Why Steven Spielberg spent a decade obsessed with a 1943 wartime melodrama
In short: Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss spent years quoting lines from the 1943 film A Guy Named Joe, eventually turning their shared obsession into the 1989 aerial firefighting drama Always. It was a passion project that served as Audrey Hepburn's final screen appearance and a tribute to a bygone era.
The 1989 film Always, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a modern reimagining of the 1943 romantic drama A Guy Named Joe. While the original was set during World War II, Spielberg shifted the narrative to the high-stakes world of contemporary aerial firefighting. The plot remains centered on a deceased pilot who returns as a spirit to mentor a successor while watching over the woman he left behind. The project had a long gestation period, with Spielberg and Dreyfuss discussing a remake as early as 1974 while filming Jaws.
Production was a massive undertaking that utilized the Kootenai National Forest in Montana and locations in eastern Washington to simulate the firefighting environment. To capture the intensity of the blazes, the crew incorporated actual footage from the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fires. The film also featured a wide array of aircraft, including two Douglas A-26 Invader fire bombers, with aerial sequences achieved through a mix of models, rear projection, and specialized photography.
Always marked the final film role for Audrey Hepburn, who donated much of her salary to UNICEF. Despite the high-profile production and a $31 million budget, the film earned mixed reviews upon its December 22, 1989 release. Critics like Roger Ebert dismissed it as dated, while others saw it as a charming, if sentimental, fantasy. Ultimately, the film grossed $74.1 million worldwide, leaving a legacy as a potential precursor to the 1990 hit Ghost.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Always (1989 film)
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