Distinctly Montana Magazine

84 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 - 2 0 2 6 the constant danger to which he and his cowork- ers submit themselves and impressed by their willing- ness to keep doing it. Holly Hunter's Dorinda is fitting- ly updated to modern sensi- bilities—she can fly planes as well and has a charming tomboyish energy—but she is spiritually akin to Arthur as the rare woman in an overwhelmingly masculine professional space who loves a man doomed by his commitment to the job he does so well. Probably the most beautiful shot in the entire film (courtesy of cinematographer Mikael Salomon) is a close-up of Dorinda, silently absorbing the news that Pete is preparing to depart on what will be his final flight, the blazing gold of the rising sun resting atop the indigo blue of the fading night sky behind her. It's a single wordless encapsulation of love and life being insuperable from the reality of death and loss. The film was shot around Libby, Montana, as well as in portions of the Kootenai National Forest (though the scenes that are ostensibly set in Colorado were shot in Washington state and soundstages were used for the interiors). Several hundred locals from Libby served as extras in some of the bigger scenes on the air base, and the name of the city is briefly mentioned at one point during a crucial radio conversation—hence, I feel one can assume that the action takes place in Montana, albeit in magic movie-land Montana. Spielberg requested permission from the Forest Service to send out crews to capture aerial footage of the massive wildfires in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 to use for the film. Later, a few addition- al forest fire scenes were shot in areas of the park that had already burned; they were re-burned (distressing as this is to contemplate) with the supervision of the special effects team, who rigged pre-burned trees to light again on cue. But Montana provid- ed the element of wa- ter in addition to that of fire. The lake that appears at the begin- ning of the movie and that features signifi- cantly in the conclusion was Bull Lake, located south of Troy. In the midst of a long hot summer, it might do well to give Always a try, especially if you're feeling lovelorn or otherwise in need of reassurance. Earnest vindication of love and the importance of a life lived in service to others may be out of fashion, but when did fashion dictate actual merit? And when the setting is as grand and enduring as northwestern Montana, what is there lacking? D M G O R S U B S C R I B E A D S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY A N D B R I NG A N D B R I NG DI S T I NC T LY MON TA NA DI S T I NC T LY MON TA NA R IG H T T O YOU R DE N. R IG H T T O YOU R DE N. SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE AND GET IT DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME (OR DEN!) distinctlymontana.com/subscribe SEND A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT MATCHING THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD YOU'D LIKE: 1 YEAR - $39.95 2 YEARS - $69.95 3 YEARS - $99.95 MAIL CHECKS TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA • PO BOX 84 • BOZEMAN, MT 59771 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE, CALL 406-600-7660

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