An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Richard Gere plays an enrollee at a Naval officers candidate school, and Debra Winger is the woman who wants him. That's pretty much it, story-wise, in this romantic drama, which is more effective in a moment-to-moment, scene-by-scene way, where the two stars and Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr.--as Gere's tough-as-nails drill instructor--are fun to watch. Sexy, syrupy, with occasional pitches of high drama (Gere having a near-breakdown during training is pretty strong), An Officer and a Gentleman proves to be a no-brainer date movie. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

Two thumbs down...

An officer and a gentleman tries to combine two plots: 1) a good-for-nothing tries to make it in the navy and 2) A romance between two people from different social standards. These are two genres that CAN mix, but director Taylor Hackford just didn't succeed. In two hours, he showed 13 weeks of military training, a developing romance and character building. As I said before, this can be done, but Hackford just scratched the surface with every plot. He just took too little time to really show the essence of each plot. Hackford skips entire weeks and that's what killed this movie. If he stuck with 1 story (the navy one would be the best if you ask me), he probably would have made a great movie. Trying to stuff the movie with plots is not the only mistake Hackford made. His choice of actors was another. Richard Gere wasn't really at his best here. He just overacted too obvious. The scene where Mayo said the famous line "I've got nowhere else to go" was clearly overacted. A couple of minutes before that, Mayo said "I ain't gonna quit". My stomach twisted when he said that, it was simply too overacted. So, what've we got: a bad story and a really bad male lead. OK, I can see you think "Where does that one star come from?" Well, there was one thing I did like about the film, which was the music. I simply love `Up where we belong'... September 3, 2008

Realistic

can love overcome a troubled and loveless background? Can a cold heart have the ice melt away? Well,this movie was fascinating and I loved richard gere's character and how he was able to rise above his past to become something better. August 3, 2008

Eagles Fly from Mountains High: A Powerful Journey

This film is a classic and viscerally honest portrayal of human conflict and personal growth. It clearly depicts working class young adults who sought to break away from past barriers and limitations and build better lives for themselves. It is a coming of age story, where a full spectrum of feelings are explored as young adults learn about fulfilling their potential, building value systems and attempting to fulfill personal desires with honesty and integrity on many levels. Two hot young stars were cast in the leading roles: Richard Gere who was riding high on his recent success in "American Gigolo" and Debra Winger who shined in her role in "Urban Cowboy". With stars of this caliber, it surprised me to learn (in the Special Features section) that doubts existed about the film's acceptance by theater audiences. In fact, the script had made the rounds of different studios for eight years, with no one daring to make the film which was essentially about training Naval pilots. The concern was it was too close to the end of the Viet Nam War and would be rejected by the public as being about war. Luckily, the film was interpreted very differently by the viewing audience who saw it in a positive light where personal survival, transformation and the expression of love were the key elements successfully played out on film.

Richard Gere stars as Zack Mayo, a hardened, slightly rebellious loner who locked up his feelings and dared not get emotionally close to people. He had been hurt as a youth when his mother committed suicide and he went to live with his dad, who was a selfish womanizer and alcoholic. When Zack announced his acceptance into Naval candidacy school to become a pilot, his father did not give him accolades or support. This was nothing new and it did not matter to Zack who pursued his dream with determination and courage. At the Port Townsend Naval Base, Zack learned discipline and made new friends. The camaraderie of being candidates and challenging themselves to acheive their goals awakened something new within him which totally transformed him. Zack excelled in physical survival skills and martial arts training. It was Gunnery Sergeant Foley's job to detect weakness of character and courage, to eliminate candidates who would not survive under the harsh conditions of war. Foley knew of Zack's streetwise rebellious tendencies and rode him hard. Foley and Zack clashed periodically and one climactic scene especially stood out ... where Foley meted out severe discipline and punishment to get Zack to ask for a "D.O.R" slip (drop out on request). Zack endured the punishment and after a particularly difficult session of physical endurance tests, Zack *finally* gut wrenchingly admitted, "I got nowhere else to go" ...

Besides the obvious story about a group of young adults who under go rigorous training to become Naval pilots, several other stories arise and are fully developed within the plot which makes this film so highly appealing. Early on, Sgt Foley warned the candidates that young ladies who work in local factories, come from across the Puget Sound, to meet Naval candidates, with one goal in mind: to marry a Navy pilot. They will stoop to any means to win their man. Zack and his friend Sid are dressed to kill in their white uniforms during a social dance where they connect with two charming and beautiful factory workers of similar age to themselves. Paula a raven-haired beauty, played by Deborah Winger is paired with Zack, while Lynette, an attractive blond is paired with Sid. The attraction between the paired off guys and ladies is mutual and in a short time, they often meet for consensual physical liasons, even going to a local motel when the candidates are on leave. While everyone agrees it is with "no strings attached", the ladies have secret agendas with hopes of marriage. Zack attempts to play the gentleman, by going to meet Paula's parents and have dinner at their home. However, he still holds back and makes no promises to Paula. Paula plays it cool, claiming to expect nothing but she *does* manage to melt his cool exterior when their physical relationship becomes more steamy and personal. The guys discuss their plans to break off the liasons after graduation. As the end of their training is near, the two candidates cool their relationships with the two ladies. Lynette pulls a trick to win Sid, that backfires in ways totally unimaginable. She refuses Sid's engagement ring which results in one of the saddest, most gut-wrenching, heart-breaking and realistic scenes ever depicted on film. This earth-shattering event shakes Zack up and makes him realize what is real and important in his life ... While the ending may arguably be interpreted by some as corny and hokey, in effect, it is very satisfying and provides an honest and fulfilling conclusion to the film. Erika Borsos [pepper flower] May 20, 2008

After years - a really good movie

I first saw this movie years ago when I had a terrible crush on Richard Gere (what a hunk). I recently bought this for "old time sake", watched it again (years later), what a great movie. Richard Gere is a superb actor, so is Deborah Winger. A love story with true grit - more real than most stories I have seen. The one part that everyone seems to love is Deborah standing by the jukebox, desperately trying to act like she is not interested in Gere - was that great acting or what? In the interviews behind the scenes with Richard he says he thought that the ending was too much - too unreal. He was surprised once he saw it on film how it worked. It does - it is a great movie in my opinion.

I had the opportunity to work with Richard Gere years later in a movie as an extra. I met him (heart beating fast), he is one of the kindest person's in show business. A really great guy.

I recommend this movie in any collection - especially for the gals who loved and still love Richard Gere. May 5, 2008

An "Uplifting" Movie

Richard Gere stars in this refreshing movie about romance, friendship, and growth.

Gere stars as Zack Mayo, a rebellious loner who decides to enter the Navy's flight training program. Suffering from the after-effects of his mother's suicide and life with an indifferent father, Zack decides that the Navy would make a good career choice. Plus, he's always wanted to fly jets.

The first person Zack meets after arriving on base is Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Louis Gossett, Jr.). Foley is a tough, hard-nosed drill instructor who takes nothing from recruits. He pushes them both physically and mentally, but he wants the recruits to succeed. During the course of the movie, Foley and Zack develop a somewhat rocky relationship, but each man respects the other. Ultimately, Foley ends up playing a major role in Zack's life.

Also present is Sid Worley (David Keith), another officer candidate whom Zack befriends. Together, the two meet two local girls: Paula (Debra Winger) and Lynette (Lisa Blount). Foley cautioned the group about the local women and their desire to snag a husband, but Foley's warning didn't stop Zack and Sid. Soon, the foursome is spending all of their available time together. Zack and Paula begin to have feelings for each other, but Zack is reluctant to commit to her based on his past. Meanwhile, Lynette and Sid's relationship has taken a different turn. Sid is falling in love with Lynette, but she's not sure how she feels about him. To complicate matters further, Lynette announces she's pregnant. Unsure of what to do, Sid D.O.R.'s in the 12th week of training, hoping to marry Lynette and move back to Oklahoma. However, Lynette has no intentions of marrying Sid, instead saying she wants to marry a pilot and live overseas. Devastated, Sid leaves, and the upcoming consequences are terrible for all involved.

Zack and the rest of his class manage to survive Foley's training and graduate to the next step of their careers. Along the way, Zack has learned the value of friendship and sacrificing personal gains in order to help others. Zack and Paula's relationship has remained somewhat up in the air, but Zack goes to the factory where she works and carries her in his arms out the door, to the cheers of the other workers.

This is a very good movie. Richard Gere is very good in his role as Zack, but the film really belongs to Louis Gossett, Jr. His portrayal of the hard-nosed Foley is truly the highlight of the film. The story is devised very well, too. I enjoyed watching the relationship among Zack, Paula, Sid, and Lynette develop, and the story about the training the recruits went through is good as well.

I recommend this movie very highly. The movie is rich and satisfying, and the moving performances will stay with you long after the movie has ended. February 22, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...