An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writer:

Douglas Day Stewart (written by)

Release Date:

13 August 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It will lift you up where you belong.

Plot:

A young man must complete his work at a Navy Flight school to become an aviator, with the help of a tough gunnery sergeant and his new girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Navy | Suicide | Sailor | Friendship | Nudity

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Zack Mayo
Debra Winger	...	Paula Pokrifki
David Keith	...	Sid Worley
Robert Loggia	...	Byron Mayo
Lisa Blount	...	Lynette Pomeroy
Lisa Eilbacher	...	Casey Seeger
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Sgt. Emil Foley
Tony Plana	...	Emiliano Della Serra
Harold Sylvester	...	Perryman
David Caruso	...	Topper Daniels
Victor French	...	Joe Pokrifiki
Grace Zabriskie	...	Esther Pokrifiki
Tommy Petersen	...	Young Zack
Mara Scott-Wood	...	Bunny (as Mara Scott Wood)
David Greenfield	...	Schneider
Dennis Rucker	...	Donny
Jane Wilbur	...	Nellie Rufferwell
Buck Welcher	...	Thraxton
Vern Taylor	...	Tom Worley
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Betty Worley
David R. Marshall	...	Drill Instructor #1
Gary C. Stillwell	...	Drill Instructor #2
Tee Dennard	...	Dilbert Dunker Instructor
Norbert M. Murray	...	Altitude Chamber Instructor
Daniel Tyler	...	New Recruit
William S. Graves	...	Captain Graves (as William Graves)
Brian D. Ford	...	Aerodynamics Instructor
Michael C. Pavey	...	Officer of the Day
Keith J. Haar	...	Air Officer Candidate
Pia Boyer	...	Paula's Sister
Danna Kiesel	...	Paula's Sister
Marvin Goatcher	...	Himself
John Laughlin	...	Troy
Jeffrey P. Rondeau	...	Troy's Friend
Michael Lee Bolger	...	Man in Crowd
Mark L. Graves	...	Bartender
Meleesa Wyatt	...	Prostitute #1
Jo Anna Keane	...	Prostitute #2
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Voice of Altitude Chamber Instructor (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bernard Madrid	...	Platoon member (uncredited)

Directed by
Taylor Hackford

Writing credits
Douglas Day Stewart		(written by)

Produced by
Martin Elfand	....	producer
Douglas Day Stewart	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche		(music by)

Cinematography by
Donald E. Thorin		(director of photography) (as Donald Thorin)

Film Editing by
Peter Zinner

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Philip M. Jefferies

Art Direction by
John V. Cartwright		(as John Cartwright)

Set Decoration by
James L. Berkey		(as James I. Berkey)

Makeup Department
Jerry O'Dell	....	make-up artist (as Gerald O'Dell)
Marina Pedraza	....	hairstylist
Jim Gillespie	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Bob Schneider	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pamela M. Eilerson	....	second assistant director
Daniel J. Heffner	....	second assistant director
David McGiffert	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Eugene S. Kelley	....	construction coordinator
Erik L. Nelson	....	property master

Sound Department
Don Coufal	....	boom operator
Don Digirolamo	....	re-recording mixer
Robert Glass	....	re-recording mixer
Robert Knudson	....	re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Clive Smith	....	supervising sound editor
Jeff Wexler	....	sound mixer
Crew Chamberlain	....	cable person (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joseph P. Mercurio	....	special effects

Stunts
Samuel M. Pace	....	stuntman
Jason Randal	....	stunt coordinator
Bill Stewart	....	stuntman

Camera and Electrical Department
James F. Boyle	....	gaffer (as James T. Boyle)
Earl L. Clark	....	camera assistant
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
Jack Cooperman	....	underwater photographer
Daniel R. Jordan	....	key grip
Carol McCullough	....	still photographer
John Burnett	....	second assistant camera: additional photography (uncredited)

Casting Department
Martina Ritt	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rita Riggs	....	costume supervisor
Laurie Riley	....	costume supervisor (as Laurie M. Riley)

Editorial Department
Priscilla Nedd-Friendly	....	associate editor (as Priscilla Nedd)

Music Department
Curt Sobel	....	music editor: La Da Productions
David Spear	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James E. Foote	....	transportation coordinator
Richard Belyeu	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
William R. Borden	....	location manager
George Goode	....	conceptual research
William S. Graves	....	technical advisor (as Capt. William Graves U.S.N. {Ret.})
Paul G. Hensler	....	location manager: Philippines (as Paul Hensler)
Janice Lisalda	....	assistant: Mr. Hackford
Sandra Morley	....	assistant: Mr. Elfand
Mary Ann Newfield	....	script supervisor
Nilo Otero	....	assistant: Mr. Schneider (as Nilo A. Otero)
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Steven Pollack	....	assistant: Mr. Schneider
Jette Sorensen	....	production auditor
Bridget Terry	....	unit publicist
Buck Welcher	....	technical advisor
Bob Williams	....	technical advisor

Thanks
Gus Gustafson	....	special thanks: Fort Worden State Park
Art Kulman	....	special thanks: Washington State Dept. of Commerce & Economic Development
Brent Shirley	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Lorimar Film Entertainment

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (presents)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1986) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (special collector's edition)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Award Winning Collection)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (uncredited)
• Fort Worden State Park  special thanks
• Howard A. Anderson Company  titles and effects (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)
• La Da Productions  music editor
• Lynn Stalmaster & Associates  casting
• Neiman-Tillar Associates  post-production sound by
• Todd-AO Soundelux  re-recorded by (as Todd-AO)
• Washington State Dept. of Commerce & Economic Development  special thanks

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Filipino

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:12 | France:Unrated | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (PCA #26387) | West Germany:16 (w)

Filming Locations:

Bremerton, Washington, USA

Company:

Lorimar Film Entertainment

Trivia:

Zach tells Paula that he will later be stationed in Beeville, Texas to learn to fly jets. Beeville was actually home, until the mid nineties, of Naval Air Station Chase Field, where navy pilots trained. The base has since been closed and the site converted into a maximum security prison.

Goofs:

Continuity: Zach enters Sid's motel room to see him hanging, naked, in the toilet. Zach runs to cut him loose and grabs him round the waist, and the camera angle reveals the underpants Sid is now wearing.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mayo: [whispered to sleeping father] Hey.
[flashback to Manila]
Byron: Hey, kid! Are you Zack?
Young Zack: Yes, sir.
Byron: I'm Byron; nice to meet you. Come on, let's get your bags, OK?
Young Zack: Yes, sir.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Life on the Fast Lane (#1.9)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Hungry for Your Love

Sometimes a guy needs a big brother.

This movie is about an adolescent who becomes a man with the help of a big brother, who in this case is a hard-nosed, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails drill sergeant. The adolescent is a wayward young man with no direction and with no one to depend on except his alcoholic sailer father who believes that the young man will never succeed at anything. Well, the adolescent wants to prove his father wrong and does something most unexpected - applies for Navy flight school and is accepted. Now the question is: Will he succeed? For him to succeed, this adolescent will have to change: become a team player, take on responsibilities, apply himself to achieving goals, and complete an exceedingly difficult 12-week course that will test not only his physical strength and mental capabilities, but the very essence of his character. In short, the adolescent will have to become a man. And there is only one person who cares enough to push him to succeed - the adolescent's drill sergeant who does everything he can to get the adolescent to drop out, which does not happen. This movie shows what a person can accomplish when they believe in themselves and have a big brother who cares enough to make them succeed. This is a great movie.