Aerial firefighter Pete risks himself and his vintage World War II airplane in a constant and death-defying quest to fight forest wildfires, much to the dismay of his girlfriend, Dorinda . His love for Dorinda and the advice of fellow pilot Al convince Pete to give up his perilous career, but he flies one last mission. Pete heroically saves Al's plane from certain destruction, but with supernatural consequences.
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Reviews
Too much of everything
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
This is a classic 80's action/humor/romance movie centered around aerial firefighting. Thankfully this film was shot before the CGI era, so the aircraft flight scenes are all live action. The storyline is a bit corny, and the hair/clothes are dated, but the acting is great. In my opinion this is one of the best John Goodman movies. I think it really captured his range as an actor. Richard Dreyfus also had a strong showing in this film, and the on camera chemistry between the two seemed genuine. My only criticism of the film was the technical inaccuracies involving the aircraft. As is often mentioned, the A-26 would have no problem climbing after dropping it's load. In fact, with the inertia it gained after diving heavy, NOT climbing after dropping the load would have been difficult. All-in-all though I thought it was a great movie, definitely a must watch from the Dirty Dancing era.
Disclaimer: At time of writing this is the only review I have done where I did not see the original version prior to watching the remake. However, given the extraordinary pedigree (in no particular order, Spielberg behind the camera, and Hepburn, Dreyfuss, Goodman and Hunter in front) I decided to grab the old typewriter (keyboard) and dive in anyway. First the direction. Spielberg would rather have a root canal than leave behind to posterity any scene that is not perfectly lit and shot. So that's a non-issue. Hepburn? OMG what can I add that has not been said by the other reviewers? One of kind star presence. Five minutes of screen time with this lady is equal to two hours with any so-called modern actress. As for Dreyfuss, Hunter and Goodman what I really like about them is that not only do they do what is required, but they are relatively underexposed for the talent they deliver, and Spielberg kept each on a tight leash. (To see what happens when you don't keep these guys on a tight leash, watch Dreyfuss in Duddy Kravitz, Hunter in Saving Grace, and Goodman in just about anything he has ever done). As for final impact, I will say that the story is perhaps not for everyone and does take some time to build. But the payoff is there, and the reality of life and death is not going to change much over your lifetime, so, when you are ready to face either or both, this film will still be available for your viewing pleasure.
This is one of my all time favorite movies, reinforcing the maxim that everything starts with a good story. "Always" has all the best elements working together. It is a great story, with superb casting, top-shelf acting, and it touches the heart. It combines humor, heartache, adventure, tragedy, relationships, love, life and death into classic entertainment for young and old. Way to go, Mr. Spielberg. Having said that, don't be surprised that the original screenplay which "Always" is based upon was a World War II story written in 1943 by Dalton Trumbo, entitled "A Guy Named Joe," starring Spencer Tracy. Spielberg did a masterful job of adapting "Always" with characters bearing the same names as those in "A Guy Named Joe," the real-world depictions of World War II-era aircraft for wildfire suppression bombers, and references to water bomber bases resembling WWII bomber bases. Watch "A Guy Named Joe" and then watch "Always" to best appreciate the combined genius of Dalton Trumbo and Steven Spielberg.
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.