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An Officer and a Gentleman

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for An Officer and a Gentleman R 1982 2h 5m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Zack Mayo (Richard Gere), a new member of the U.S. Navy, has a bad attitude. When he signs up for the Aviation Academy, he is met with the strict leadership of Sgt. Emil Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.), who gives Zack a rude awakening in terms of relating with other people. Through Foley's guidance -- and an unexpected romance with Paula (Debra Winger), an outsider who hangs around the naval base -- Zack learns some tough lessons and discovers what he truly wants out of life.
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An Officer and a Gentleman

An Officer and a Gentleman

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Critics Consensus

Old-fashioned without sacrificing its characters to simplicity, An Officer and a Gentleman successfully walks the fine line between sweeping romance and melodrama.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Schickel TIME Magazine 07/31/2013
It is full of bang-on melodramatics and simple, romanticized characters with carefully supplied motivations. Go to Full Review
Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 07/31/2013
Taylor Hackford's 1982 film is an awesomely, stiflingly professional piece of work, with a fleet, superficial visual style, perfectly placed climaxes, and a screenplay that doesn't waste a single character or situation. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 07/06/2010
Rarely does a film come along with so many finely-drawn characters to care about. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 04/12/2024
3.5/4
A vastly entertaining picture. Go to Full Review
Zita Short InSession Film 02/01/2023
The whole film feels a little too loose and easy breezy. There is too little at stake here. The cheesy theme song and sweaty sex scene convince you that this is going to serve as a piece of fantasy fulfilment, but it forgets to set up meaningful stakes. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 01/02/2022
7/10
The conclusion - as predictable as it may be - is quite winning and heartfelt, embracing the fairy-tale aura audiences will surely want. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ben W 04/10/2024 Pretty good movie. I see why it’s a classic. Not necessarily my favorite, but good. See more Eddie T @Eddieratesmovies 10h One of the greatest endings of a movie. Richard Gere was on full display in all of his glory. I grew up in this generation the 1980s and between 1978-1989 has had more number one movie classics than all the previous decades and future decades combined this tell you what kind of generation we grew up in this can’t and will never be recreated. See more Wayne K @RT88290232 Feb 15 I had only ever seen bits and pieces of An Officer And A Gentleman over the years, heard quotes and knew the theme song. I sat down to watch it in full yesterday and wasn’t prepared for just how dark and serious it gets at times. It deals with issues of parental abuse, infidelity, unwanted pregnancy and even suicide. I like how Gere doesn’t ever play his character as a traditional romantic lead. He’s very rough round the edges, unpleasant, abrasive and even quite smug at times. He’s well supported by Debra Winger, another performer who doesn’t come across as a typical lead. She has plenty demons of her own, and Winger’s great at keep these issues just below the surface. It deals a lot with gender politics between Navy recruits and the women who live in the local area. It’s far from a popcorn romance, and if you’re looking for a love story that has its fair share of speedbumps, some amusing, some serious, watch An Officer And A Gentleman and see how it earned its reputation. See more judy b @RT45753331 Jan 11 One of my all time favorite movies! A young Richard Gere and Debra Winger in the leads. A rough, tough Lou Gossett as the drill Sargent doing his best to train the future naval pilots and weed out the ones who won’t make it. Has a great ending! See more thiago s @Thiagostone Aug 10 Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Singer T @RT56111746 Mar 30 Only movie I saw which got a standing ovation at the end. Forty Five years later haven’t forgotten it! See more Read all reviews
An Officer and a Gentleman

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An Officer and a Gentleman

An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - I Got Nowhere Else to Go! An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - I Got Nowhere Else to Go! 1:07 An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Carried Away An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Carried Away 0:38 An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - You Ready to Quit Now, Mayo? An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - You Ready to Quit Now, Mayo? 2:12 An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Okie From Muskogee An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Okie From Muskogee 0:50 An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Mayo-nnaise An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Mayo-nnaise 1:08 An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Steers and Queers An Officer and a Gentleman: Official Clip - Steers and Queers 0:55 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Zack Mayo (Richard Gere), a new member of the U.S. Navy, has a bad attitude. When he signs up for the Aviation Academy, he is met with the strict leadership of Sgt. Emil Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.), who gives Zack a rude awakening in terms of relating with other people. Through Foley's guidance -- and an unexpected romance with Paula (Debra Winger), an outsider who hangs around the naval base -- Zack learns some tough lessons and discovers what he truly wants out of life.
Director
Taylor Hackford
Producer
Martin Elfand
Screenwriter
Douglas Day Stewart
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 28, 1982, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 11, 2011
Runtime
2h 5m
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