My life changed dramatically and forever when I lost TJ.

I welcome you to follow along as I adjust to my "new normal".

It is not all puppies and ice cream but it is my life....real and honest.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

One of My Favorite Movies - "Always"

I am not a movie person at all. TV/movies bore me and put me to sleep. Fact is, I haven't been to a movie theater since high school and, well, we all know the main reason I went then. While there have been many times that I have begun watching a movie there are very few that I actually stayed awake long enough to see the ending. The movie Always is one that manages to keep my attention.

Always was released in 1989 and was not a big blockbuster even though it was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It starred Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson and Audrey Hepburn.  Always is a remake of the 1943 drama A Guy Name Joe. Both Dreyfuss and Spielberg were fans of the 1943 movie and talked about doing a remake of it during the filming of Jaws in 1974. I have read somewhere that A Guy Named Joe is what inspired Spielberg to become a movie director.

The basic plot is about a firefighter pilot that returns to earth after being killed in a fire to help his girlfriend fall for another pilot and get on with her life. To me it is similar to the movie Ghost that was released at a later date.

I was originally drawn to the movie because it is about wildfires. I had just left a 5 year stint at Grand Canyon National Park and moved to Indiana. I had numerous friends while living at the canyon that were firefighters. I was able to liken the various personalities in the movie to friends. I even related to the sense of loss the entire firefighting community feels when they lose one of their own.

Now, all these years later, the movie has a different meaning to me.  I now relate to the loss Holly Hunter (Dorinda) feels.  I understand her deep grief. I understand her ability to not "move on" to a new relationship even though she has met someone she is interested in. I understand the scenes where she "feels" Richard Dreyfuss (Pete) in her presence.

Most of all, I truly understand loss now. I didn't when I first watched this movie and fell in love with it.  My life was easy and carefree then. My life had not yet been shattered by loss and I had no idea what the future was to hold for me. Always is a movie that has touched me for many, many years.  If you have the opportunity to watch it please do. It may just touch you also.

4 comments:

  1. I haven't seen Always since it first came out, but I remember I liked it and thought it was sad. I should watch it again.

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  2. **My life was easy and carefree then**

    Oh, I want that life back...

    I must watch this movie again...I may feel different about it now... May understand it now....

    Love flowing to you. Xx

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  3. i watched the movie at the theaters when it came out. loved it then. love it now. so hard for me to watch though. i always cry through it. the ending punches me in the chest.

    i guess i am dragging my a** through grief. going to try to look through my/your camera =0) and find the beauty i used to see.

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  4. I'll watch for this one on Netflix. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. May your 2012 be full of nothing but goodness!

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