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Always(1989 film)

Alwaysis a 1989 Americanromanticfantasyfilm directed and produced bySteven Spielberg.It is aremakeof the 1943romantic dramaA Guy Named Joe,which was set duringWorld War II.The main departure from the 1943 film is changing the setting from wartime to a modernaerial firefightingoperation. It, however, follows the same basic plot line: the spirit of a recently dead expert pilot mentors a newer pilot, while watching him fall in love with the girlfriend he left behind. The names of the four principal characters of the earlier film are all the same, except the Ted Randall character, which is called Ted Baker in the remake, and Pete's last name is Sandich instead of Sandidge.[3]The film starsRichard Dreyfuss,Holly Hunter,John Goodman,Brad Johnson,andAudrey Hepburnin her final film role.[4]Alwayswas released in the United States byUniversal Pictureson December 22, 1989.

Always
Theatrical release poster byJohn Alvin
Directed bySteven Spielberg
Screenplay by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMikael Salomon
Edited byMichael Kahn
Music byJohn Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures[1]
Release date
  • December 22, 1989(1989-12-22)
Running time
123 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$74.1 million[2]

Plot

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Pete Sandich is anaerial firefighterwhose excessive risk-taking in the air deeply troubles his girlfriend, Dorinda Durston, a pilot who doubles as an air traffic controller for the firefighters. It also concerns Pete's best friend, Al Yackey, a fellow firefighter pilot.

After yet another risky and nearly fatal flight that Pete casually shrugs off, Al suggests he accept a safer job training firefighting pilots in Flat Rock, Colorado. He refuses until Dorinda tearfully confronts him, confessing her perpetual fear and anguish that he will be killed. Pete relents and tells her he will take the training job.

Pete flies one last mission, despite Dorinda's gloomy premonition. During the firebombing run, Al's engine catches fire and is about to explode. Pete makes a dangerously steep dive and skillfully douses Al's engine with a fire-retardantslurry,saving him. As Pete struggles to regain control from the dive, he flies directly through the forest fire, igniting his engine and causing the aircraft to explode.

Pete strolls through a burned-out forest. Coming to a small clearing, he meets Hap, who explains Pete died in the explosion and now has a new purpose: As spirits did for him during his lifetime, he will provideSpiritus( "the divine breath" ) to guide others who will interpret his words as their thoughts.

Although time is non-linear from Pete's perspective, six months have elapsed in the real world and Al wants a grieving Dorinda to move past Pete's death. He takes her with him to Colorado to work at the flight school where Pete is to lead pilots who will be training to fight fires, one of which is Ted Baker. More months pass and, to Pete's anguish, Ted falls in love with Dorinda as she begins emerging from her year-long mourning. Pete attempts to sabotage the budding romance, but Hap reminds him that his life ended; he was sent to inspire Ted but also to bid Dorinda farewell.

Ted, with Pete's inspiration, plans a dangerous rescue mission for trapped firefighters. Unable to bear another loss, Dorinda takes his aircraft to do the job herself. Pete, unseen by Dorinda, fails to dissuade her. However, with Pete's guidance, she can save the firefighters who are trapped on the ground. On the return flight, Pete tells Dorinda everything he wants to say in life.

Dorinda makes an emergencywater landingin a lake. As the sinking plane's cockpit floods, she seems reluctant to escape. Pete appears before her and, offering his hand, leads her to the surface. As Dorinda wades ashore, Pete releases her from his heart for allowing Ted to be replaced. Dorinda walks back to the airbase where she accepts Ted and embraces him. Pete appreciates, smiles, and walks in the opposite direction to assume his place in the afterlife.

Cast

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In addition, singer-songwriterJD Southerplays the pianist-singer at the dance near the start of the film.

Production

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Steven Spielberg confided that while makingJawsin 1974, he and Richard Dreyfuss had traded quips fromA Guy Named Joe,considered a "classic" war film, that they both wanted to remake.[5]Originally intended to be anMGMproject, the film underwent a protracted 10-year gestation, withTom Cruisereputedly being considered for the Ted Baker role.[6]Dustin Hoffmanwas offered a role but turned it down.[7]

Dreyfuss had seen the 1943 melodrama "at least 35 times."[5]For Spielberg, who recalled seeing it as a child late at night, "it was one of the films that inspired him to become a movie director,"[5]creating an emotional connection to the times that his father, a wartime air force veteran had lived through.[8][9]The two friends quoted individual shots from the film to each other and when the opportunity arose, years later, were resolved to recreate the wartime fantasy.

Principal photography began on May 15, 1989; production took place innorthwesternMontanain theKootenai National Forest,with some scenes filmed in and aroundLibby.Some 500 of its residents were recruited for the film as extras to act as wildland firefighters. The scenes where the plane flies over the lake at the beginning and lands in the lake at the end of the movie were filmed atBull Lake,south ofTroy.The scenes set in "Flat Rock,Colorado,"were filmed at and around theMoses Lakeairport ineastern Washington.The scene where Pete and Hap are walking through the wheat field was filmed atSprague,southwest ofSpokane,where they spent two weeks filming in June. Footage ofYellowstone National Park's1988 fireswas used for the fire sequences. Production wrapped in August 1989.

Audrey Hepburnappeared inAlwaysin her last film role. Her cameo was an opportunity to raise money for her favorite cause; much of Hepburn's one million dollars plus salary was donated toUNICEF.[10][11]

Aircraft used

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TwoDouglas A-26 Invaderfire bombers (Douglas B-26C Invader No.57][12]and Douglas TB-26C Invader No. 59[13]) were prominently featured inAlways.[14]The flying for the film was performed by well-known film pilotSteve Hinton[15]and Dennis Lynch,[16]The owner of the A-26s. A combination of aerial photography, rear projection, and models was used to create the aerial sequences.[17]

A number of other aircraft also appeared inAlways:Aeronca 7AC Champion,Bellanca 8KCAB Super Decathlon,Beechcraft Model 18,Cessna 337 Super Skymaster,Cessna 340,Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina,de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter,Douglas C-54 Skymaster,Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar,McDonnell Douglas DC-10andNorth American B-25J Mitchell.Two helicopters were also seen:Bell 206JetRanger andBell UH-1B Iroquois.

Reception

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Box office

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Alwayswas released the same day asTango & Cashand grossed $3.7 million in its opening weekend, finishing fifth behindChristmas Vacation,Tango & Cash,The War of the Roses,andBack to the Future Part II.It went on to gross $43.9 million in the U.S. and $30.3 million in foreign territories, for a worldwide total of $74.1 million.[18]

Critical response

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OnRotten Tomatoesthe film holds an approval rating of 68% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Its central romance takes occasional dives into excessive sentimentality, butAlwaysotherwise flies high thanks to director Steven Spielberg's rousing feel for adventure. "[19]Metacriticassigned the film a weighted average score of 50 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[20]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[21]

Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesconsidered it "dated" and more of a "curiosity," calling it Spielberg's "weakest film since his comedy1941".[5]Varietygave it a more generous review: "Alwaysis a relatively small scale, engagingly casual, somewhat silly, but always entertaining fantasy. "[22]

Awards and nominations

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Alwayswas nominated in 1991 for theSaturn Awardas Best Fantasy Film, while Jerry Belson was nominated for the Best Writing category of the award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (USA). Several critics have now considered the film as the progenitor of a new crop of "ghost" genre films, includingGhost(1990).[23][24]

Music

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  • The character Pete Sandich, played byRichard Dreyfuss,whistles "Garryowen"and the theme toLeave It to Beaver.
  • "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,"performed live in the film byJD Southerand played later on tape byThe Platters,is what romantic couple Sandich and Durston refer to as "our song".
  • The album was released in 1990 and featured tracks of the orchestral score of the film, composed and conducted byJohn Williams.An expanded edition of Williams' score was released on June 22, 2021, through La-La-Land Records, which includes unreleased and unheard musical content.
  • Also featured wasJimmy Buffett's "Boomerang Love".[25]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^abc"Always".American Film Institute.RetrievedDecember 6,2016.
  2. ^abboxofficemojo. "Always".Accessed 26 February 2016.
  3. ^Evans 2000, p.97.
  4. ^"A Guy Named Joe".prod- tcm.
  5. ^abcdEbert, Roger."'Always' review"Chicago Sun Times,December 22, 1989.
  6. ^Freer 2001, p. 183.
  7. ^"Dustin Hoffman: Facing down my demons".TheGuardian.14 December 2012.
  8. ^"Steven Spielberg as a Role Model."rolemodel.net,2007. Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  9. ^"Steven Spielberg."Archived2007-12-12 at theWayback Machineambidextrouspics.Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  10. ^Walker 1997, p. 271.
  11. ^Woodward 2010, pp. 361, 390.
  12. ^"N9425Z."faa.gov.Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  13. ^"N4818Z."faa.gov.Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  14. ^Farmer 1990, p. 35.
  15. ^"Filmography – Steve Hinton."IMDB.Retrieved: March 13, 2007.
  16. ^"Filmography – Dennis Lynch."IMDB.Retrieved: March 13, 2007.
  17. ^Freer 2001, p. 186.
  18. ^Kurtz, Andy."Directors Hall of Fame."bullz-eye,February 5, 2007. Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  19. ^"Always (1989)".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedApril 16,2024.
  20. ^"Always Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedFebruary 28,2022.
  21. ^"Home".CinemaScore.Retrieved2022-02-28.
  22. ^"'Always' (1989) Review."Variety.Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  23. ^Jacobson, Colin."'Always' 1989 Review."dvdmg.Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  24. ^"'Always' (1989)."rottentomatoes.Retrieved: December 5, 2009.
  25. ^"Soundtrack Mix #31: The Symphonies of Storytelling - Steven Spielberg".MUBI.21 November 2022.

Bibliography

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