An Officer and a Gentleman **** (1982, Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith) – Classic Movie Review 1,993

Director Taylor Hackford’s 1982 military drama plus a dash of romance film An Officer and a Gentleman was one of Richard Gere’s biggest hits, propelling him to the front rank of stardom. He plays Zack Mayo is a young US naval recruit with a bad attitude problem who has signed up for Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School. But Zack must complete his work at the Navy Flight school to become an aviator.

Louis Gossett Jnr was the first African American actor to win an Academy Award for 19 years, since Sidney Poitier for Lilies of the Field when won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as the tough gunnery sergeant Emil Foley who evaluates Zack and finds him wanting. It’s drill instructor Foley’s job to train him and he remorselessly licks him into shape in an unlucky 13 weeks of the most gruelling physical and psychological officer training.

Douglas Day Stewart’s screenplay may have clichés and stereotypes galore, but it is very expertly done, and the movie is most enjoyably handled and thumpingly acted. Gere and Gossett are just right, though we could do with more of David Keith’s role as the nice rookie Sid Worley, and Debra Winger has precious little meat to work with either as Zack’s new girlfriend Paula Pokrifki, the local factory worker who loves Zack and wants to marry him.

Unfortunately, Zack thinks she has little to offer beyond family, and he must decide what he wants to do with his life and whether he wants her in it.

If Winger’s role in thinly sketched, it is easy to conclude that, though this is a boys’ movie, better parts for the women would have made a better movie, though Lisa Blount, Lisa Eilbacher, Grace Zabriskie and Mara Scott Wood fill their roles well. Robert Loggia (as the father, Byron Mayo), Tony Plana, Harold Sylvester, David Caruso, Victor French and Tommy Petersen co-star.

It was a big hit, grossing $190 million against a budget around $6million to $7 million.

Gossett won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the first Black actor to do so, as well as a Golden Globe Award. The film won a second Oscar for Best Original Song (for ‘Up Where We Belong’) and also received Oscar nominations for Best Actress (for Debra Winger), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score, though noticeably not for Gere.

The TV version cuts the film’s 27 four-letter words and sex scenes.

The cast are Richard Gere as Zack Mayo, Tommy Petersen as young Zack, Debra Winger as Paula Pokrifki, David Keith as Sid Worley, Louis Gossett Jr. as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, Lisa Blount as Lynette Pomeroy, Robert Loggia as Byron Mayo,  Lisa Eilbacher as Casey Seeger, Tony Plana as Emiliano Santos Della Serra, Harold Sylvester as Lionel Perryman, David Caruso as Topper Daniels, Victor French as Joe Pokrifki, Grace Zabriskie as Esther Pokrifki, Elizabeth Rogers as Betty Worley, John Laughlin as Troy, and Ed Begley Jr (voice) as Altitude Chamber Instructor.

Joe Cocker.

So six Oscar nominations and two wins. Along with Gossett’s triumph, the memorable, uplifting theme tune ‘Up Where We Belong’ also won an Oscar for Best Original Song (music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, lyrics by Will Jennings). It is hauntingly performed by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes and was a worldwide hit.

Sheffield-born singer Joe Cocker died on 22 December 2014 at the age of 70 at his home in Colorado, where he had been battling lung cancer. Cocker was most famous for his cover of the Beatles’ ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ as well as the shambling dance steps that inspired a Saturday Night Live parody from John Belushi. Cocker also had top-ten hits with ‘The Letter’, ‘You Are So Beautiful’ and ‘Up Where We Belong’.

Louis Gossett Jr.

Louis Gossett Jr (May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024) made his stage debut at 17 and had a successful stage career until in 1977 he appeared in the TV miniseries Roots, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series. Then in 1982, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman, and became the first Black actor to win in this category. He was also well known as Colonel Chappy Sinclair in the Iron Eagle films (1986-1995).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1,993

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