Review of An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) by Danny R — 09 Dec 2011
An 80s classic that is a well-crafted and truly uplifting film that is superbly directed byTaylor Hackford, it was a surprise box-office smash hit at the time of its release, it also established Richard Gere as a major motion picture star due to his sensational breakout performance as Zack Mayo, a selfish, hardened, rebellious loner who enters the Officers Candidate School to become a Naval Aviator, but first he most undergo thirteen torturous weeks of training at the hands of the imperious, unrelenting, tough-as-nails but sympathetic drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, played by Louis Gossett Jr.
in a phenomenal muti-layered Oscar winning performance, it will be Foley who will be pivotal in the personal growth of Mayo, he will teach him that no man is an island and can make it alone, Mayo will learn the importance of discipline, friendship and teamwork he befriends another candidate named Sid Worley who will becomes his best friend, he is wonderfully played by David Keith.
Foley warns all of his young candidates about the local girls who will do anything to catch themselves a husband who is a Naval Aviator, which is the answer to their dreams of escaping their life of drudgery at the paper mill, Mayo and Sid begin dating two of the town girls Paula and Lynette, played by Debra Winger in a luminous Oscar nominated performance and Lisa Blount who delivers a solid turn.
Mayo who has had great hardship in his life as a youth with the suicide of his mother and having to be raised in the Philippines by his estranged amoral womanizing alcoholic father, played excellently by Robert Loggia is now beginning to slowly fall in love for the first in his life with Paula, while his best friend Sid struggles with a very different fate.
Richard Gere and Debra Winger have a real chemistry that is electric, their scenes together are tender and genuinely moving and their steamy sex scenes are realistic and beautifully photographed. Excellent musical score by Jack Nitzsche with a knockout Oscar winning song "Up Where We Belong," sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren.
This film has it all romance, anguish, humor and a potent heartfelt ending that packs a real emotional wallop. Highly Recommended.
This review of An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) was written by Danny R on 09 Dec 2011.
An Officer and a Gentleman has generally received positive reviews.
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