Some movies just feel like a warm hug from a ghost. When people look back at Steven Spielberg’s massive filmography, they usually start shouting about sharks, dinosaurs, or private Ryans. But in 1989, he released something quieter. He released Always. It’s a remake of the 1943 film A Guy Named Joe, and honestly, it’s one of the most sentimental things he’s ever put on celluloid. The cast of the movie Always is really what keeps it from drifting off into pure sap. Without the specific chemistry of Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter, this story about a dead pilot watching his girlfriend move on would have been a total disaster.
It’s about grief. It’s about forest fires. It’s about learning how to say goodbye when you’re already gone.
Richard Dreyfuss as Pete Sandich: The Pilot Who Couldn't Land
Richard Dreyfuss was essentially Spielberg’s alter ego during this era. They had already conquered the world together with Jaws and Close Encounters, so seeing Dreyfuss show up as Pete Sandich felt like a homecoming. Pete is a legendary aerial firefighter. He’s cocky. He takes risks that make his girlfriend, Dorinda, want to scream.
Dreyfuss plays Pete with this frantic, kinetic energy that eventually turns into a heartbreaking stillness once his character dies. The trick of the movie is that Pete doesn't realize he's dead at first. He’s wandering around the scorched woods, trying to talk to people who can't hear him. It’s a performance that relies heavily on his face because he spends half the movie reacting to things he can't change. Dreyfuss has this way of looking at Holly Hunter that feels genuinely painful.
Most people don't realize that Dreyfuss actually lobbied for this role for years. He loved the original 1943 film. He saw something in the character of Pete—a man who is "extinguished" just when he finally learns how to live. It’s a performance that deserves more credit than it got in the late eighties.
Holly Hunter and the Heart of the Hangar
If Dreyfuss is the engine, Holly Hunter is the wings. As Dorinda Durston, Hunter gives us a masterclass in 80s grit mixed with vulnerability. She’s a radio operator who wants more than just waiting for her man to crash. When Pete dies, the movie shifts its weight onto her shoulders.
Holly Hunter has that voice. You know the one—the gravelly, Southern-inflected rasp that makes every line sound like it’s being dragged over velvet. In Always, she uses it to convey a level of mourning that feels uncomfortably real. There is a specific scene where she dances with an invisible Pete to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." It’s iconic. It’s also incredibly sad.
Hunter was coming off the massive success of Broadcast News, and she brought that same sharp-witted intelligence to the cast of the movie Always. She didn't play Dorinda as a victim. She played her as a survivor who was being haunted by a love she wasn't ready to let go of.
Brad Johnson: The New Guy
Then there’s Ted Baker, played by Brad Johnson. Ted is the "other man," but the movie is smart enough not to make him a villain. He’s a bumbling, well-meaning pilot who Pete—now a ghost—is tasked with "inspiring."
Brad Johnson was a former Marlboro Man, and he looks the part. He’s got the jawline and the earnestness of a golden retriever. Watching Pete try to sabotage Ted’s attempts to woo Dorinda provides the movie with its few moments of genuine comedy. Johnson holds his own against heavyweights like Dreyfuss and Hunter, which is no small feat for a guy who was relatively new to the Hollywood A-list at the time.
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John Goodman is the Best Friend We All Need
We have to talk about Al Yackey. John Goodman plays Pete’s best friend, and he is the emotional glue of the hangar. Goodman was right in the middle of his Roseanne fame here, and his presence brings a sense of grounded reality to a supernatural plot.
The scene where Al tells Dorinda that Pete is gone is one of the most understated pieces of acting in Goodman's career. He doesn't overact. He just sits there, looking like a man who has lost half of his soul. Later, when he’s trying to keep the flight school running, he provides the levity needed to balance out the ghost-romance.
Goodman and Dreyfuss have a chemistry that feels like twenty years of history. They bicker like brothers. They love each other. When Al thinks he hears Pete’s voice in the wind, you see the flicker of hope and madness in Goodman’s eyes. It’s brilliant.
Audrey Hepburn’s Final Bow
The most legendary member of the cast of the movie Always is, without a doubt, Audrey Hepburn. She plays Hap, a celestial guide (or angel, though the movie keeps it slightly vague) who meets Pete in a white forest after he dies.
This was Hepburn’s final film role.
Seeing her on screen in 1989 was a monumental event. She dressed simply—white sweater, khaki pants—looking ethereal but accessible. She’s the one who explains the "rules" of the afterlife to Pete. She tells him that the "spirit's work is to say goodbye." There is something incredibly poignant about Hepburn delivering lines about moving on and leaving a legacy, knowing it would be her last appearance before her death in 1993.
Spielberg apparently waited years to work with her. He treated her with immense reverence on set, and it shows. Her scenes are shot with a soft, glowing light that differentiates the "in-between" world from the dirty, smoky reality of the fire camps.
The Supporting Players
The rest of the ensemble is filled with character actors who make the world of aerial firefighting feel lived-in.
- Roberts Blossom (the scary neighbor from Home Alone) shows up as Dave.
- Keith David has a small but memorable role as Powerhouse.
- Marg Helgenberger appears as Rachel, adding a bit more texture to the social circle of the pilots.
Why the Casting Made a "Thin" Script Work
Critics at the time were a bit divided on Always. Some thought it was too mushy. Others thought the supernatural elements were a bit clunky compared to Poltergeist or E.T. But almost everyone agreed that the actors saved it.
The movie deals with a very difficult concept: a man watching his girlfriend fall in love with someone else. If the cast of the movie Always didn't have such high levels of likability, Pete Sandich would have come across as a creepy stalker. Instead, because it's Richard Dreyfuss, we see his struggle as a pathetic, human attempt to hold onto a life he wasn't finished with.
The fire sequences are technically impressive—using real planes and massive controlled burns—but the fire is just a backdrop. The real heat comes from the interactions in the hangar. The way Hunter and Goodman lean on each other. The way Dreyfuss tries to "breathe" his thoughts into Ted’s head.
Spielberg’s Shift in Style
Always represents a weird bridge in Spielberg’s career. He was moving away from the pure "blockbuster" era of the 80s and toward the more "serious" 90s (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan). You can see him experimenting with adult themes of loss and the permanence of death.
He chose actors who weren't just "pretty faces." He chose actors with wrinkles, unique voices, and baggage. He wanted the audience to feel like these were people who had spent decades in the sun and smoke.
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Misconceptions About the Movie
One thing people often get wrong is thinking Always was a huge flop. It actually made money—about $74 million on a $31 million budget—but it was overshadowed by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which came out the same year.
Another misconception is that it's a "fantasy" movie. It’s really a grief movie dressed up in flight suits. The ghost stuff is just a metaphor for the way memories linger and interfere with the present.
How to Appreciate Always Today
If you're going to watch it now, forget the CGI-heavy spectacles of the 2020s. Look at the practical effects. Look at the way the light hits the smoke.
- Watch the "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" scene twice. Once to watch Holly Hunter’s face, and a second time to watch how Dreyfuss moves around her without ever touching her.
- Pay attention to the sound design. The roar of the engines is meant to contrast with the absolute silence of the scenes between Hap and Pete.
- Notice the costumes. Dorinda’s transition from greasy flight jumpsuits to a white dress is a visual shorthand for her emotional state.
The cast of the movie Always took a story that could have been a Hallmark card and turned it into a meditation on the ego. Pete has to learn that his greatest act of love isn't staying with Dorinda—it's leaving her alone so she can live.
It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow. But with John Goodman cracking jokes in the background and Audrey Hepburn providing divine wisdom, it’s a lot easier to take.
Actionable Takeaways for Cinephiles
- Explore the 1943 original: If you liked the dynamic between Dreyfuss and Johnson, watch A Guy Named Joe to see how Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson handled the same roles. It provides a fascinating look at how Spielberg modernized (and softened) the story.
- Track the Hunter/Goodman collaboration: These two have incredible chemistry. They worked together again in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and seeing their range across different genres is a treat for any acting nerd.
- Study the cinematography of Mikael Salomon: He’s the one who captured those orange-hued fire scenes. His work on this movie led to a successful career as a director himself.
The film serves as a reminder that even the biggest directors in the world sometimes need to make something small and personal. It’s not a perfect movie, but the cast of the movie Always makes it a memorable one. Next time it’s raining outside and you want a movie that’s going to make you feel a little bit of everything, put this on. Just make sure you have tissues ready for the final flight.