Steven Spielberg's Underappreciated '80s Fantasy Movie Is A Hidden Gem On Netflix
Steven Spielberg has only made one wholly uninteresting movie –- and if you think you can get me to come around on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," let me assure you that I've rewatched it several times, with hope in my heart, only to be let down by the sluggishly-executed action and ceaseless fan service. I'm glad there are people who enjoy it, but I'm never going to join their ranks. (I'll always go to the mat for "1941" however.)
Spielberg's heart wasn't in that movie, but he's made other misfires where you can tell they meant a great deal to him. These are the interesting failures. "Hook" is the least compelling of these because on-set difficulties caused him to lose his grip on the movie. But movies like "The Terminal," "Amistad" and "The BFG" are fascinating instances of a genius filmmaker failing to fully connect with promising material.
"Always" is probably his most puzzling movie, because it's beautifully crafted, mostly well-performed (the late Brad Johnson was hunky as hell, but he wasn't much of an actor) and frequently exciting. It's a remake of Victor Fleming's WWII romance "A Guy Named Joe," which stars Spencer Tracy as a bomber pilot who, after being killed on a mission, is sent back from heaven to be a guardian angel for his replacement (Van Johnson). This chore turns problematic when Johnson falls for the gal (Irene Dunne) Tracy left behind.
Spielberg's version, set in the world of aerial firefighting, places Richard Dreyfuss in the Tracy role opposite Holly Hunter, who's wooed by Johnson. It's not a great film, but it's definitely Spielberg's most lovable minor work, and it's currently streaming on Netflix.
Always is a remake of a film that inspired Spielberg to become a director
Spielberg and Dreyfuss' hearts couldn't have been more dedicated to this movie. They're both obsessed with "A Guy Named Joe." Spielberg cites it as one of the movies that made him want to become a director, while Dreyfuss has apparently watched it over 30 times (in a 1989 interview, he expressed admiration for Tracy and the film for being about "a love that breaks the rules of the universe"). While shooting "Jaws," Spielberg and Dreyfuss would exchange quotes from the movie. It seemed they were destined to place their own spin on the movie, which they did. But was it successful?
"Always" received mixed reviews and only grossed $74.1 million against a $31 million budget. But it's worth watching for a number of reasons. The aerial firefighting sequences (lensed by Mikael Solomon, who'd flame on again two years later with Ron Howard's "Backdraft"), where Dreyfuss and best pal John Goodman brush treetops as they put out forest blazes, are real white-knucklers. You also get, surprise, a lovely, lushly romantic from the great John Williams.
The film is a little long at 123 minutes, and Johnson's lack of chemistry with Hunter diminishes the emotional impact of the ending, but you also get great supporting performances from Goodman, Keith David and Roberts Blossom. Best of all, you get to watch Audrey Hepburn in her final film performance, and she is nothing short of magical.
Spielberg has a habit of disowning his commercially unsuccessful movies, but during a Q&A at SXSW last year, he said, "I love the movie, I really do." Fire up Netflix, and see if you agree.