Always opened on December 22, 1989. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg. It starred Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter and John Goodman.
Synopsis:
Pete (Richard Dreyfuss) plays a hotshot pilot who constantly puts his life on the line while trying to stop forest fires. He eventually runs out of luck and dies while trying to stop a fire. His spirit then returns to earth to mentor a new pilot. The pilot then begins to fall for the love of Pete’s life, Dorinda (Holly Hunter).
Positives:
- The first act of Always is filled with fun and excitement. The comedy in that opening act is some of the best Spielberg has ever directed.
- The three leads in the film, Dreyfuss, Hunter and Goodman, all give very likeable performances.
Negatives:
- The film’s tone is all over the place. The comedy works, but the more dramatic moments don’t work nearly as well.
- There are a lot of odd moments that deal with the supernatural in ways that don’t blend with the main plot and story. There are a lot of scenes that feel like they should be in a different movie.
- Richard Dreyfuss is good in the film, but he feels miscast. A more traditional leading man would have been a better choice for the character.
In Closing:
Always offers a lot of fun moments, but those moments aren’t strong enough to make the film work. Spielberg tries hard to balance a lot of different ideas and some of those ideas do work. The story as a whole just never feels cohesive. Always is one of Spielberg’s most inconsistent directorial efforts.
