Always Reviews

When fire-fighting flying ace Pete (Richard Dreyfuss) is killed in the line of duty, he finds himself in the afterlife, invisible to all save the audience, and assigned by an angel (Audrey Hepburn) to pass on his earthly knowledge to novice fire-fighter pilot Ted (Brad Johnson). Unfortunately, Ted falls for Pete's old girl friend (Holly Hunter), who, after a period of mourning for the departed Pete, reciprocates Ted's feelings, leaving Pete to stew invisibly in the wings. Based loosely on A GUY NAMED JOE (1943), ALWAYS recycles bits of at least a half-dozen other movies as well, from Howard Hawks' films to Spielberg's own past works. The piling up of references makes for a certain density, but it's a density without purpose. ALWAYS has no real dramatic tension; Spielberg would rather reassure, tidying up emotions and sending his characters off to bed with a kiss. Given this sentimental thrust, the performances are more than adequate, though the characterizations are determined more by association with other movie roles than by dramatic necessity. Overbusy and out of scale, with every random detail a self-conscious event, ALWAYS is a minor work played grandiosely in a major key.