Review: Always

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.

Rating: C