Always (1989)
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The spirit of a deceased expert pilot mentors a new pilot while watching him fall in love with the woman the original pilot left behind.
The story
Pete Sandich is an aerial firefighter whose 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 a nearly fatal flight, Al suggests Pete accept a safer job training firefighting pilots in Flat Rock, Colorado. Pete initially refuses until Dorinda tearfully confronts him about her fear of losing him. Relenting, Pete agrees to take the training job, though he flies one last mission before departing for the new role.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Pete Sandich, an aerial firefighter, dies in an explosion after saving his friend Al's engine during a firebombing run. His spirit is tasked with providing 'Spiritus' to guide others. Six months later, Al takes a grieving Dorinda to a flight school in Colorado where Pete is meant to lead training for pilots, including Ted Baker. To Pete's anguish, Ted falls in love with Dorinda. Pete attempts to sabotage the romance but is reminded by a spirit named Hap that he must inspire Ted and bid Dorinda farewell. When Ted plans a dangerous rescue mission, Dorinda takes his aircraft to do the job herself. Pete, unseen, guides her to save the trapped firefighters. On the return flight, Pete tells Dorinda everything he wanted to say in life. As her plane sinks in a lake, Pete appears, leads her to the surface, and releases her from his heart, allowing her to accept Ted. Pete then assumes his place in the afterlife.
- First release year
- 1989
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Jerry Belson · screenplay; Diane Thomas · screenplay (uncredited)
- Cast and characters
- Richard Dreyfuss · Pete Sandich; Holly Hunter · Dorinda Durston; John Goodman · Al Yackey; Brad Johnson · Ted Baker; Audrey Hepburn · null
- Genres
- romantic fantasy; drama; supernatural
- Themes
- grief; sacrifice; love; guidance
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- ghost story; remake; aviation; fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- A Guy Named Joe (1943)
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews and was a mild success at the box office.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · review count: 29; Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Fantasy Film · 1991 · Nominated; Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (USA) · Best Writing · 1991 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Audrey Hepburn's final film role; Tom Cruise was considered for the role of Ted Baker; Dustin Hoffman was offered a role but turned it down
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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