Always - Per sempre

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.

One of his lesser films, Always is a nice, touching story that seems to never have found its proper audience.

Wonderfully shot, well acted, the 1989 film is a departure from Spielberg's usual fantasy and historical pictures but has echoes of both. The firebomber sequences hint at some of the battle scenes from Saving Private Ryan years down the road.

Well worth checking out if you haven't seen it. Hepburn's final screen appearance is gentle and touching. Spielberg is restrained in this film. Perhaps he considers it a small film, but it is a forgotten gem in many ways.

At first glance, Always looks like a variation of Ghost, until one realizes it is a remake of a much older movie. But it has something Ghost certainly did not have -- Audrey Hepburn.

In what would be her final big-screen appearance, Audrey is radiant as the angel Hap, who appears all too briefly in the film. From the moment her famous voice is heard, time seems to stop. True, Audrey doesn't have a lot to say -- although her Doctor Who-like non-explanation about time is funny -- the few moments she is on screen are minutes to treasure. If Judi Dench and Ingrid Bergman were able to get Oscars for glorified cameos, it's a shame Hepburn didn't rate a nomination.

Of course, much of what's special about Audrey's role in this film comes from hindsight -- the fact she only had a couple more years to live, and the fact she had only appeared a few times on film in the previous 20 years. But we can be thankful to Steven Spielberg for not only getting Audrey to make the appearance, but also for giving her a classy film in which to make her swan song.

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.