Review of Private Benjamin (1980) by Blake P — 29 Sep 2011

Often considered to be Goldie Hawn's best vehicle, "Private Benjamin" unfortunately came as a disappointment to me. Judy Benjamin (Hawn) is a spoiled "daddy's-little-girl" who's getting married for the second time, but her plans change when her husband of six hours dies on their wedding night.

Unsure of what to do with her life, she answers a radio call that turns out to be from the army. The guy who puts her in makes her believe it's all glitz and glamor, but it ends up being a lot tougher than she thought, especially when it comes to being around her tough drill sergeant (Brennan), but in the end she ends up liking it.

Things seem to be going her way, but when she falls for a French communist (Assante), she has to choose to stay in the army or be with him. "Private Benjamin" is considered to be one of the funniest movies ever made, and one of Hawns' best roles.

I will admit, I though the first hour was hilarious-- but the second half ... not so much. The first part is filled with gags, slapstick, and funny performances by Hawn and Eileen Brennan, but in the second half, when Hawn falls for Armand Assante, that's when the laughs leave the movie.

At that point, her character is matured, so we don't get all of those silly one liners we did before, and since Brennan doesn't appear much, not a lot of the absurd comedy is there, so the film goes down by then.

I will recommend this movie though-- I'm just an opinion, but by what the others are saying, this is a funny movie, and it is (for a while). Hawn and Brennan are very funny and deserved their nominations.

All in all, "Private Benjamin" isn't very even, but it's entertaining enough to not waste your time.