken to heart, but you know, Always is probably one of the final American films to ever really explore and display such deep human issues as unconditional love, mortality, and what a hero really is -- and isn't. It may be mushy, romantic, and a bit flawed, but I am proud that Spielberg made this bitter-sweet film -- I just saw it again and, if anything, it comes across as even more humane and honest in today's America of aggression, greed, and "relative" truth. If you've ever really, honestly, been so in love and committed to someone that you were willing to unconditionally put their needs before you own, or if you've ever lost anyone who meant the world to you, check it out. It changed my life when I first saw it because it made consider death in a new light... and it is about to totally change my life again as I have decided to live every moment for the rest of it as honest and decent and true to myself as possible --something that few of us today are willing to admit is lacking in our lives.

Having just seen a re-cap of AFI's 100 most romantic films, I decided to go through my own video library to see how many I owned. Of course, starting alphabetically, I pulled out "Always". It wasn't on AFI's list. But it is on mine. I threw it in the VCR, having seen it at least 3-4 times before, and it was like watching it for the first time again.

To sum it up, I wept, from the opening to the closing scene. Rarely am I so touched by a film that it affects me so strongly as to push aside all rational thought and open up the flood gates. But I should expect no less from the man (Spielberg) who single-handedly keeps the tissue industry in the black. He knows how to tug those heart-strings. He's doesn't just play off one emotion; he goes for them all! Drama, action, humor, loss and love. And what he does in "Always", just like "Empire of the Sun", "The Color Purple", "E.T.", "Schindler's List", and "Saving Private Ryan"; is never let the rider off the coaster.

Unfortunately, at the release of "Always", he had not fully gained the respect of the industry enough to prevent this film from being pushed aside. For me, however, it's still right there up on top!

Kudos Spielberg , for reminding us that even your less-seen films were done w/ brilliance, integrity, humor and a more than just a few tears.