Every Time We Say Goodbye 1986

War

Romance

Drama

Box Office

$279K

Runtime

95 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Moshé Mizrahi

Made by

TriStar Pictures

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Every Time We Say Goodbye Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Lt. David Bradley [Tom Hanks] is an American pilot who joins the Royal Air Force (RAF) before the United States enters World War II. After his North American P-51 Mustang is shot down in North Africa, he recovers from his leg injury in Jerusalem. He is transferred to a boarding house until his leg is fully functional. During his recovery, David meets Sarah Perrara [Cristina Marsillach], a serene girl of Spanish Jewish descent. Her cousin, Victoria [Anat Atzmon], has convinced her young cousin to accompany her as an alibi, as she wants to meet up with her RAF boyfriend, Peter [Benedict Taylor].

Peter and Victoria tell David and Sarah of their upcoming wedding plans. When David is told beforehand, he tries to discourage his friend from making the serious commitment. Sarah does not approve either, reminding Victoria of the problems that it would create for her in the family.

When a drunk Australian serviceman tries to force Sarah to kiss him, her cousin, Nessim [Moni Moshonov], pops out of nowhere to aid her while David knocks him out by breaking his cane over his head. She rushes off, angry that her cousin was watching her. David feigns not knowing Sarah, to protect Victoria and Peter. Nessim, grateful for David’s help, invites him for a drink. There, he confesses that he has been in love with Sarah since she was small. She is now 18, so he is hopeful. Nessim invites David to Sabbath dinner so that Sarah can thank him properly.

At the dinner, Sarah Perrara [Cristina Marsillach] sits among Sarah’s many Sephardic relatives. The grandmother declares that [Tom Hanks] is a good man who will live a long life. Afterward, Sarah thanks David, for help with both the Australian incident and for maintaining Victoria’s secret.

Although Sarah and David are attracted to each other, she is convinced that their diverse backgrounds mean that it could never work, so she refuses to go on a date with him. David tries to formally ask for her family’s permission, but they disapprove, mostly because he is the gentile son of a Protestant minister. Soon realizing their disapproval, David makes a quick exit.

David and Sarah next see each other at Peter and Victoria’s brief wedding. Although they keep running into each other in the small community, they part as frequently as they meet. They take a walk; when David asks Sarah to definitively tell him whether she wants him to leave her alone, she says yes, but then kisses him on the mouth for the first time.

The next day, as Nessim again speaks of loving her and of their possible future wedding, Sarah implies that she may love someone else. At a boxing match of one of her relatives, she tells him that she is leaving, then connects with David. Going for a walk, they dance briefly and kiss. Needing to see her again, David insists that they meet again, which one of her brothers witnesses. Sarah talks to her grandmother about her dilemma. The older woman senses her turmoil, but cannot offer any advice.

After David and Sarah spend the day together on a day trip out of town, he takes her to his boarding house. They are nearly intimate, but she again backs out. Before he is able to take her home, several of her younger family burst in, knock him out and drag her away.

Sarah is confined to her house, and they confiscate her clothes. A brother helps her sneak out; she goes to David’s boarding house, and they spend the night together. Before he awakens, Sarah goes to Nessim’s and, despite loving David, asks him to marry her. They make wedding plans while David is away in Egypt. He returns as he had promised, two days before the wedding. Just before he has to return, Sarah catches up to him. She promises that she will wait for him and write. They kiss and he flies away.

Every Time We Say Goodbye Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

David joins the RAF before America enters WWII

Lt. David Bradley, an American pilot, signs up with the Royal Air Force as tensions rise in Europe. He prepares for combat long before the United States will enter the war. This marks the start of his WWII service.

Pre-US entry WWII RAF bases in Europe

Shot down over North Africa and evacuated to Jerusalem

David's P-51 Mustang is shot down during a mission over North Africa and he sustains a leg injury. He is airlifted to Jerusalem to recover from his wounds. The injury sidelines him and begins a long convalescence far from the front lines.

During WWII North Africa; Jerusalem

Recovery in Jerusalem and a fateful meeting

While recovering, David is transferred to a boarding house in Jerusalem until his leg is fully functional. There he meets Sarah Perrara, a serene Sephardic Jewish woman whose family dynamics complicate their budding connection. The encounter sets the stage for a romance across cultural boundaries.

During recovery Jerusalem

Wedding plans emerge as Peter and Victoria bond with David and Sarah

Peter and Victoria share their upcoming wedding plans with David and Sarah, signaling the start of a social entanglement that tests loyalties. The announcements reveal the stakes of the relationship within a tight-knit community. The scene establishes the cross-cultural pressures facing the couple.

Early in the relationship Jerusalem boarding house

David discourages the engagement; family disapproval looms

David tries to discourage Peter from committing to Victoria, fearing the complications of their union. Sarah shares concerns about how her family would be affected by such a match. Their caution foreshadows the resistant pressures they will face.

Around wedding planning Jerusalem boarding house

An assault on Sarah; Nessim intervenes; David intervenes

A drunk Australian serviceman forces himself on Sarah, prompting Nessim to step in. David retaliates by breaking the aggressor's cane and knocking him out, sparing Sarah but leaving the powerful undercurrent of protective tension unresolved.

During recovery Boarding house vicinity

David feigns not knowing Sarah; Sabbath dinner invitation

To protect Victoria and Peter from scandal, David pretends not to know Sarah. Nessim, grateful for his aid, invites David to a Sabbath dinner where Sarah's family can thank him. Tensions rise as old loyalties and new passions collide.

Following the incident Nessim's home

Sabbath dinner with Sarah's Sephardic relatives

At the Sabbath dinner, Sarah's Sephardic relatives pepper David with questions about his background. He reveals that he is a minister's son, a detail the grandmother praises as a sign of a good, long life. Sarah expresses gratitude for his help and presence.

During Sabbath dinner Nessim's home / Sarah's family gathering

Religious and cultural barriers threaten the romance

Despite their mutual attraction, Sarah believes their different backgrounds make a future together impossible. David seeks his family's permission to pursue her, but disapproval from her community and his own faith background complicates any path forward. He exits, signaling the social obstacles ahead.

After Sabbath dinner Sephardic community in Jerusalem

Peter and Victoria's wedding; a painful moment of resolve

David and Sarah attend Peter and Victoria's wedding. They take a walk together, and when David asks whether she wants him to leave her alone, he is told yes. She then kisses him for the first time, marking a silent, bittersweet acknowledgment of their bond.

Shortly after the dinner Wedding venue, Jerusalem

Nessim's confession; a potential alternative future

The next day Nessim reiterates his love for Sarah and imagines a possible future wedding. Sarah hints that she may love someone else, intensifying the emotional tension and leaving her future uncertain.

Following Peter/Victoria wedding Jerusalem

A boxing match and a pivotal change of plans

During a boxing match among Sarah's relatives, she tells Nessim that she is leaving him. She then reconnects with David and they share a renewed moment of closeness as they walk together. The encounter deepens the conflict between duty and desire.

Shortly after Nessim's confession Jerusalem

A day out of town and a disruptive interruption

David and Sarah spend a day trip out of town, enjoying a rare moment of privacy. Just as they grow closer, younger family members burst in, knock David out, and drag Sarah away, disrupting their fragile intimacy.

After the walk Out of town

Confinement, escape, and a sleepless night

Back in Jerusalem, Sarah is confined to her house and her clothes are confiscated. A brother helps her slip out and she goes to David's boarding house, where they spend the night together. The romance persists despite the social barriers.

Following the escape Sarah's home; David's boarding house

Nessim's marriage plans and David's Egyptian absence

Sarah decides to seek Nessim's hand and they begin wedding plans while David is away in Egypt. The arrangement underscores the competing paths available to her and the distances that separate her from David.

While David is in Egypt Jerusalem / Nessim's home

David's return and the final farewell

David returns two days before the wedding, but time is short. Sarah catches up to him, pledging that she will wait and write, and they share a tender kiss before he flies away. The future remains unresolved, suspended between duty, love, and circumstance.

Just before the wedding Airfield / Jerusalem

Every Time We Say Goodbye Characters

Explore all characters from Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

David Bradley (Tom Hanks)

Lt. David Bradley is an American pilot who becomes a covert ally and romantic figure within the Jerusalem community. He is courteous, brave, and careful, often balancing duty with a rising, complicated affection for Sarah. His gentile background and role as a minister’s son add tension with Sarah’s Sephardic relatives, shaping his decisions and sense of responsibility.

🛡️ Courageous 💔 Forbidden romance 🌍 Cross-cultural

Sarah Perrara (Cristina Marsillach)

Sarah is a serene, Sephardic Jewish woman caught between love and family duty. She feels a strong connection to David but struggles with cultural expectations that threaten her future. Her evolving feelings are tempered by familial obligations and the social norms of her community.

🕊️ Serene 💔 Torn between love and family 🌍 Sephardic heritage

Victoria (Anat Atzmon)

Victoria is Sarah’s cousin who helps arrange an alibi and participates in the wedding plans. She represents pragmatic, family-centered pressure and the social dynamics that complicate the couple’s romance. Her actions reveal how appearances and alliances influence personal choices.

🎭 Impulsive 💔 Family pressure 👰 Wedding plans

Nessim (Moni Moshonov)

Nessim is a relative who carries an unspoken love for Sarah and becomes a pivotal link between the family and David. He supports Sarah’s happiness while navigating his own feelings, contributing to the social web that surrounds the love story.

❤️ Unrequited love 🕯️ Sephardic roots 🎭 Complex

Peter (Benedict Taylor)

Peter is Sarah’s RAF boyfriend and Victoria’s fiancé, whose wedding plans anchor the events of the story. He embodies a hopeful future within the war-era world, while the relationship he represents highlights the conflicts between personal desires and societal expectations.

💬 Love interest 🎖️ Military 🗺️ Worldly

Every Time We Say Goodbye Settings

Learn where and when Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

World War II era (early 1940s)

The story unfolds during World War II, a period of global conflict that shapes the characters’ choices and pressures. David serves with the RAF, and the war’s reach intersects with personal lives in Jerusalem and beyond. Wartime urgency, travel, and danger amplify the stakes of romance and family duty in the narrative.

Location

Jerusalem, North Africa, Egypt

Jerusalem is the primary setting where David recovers in a boarding house and meets Sarah amid a close-knit Sephardic family. The film hints at wartime life in a city that brings together different traditions and communities. The North Africa theater appears in the background as David’s wartime service, and Egypt is referenced as part of the travel timeline surrounding the couple’s hopes and separations.

🕌 Jerusalem 🗺️ North Africa 🏜️ Egypt 🏠 Boarding house

Every Time We Say Goodbye Themes

Discover the main themes in Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💞

Forbidden Love

David and Sarah are drawn to each other despite clear barriers of religion and culture. Their growing bond challenges the expectations of family, community, and social norms. The relationship must contend with secrecy, disapproval, and the risk of disrupting several intertwined lives.

🛡️

Duty

David’s duty as an airman and as the son of a minister shapes his decisions and restraint. War-era obligations pull him away from personal happiness and force difficult choices. The tension between professional duty and personal longing highlights the cost of allegiance during wartime.

🏛️

Tradition

Sarah’s Sephardic family anchors the social world of the story, with tradition guiding marriage and family honor. That tradition exerts pressure on Sarah’s autonomy and her ability to choose freely. Even as love blossoms, communal expectations dictate caution and restraint.

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Every Time We Say Goodbye Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the heat of World War II, the ancient city of Jerusalem becomes a crossroads of faith, politics, and war. The British‑controlled enclave bustles with soldiers, refugees, and a mosaic of communities whose daily lives are shadowed by conflict and the ever‑present threat of upheaval. Against this backdrop of historic stone and modern turmoil, the city’s narrow alleyways and sun‑drenched rooftops echo with whispered hopes and unspoken tensions, establishing a tone that is both intimate and expansive—a place where love can blossom even as the world teeters on the edge of disaster.

Enter David Bradley, an American Protestant pilot who joins the Royal Air Force before his homeland has entered the war. Injured and temporarily grounded, he finds himself stationed in Jerusalem, far from the skies he once commanded. His upbringing as the son of a minister imbues him with a quiet moral compass, while his military training instills a disciplined resilience. Yet beneath his steady exterior lies a yearning for connection, a desire to find meaning beyond the roar of engines and the cadence of orders.

Within the same winding streets lives Sarah Perrara, a young woman of Spanish‑Jewish heritage whose family’s deep-rooted traditions shape every facet of her existence. She moves through a world colored by centuries of diaspora, religious observance, and communal expectations. Though her outward demeanor is serene, an inner current of curiosity and longing drives her to contemplate a future that might stretch beyond the familiar boundaries set by her lineage and the war‑scarred city around her.

When their paths intersect, a fragile yet undeniable attraction surfaces, hinting at possibilities that defy the rigid social and religious divides of their time. Their budding relationship is framed by the ever‑present sounds of distant bombardments and the subtle stirrings of a city in flux, suggesting that even amid uncertainty, the human heart seeks companionship and hope. The story promises a delicate dance between duty and desire, inviting viewers to wonder how far two souls will go to bridge the chasms of faith, culture, and a world at war.

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