Pete Sandich (Richard Dreyfuss), his buddy Al Yackey (John Goodman) and his girl Dorinda Durston (Holly Hunter) are all firefighting pilots. Dorinda has a premonition about impending doom for Pete. She convinces him to take a training job in Colorado but Pete is pressed into service one last time. Al's plane catches on fire and Pete saves him but loses his own life. In the afterlife, Pete meets Hap (Audrey Hepburn) who sends him back to the world to inspire people. Al is now running a school and Ted Baker (Brad Johnson) is the newbie. Dorinda is depressed working as an air traffic controller. Al takes her back with him to Colorado.
Steven Spielberg is not known for romance. The comedy bits from Goodman is alright. I have no doubt that Spielberg wanted to stretch but he struggled to make this compelling. The movie starts well with some chemistry between Dreyfuss and Hunter. They have a good report. The problem is that the chemistry becomes a much more complicated thing. She basically has two loves and Johnson has no charisma at all. It becomes wonky although Dreyfuss keeps it from falling apart.
Steven Spielberg is not known for romance. The comedy bits from Goodman is alright. I have no doubt that Spielberg wanted to stretch but he struggled to make this compelling. The movie starts well with some chemistry between Dreyfuss and Hunter. They have a good report. The problem is that the chemistry becomes a much more complicated thing. She basically has two loves and Johnson has no charisma at all. It becomes wonky although Dreyfuss keeps it from falling apart.