Private Benjamin
Published 2024-03-15
Film info
- Title Private Benjamin
- Director Howard Zieff
- Year 1980
- Run time 1hr 50m
- Genre Comedy
- Tagline The army was no laughing matter until Judy Benjamin joined it
- Cast Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan
After the surprise termination of her second marriage, a spoiled Jewish princess joins the Army. Thanks to the double-crossing recruiter who will do anything to enlist her, she expects her hitch to be a vacation. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 2:45 | Wedding dancing is something else. |
| 8:56 | The boat is male? I thought they were usually shes. |
| 17:17 | She is surely too old to be recruited. |
| 21:23 | "Are we at the fort?" Cute. |
| 26:11 | Eileen Brennan is brilliant. |
| 27:33 | Did they have electric toothbrushes in the 80s? |
| 37:11 | Walking in the rain is nice but maybe not round in circles. |
| 40:14 | "I AM RELAXED." |
| 44:39 | Is 'ert' a word? |
| 48:10 | "First time for six weeks, second time for six hours." |
| 57:47 | Being drunk in charge of a platoon seems like a really bad idea. |
| 1:01:43 | Blue shower is terrifying! |
| 1:06:23 | GI Judy. |
| 1:19:06 | This film took a turn but I'm here for it. |
| 1:27:12 | The perm is a choice! |
| 1:32:10 | The fashion is hardcore eighties. |
| 1:45:39 | "I know this is an awkward time to do this but I want to break up." |
Thoughts
This movie has some really promising elements but they aren't used very well and the end result feels like a sprawling mess. Goldie Hawn is legendary, obviously, and can carry any movie she's in, so she's very watchable from start to finish. But it's a real shame that the brilliant army stuff is bookended with some really boring men-are-terrible romance stuff. I would have watched much more of the middle third, but could live without the start and end... making for a rollercoaster viewing experience.
Rating: 2 / 5