Always (1989)

 Always (1989)

I am curious about Steven Spielberg’s Always. It is the remake of the 1940’s film A Guy Named Joe. Sometimes it just is better off to leave films alone. I get why Spielberg wanted to remake the original as it played a major role in becoming a filmmaker, but there are better remakes to be had…in which Spielberg actually added another to his resume many years later. The film is not awful by any stretch of the imagination thanks to the great performances…especially that of Holly Hunter’s. The screenplay, written by Jerry Belson, is unfortunately weak. The lines given to the actors can be borderline laughable and most actors, despite their pedigree, have a hard time delivering lines. It is almost as if the words were written rather than naturally spoken. When it comes to Spielberg’s filmography, he has made two bad films and one mediocre film. This is his one okay film but at least its watchable and not terrible like 1941 and Hook were. Spielberg is known for being a sentimental director and he brings high doses of sentimentality to Always. Depending on your mileage, that could be a good or bad thing. I really did not mind…too much. I can be excessive, though.

The original feature was a movie that inspired Spielberg to take a career as a director (Thank God, because he is my favorite filmmaker). During the production of Jaws, both Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss would quote scenes at one another. They promised to reunite one day to remake A Guy Named Joe. In 1989, they finally were able to make this collaboration work. As a child, the original gave Spielberg an emotional connection to the times that his father lived through. If you know the director’s works, you know that “father” themes are important in his features. The basic ideas of the original remained the same in Spielberg’s version. Rather than fighting enemy airplanes, the characters here fought wildfires. One thing to note is that Spielberg got the amazing Audrey Hepburn to play a special role. She said she always wanted to work with Spielberg. She retired after production and passed away a few years later. If anything, it is worth watch Hepburn one last time grace the movie screen with her presence.

Pete Sandich (Richard Dreyfuss) is an airplane pilot whose job is to drop water on forest fires at a scary low altitude. He is a daredevil known for taking chances, along with his best friend who does the same job, Al Yackey (John Goodman). He also happens to be dating the beautiful forest radio controller Dorinda Durston (Holly Hunter). One day, Pete dies in a horrendous crash leaving his friend and girlfriend behind. He wakes up in a spiritual world and meets his guide, Hap (Audrey Hepburn). He goes back to Earth, as a ghost, to give advice to his successor, Ted Baker (Brad Johnson). It pains him to watch Ted fall in love with his girl. Maybe some lessons will be learned!

The best performance belongs to Holly Hunter. She brings forth the urgency and impatience that made her character shine in Broadcast News. Dreyfuss and Goodman could have been better. I did not believe in their line delivery plus their comradery with one another felt weak. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with Brad Johnson. His romance scenes with Hunter were actually some of the most awkward scenes. Hepburn, in her last role, manages to end her career with a positive note. She was not in the role for long but made a lasting impression.

Always is Spielberg’s third-weakest film in my opinion. There are good moments but not enough to bring the film out of mediocrity. Spielberg’s career was heavily influenced by the original. My question is where is his urgency? At least he is able to bring his sentimentality and charm to the story. As for the special effects, they were really good. But were they believable enough? John Williams is able to produce another wonderful score, so there is another plus. Spielberg has had a very long career with many classics, so one can forgive the once-in-a-blue-moon meh feature. Not awful, but not the quality is not what I would expect from Mr. Spielberg.

My Grade: C+