The greatest movie ever!

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

I watched Always first and so this is the Spielberg movie that builds my feelings.It's interesting to have cinema experience backwards because the retro effect is much more powerful than following the timeline.Here, i'm surprised to see that the 2 stories are really look alike: a daredevil, a buddy, a woman in love and as skilled as the guys, a robe, a new love and for sure a lot of planes, surely the motivation of young Spielberg to discover the movie. Indeed, sometimes, the movie recalls me 1941 and above all Empire of the sun.But here, the big change is the location: it's not about firefighters but soldiers!And the beyond is not about one solitary angel Miss Hepburn but the after life of all deceased soldiers! This original background is not that essential because fighting fire is someway maybre more cruel and powerful but the beyond world is much more believable: the old pilots taught the young pilots!As for the cast, Spielberg gives more fun but in a way, Dreyfuss could never have been a soldier! And for me, Holly would remain the best Lorinda ever because the original actress may be good, she is behind for the fire level!

For all it's reportedly Steven Spielberg's favourite Hollywood movie, I found it rather awkward to watch and enjoy. I admire Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne and found them an agreeably spiky couple for the first half hour of the film evoking memories of Cary Grant and Jean Arthur in "Only Angels Have Wings" but from that gritty introduction to the main characters, the film then "goes Capra" and into a strange fantasy with Tracy winding up in heaven after a bombing mission goes wrong and then getting the job, Clarence-style of chaperoning young buck Van Johnston to fly in his slipstream, not only as a daring pilot but also, eventually overcoming his inbuilt jealous reluctance, to supersede his own place in Dunne's grieving heart.Now I love fantasy films of this ilk, "A Matter Of Life And Death" and "It's A Wonderful Life" prominent amongst them, but here the narrative is just too fantastical and sentimental especially the coincidence of Dunne falling for Johnston, (she looks old enough to be his mother), Tracy getting the job of being Johnston's guardian angel and the ridiculous ending where Dunne carries out Johnson's so-called suicide mission, under Tracy's spectral, but watchful gaze and tutelage and of course defies death in the process.These scenes and more turn the credible into the incredible and even solid acting from the leads and exciting air-sequences couldn't convince me that this belongs in the pantheon of Golden Age Hollywood classics.Sorry Mr Spielberg...

I saw this movie when it first came out (over 65 years ago) and I have seen thousands since; but this is one I will always remember. It also has a great cast. Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne lead the way with Van Johnson, James Gleason, Ward Bond and many more right behind. What a love story...I also saw the sequels, don't even remember their names but I will NEVER forget this one....They don't make 'em like this any more....Too bad for the younger generation.... Today's movies show our young people Violence, sex, nudity, filthy language, drugs etc..... Is it any wonder there is so much of all this in our young people today... Lets hope our film industry gets back to making "worthwhile" movies..

"A Guy Named Joe" is a beautiful, sentimental, tear-jerker of a film starring Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, Van Johnson, Lionel Barrymore, Ward Bond, James Gleason, and Dom Defore. Tracy is Pete, a fighter pilot in World War II involved with Dorinda (Dunne), a female flier. Apparently pilots whose "number is up" emit some kind of dead man walking spirit, because Dunne recognizes the signs and wants Pete to return to the states with her and teach fledgling pilots. She's so desperate that he agrees, but he's called for one last mission, and the inevitable happens. Before he knows it, no one can see him or hear him, he's escorted around heaven and earth by Barry Nelson, and assigned to be an angel for a young pilot (Johnson).For all the warmth of this film, it was fraught with problems behind the scenes. Van Johnson was in a horrid car accident before he finished filming. The actors said they wanted to wait for him rather than see him replaced. That story may or may not be true, as the scar on his forehead is only visible in a couple of scenes; there can't have been much left to film. The second problem was that Spencer Tracy kept coming on to Irene Dunne, which made her furious, and she complained to the front office. She never worked with him again, which is a pity, because they made a charismatic screen couple.Spencer Tracy is fantastic as a cocky pilot who comes down to earth only when he dies. His scenes as he stands behind Dunne telling her what he should have said to her while alive are very tender. Dunne is excellent as always - strong yet vulnerable, and she gets to sing "I'll Get By" in her lovely soprano. Johnson, in his breakthrough role, is good-looking, boyish, and likable. One of the nicest thing about "A Guy Named Joe" is some of the lighting effects - the silhouette of Dunne as she says goodbye to Pete; the look of his plane in the distance when she first arrives - these really add to the sense of foreboding.Strangely, when viewed today, "A Guy Named Joe" is a feminist movie in more ways than even it knew. Dunne is a female pilot and proves her mettle in a dangerous mission. But more than that, consider the fact that she becomes involved with Johnson in the film and was 18 years his senior! She was 45 when this movie was released, and Johnson was 29. The age difference is obvious. Good for her - playing a lead at that age while employed by Louis B, no less, and having a younger love interest! Mayer is the man who booted out Joan Crawford and didn't make any noise when Garbo and Shearer left.If your eyes aren't moist at the end of "A Guy Named Joe," it'll be surprising. Much loved by Steven Spielberg (who remade it), and a lot of other people, it still touches the heart today and reinforced to wartime audiences that the spirit of their deceased ones continues on, with love the tie that binds.