Private Benjamin

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Armand Assante, Sam Wanamaker, Mary Kay Place, Harry Dean Stanton, Albert Brooks
Directed by: Howard Zieff
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
1980

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Goldie Hawn) who has spent her life identifying herself through her relationships is shocked when her new husband unexpectedly dies. As she tries to recover from the grief, she decides to join the U.S. Army. She great underestimates what that entails, and it proves far more difficult than she imagined.

Review:

Tim: I suppose in some ways, Private Benjamin has a decent story (at least parts of it). The idea of a sheltered, naive woman trying to make it in the US Army certainly creates some interesting story potential. I thought the basic premise was good, but the execution was lacking.

What I liked about this film is the message. The film is geared towards women, but really applies to anyone. The message is that you can do anything if you want it badly enough. It's about achieving more than you ever thought possible, simply by having the will and determination to stick it out in the face of severe adversity. I think that's a good message. Considering this film came out in 1980, I think it also delivers a good message to women, who historically have not had the same opportunities men have had in their careers. There's certainly something empowering about watching a woman succeed in a field typically thought of as male-dominated. I'm not sure the message is as powerful today as it was in 1980, but it's a good message nevertheless.

My problem with this movie is that it loses effectiveness right when it finally wins the audience over. I'm going to hint at certain events in the film, but I'll keep it as vague as I can. Still, if you're planning on watching this for the first time, I'll send out a SPOILER WARNING, just in case. We watch Hawn as she struggles to adapt to life in the military. As a spoiled, sheltered girl, she's obviously horrible as being a solider. And yet, over time, she adapts to the life, and even succeeds in the Army. That's a pretty powerful feel good moment. And yet, at the height of her achievement, the movie shifts gears abruptly, sends her to Europe, and we get this weak love story. The movie does redeem itself in the last 10 minutes, but there's a 25 minute stretch where most of the effectiveness built up is lost.

While I thought this was a decent movie, I was a bit surprised that this film was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. Let's break them down. Best Actress in a Leading Role- Goldie Hawn. I suppose this nomination could be considered worthy, although I'm a bit surprised. Hawn is certainly good in the role, but I don't know if she's THAT good. I bet the Academy was impressed that Hawn went through so much physicality in the film. In that regard, it's probably good she received a nom. Also, probably a good call that she didn't win.

Second up, Best Supporting Actress- Eileen Brennan. Now, I've always like Brennan quite a bit, so I don't want to say anything bad about her. I thought she was fine here, but not exactly great. She's been far better in other films throughout her career. I have to wonder if this nomination was a bit of a "career recognition" move, as this is her only Academy Award nomination. I'm glad she was recognized, but this isn't among her best performances.

Finally, Best Original Screenplay. I suppose this film may deserve the nomination here. The first 70 minutes and the last 10 are certainly good, but its troubling that there's that long stretch that just seems significantly less effective than the rest of the film. Oh well, again, I question whether it was truly deserving, but it's not a huge crime, either. I'll just wrap this up by saying it doesn't surprise me this film didn't win any Oscars.

So, in conclusion, there's a lot to like here, but a few areas that really hold the film back. It wasn't a bad movie, just not as effective as it could have been. I thought it was decent, but nothing more.




Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



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