Synopsis
Pete Sandich (Dreyfuss) is one of a group of
aerial firefighters, who fly war-surplus aircraft dropping
fire retardant slurry to put out forest
wildfires. He and Dorinda Durston (Hunter), a pilot who doubles as a dispatcher, have an unusual relationship. After another of Pete's unnecessarily risky flying stunts, the pilots, mechanics and
firemen are hanging out at the saloon. Pete surprises Dorinda with a stunning white dress for her birthday, although it turns out to be the wrong day. She puts on the dress anyway and all the guys rush to wash their hands so they get a turn dancing with her, to the lovely melody of the couple's song, ''
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes''.
Al Yackey (Goodman) is Pete's pal, a big trustworthy guy who really cares about Pete's well-being and is an enthusiastic booster of his relationship with Dorinda. He sits Pete down for a beer and likens their situation to
wartime England (
Quonset huts, warm beer, and hotshot pilots flying bombers) in order to emphasize the key difference:
''Pete, there ain't no war here. And this is why you're not exactly a hero for taking these chances you take. You're more of what I would call a dickhead.''
Al recommends Pete take a safer job which has just opened up, training firefighting pilots in Flat Rock,
Colorado.
Dorinda reinforces the message, telling Pete:
''I could at least understand how you fly if you were risking yourself for civilization. If you were putting your life on the line for another life, anybody's life. I love you, Pete, but I'm not enjoying it.''
After deciding to take Al's advice, Pete risks his life one last time. While on a bombing run, one of the engines on Al's
Catalina water bomber catches fire. In desperation, Pete makes a dangerously steep dive to extinguish it with
slurry. He saves Al, but his own
A-26 bomber flies so low it hits one of the burning trees, catches fire and explodes.
The next thing he knows, he's getting his hair cut in a beautiful forest setting, although six months have elapsed in the real world. His barber, Hap (
Audrey Hepburn in her final screen role) — who is actually an angel — explains Pete's new role. Just as he was inspired when he needed it most, now he in turn is going to provide ''
Spiritus'' ("the divine breath") to others. As she puts it, “They hear you inside their own minds as if it were their thoughts.”
Pete is promoted to
guardian angel (“We don't send back the other kind”) and is assigned to guide a true-hearted, but awkward new pilot, Ted Baker (
Brad Johnson), who falls in love with Dorinda. This becomes Pete's biggest challenge: to say goodbye to Dorinda, instead of selfishly hanging on to a love which can no longer be.
Ted volunteers for an extremely dangerous mission, one that is vital to save a crew of firefighters surrounded by flames. Unable to bear the thought of losing another loved one, Dorinda steals Ted's plane and completes the job, with Pete's inspiration. On the way back, he tells her all the things he wanted to say, but never got around to while he was alive. When they land, he releases her heart, so that Ted can take his place, saying “That's my girl… and that's my boy.”