se71

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July 09, 2002

Private Benjamin

Soft housewife gets tough in the army

Goldie Hawn plays Judy Benjamin, a rich divorcee whose second husband dies in action on their wedding night. Cast adrift she gets suckered into joining the army and ends up at Camp Biloxi for 6 weeks basic training. This is a shock to the system, with the usual sadistic drill sergeants, and she trys to escape. But then her parents turn up, and tell her she must leave with them as she is obviously mentally ill. This annoys her so much that she decides to stay, and becomes a model soldier passing with top marks.

Curiously, this is really where the film should have ended, as it's the familiar formula of rookie failing then coming good in the end. Police Academy, A League of their Own, The Karate Kid, even films like Rocky follow this story, so why did they decide to extend the film foolishly and do it all again. Benjamin is relocated to army office work in Europe, and starts a relationship with a rich frenchman. She loses her individuality and independence to him, and he starts treating her like a slave. They plan to get married, but at the wedding she finally realises what has happened to her, and ditches him at the altar. Haven't we just watched her make this mental leap already. Instead of ending the film on a real upbeat, we leave thinking she probably hasn't learnt her lesson and will just go on making the same mistakes again and again.

The first half of the film is very funny, and Hawn has gone on to make a career out of variations on this character, but her decay in the second half is just plain tedious. Eileen Brennan is excellent as her vindictive sergeant, jealous of Hawn's money and good looks; it's a bit steroetypical by todays standards, but very funny when she gets her come-uppance.

AE 0.2

Posted by se71 at July 9, 2002 02:21 PM

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