Always

My husband asked me to marry him after we saw this movie. He was a helicopter pilot and we had met at an air show. We both loved vintage aircraft so this seemed to be just the movie to see. We both laughed and cried so hard during the movie. Little was I to know that 13 years later I would lose my husband while he was flying. It took me some years to watch this movie again and I too cried through the whole thing. It is so personal to me. There are times when I feel, like Holly did, that I can hear my husband talking to me and guiding me. There is a lot to be learned from this picture about life and love. I highly recommend this picture.

Always is a landmark film in Steven Spielberg's canon for more than one reason. It would be the first time Spielberg would adapt someone else's work, and also it would see Spielberg caught in transition between bidding farewell to childhood memories and a crowd pleasing necessity. In fact it is not too bold to say that without Always, Spielberg could not have progressed into the superlative director he most assuredly is. Often wrongly thought of as a Spielberg flop, it actually grossed $74,134,790 worldwide, that's three times what it cost to make. Always is awash with sentimentality, the kind that Spielberg detractors use to constantly berate the director as being his safe haven calling card, yet it's an oddly tender movie about loss, love and the need to move on from former yearnings. Working from the excellent original source by Dalton Trumbo called A Guy Named Joe, Spielberg crafts his tale with deftly visual flourishes aiding the sweet nature of the piece, none more so than when Audrey Hepburn arrives {in her last film appearance} as Pete's angel guide, Hap.

Richard Dreyfuss takes the lead role of Pete Sandwich, with both he and Spielberg sharing a passion for A Guy Named Joe. So much so that Spielberg honoured a promise to Dreyfuss back in the Jaws days that he would cast him should he ever remake the film. Holly Hunter takes on the pivotal female lead of Dorinda and does brilliant work, all doe eyed beauty fusing with tight emotion that has the discerning viewer eating out of her hands. John Goodman is suitably ebullient as Al Yackey, with Spielberg framing him rather well in certain scenic sequences, while the only weak link in the film is probably Brad Johnson as Ted Baker, but time has been kind to his performance and it doesn't quite jar as much as it used too. The critics hated it on release and the watching public were most indifferent to it as well. Yet it's definitely one to revisit as we all get older, be it with a loved one or during times of reflection. You obviously can't get away from the sentimental aspects of it, but sometimes sentiment is a necessity to smooth out those rough edges. Charming, delightful and a real important film in Steven Spielberg's career. 7/10

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.

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.

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.