Foley furthermore warns the men that these girls will blatantly lie about being pregnant and easily go as far as neglecting their birth control in order to trap an officer candidate.
Foley warns the men about the so-called Puget Sound Debs, the local girls from across the bay whose primary goal in life is to snag a naval aviator and have him basically airlift her out the mind-numbing paper factory work she’ll otherwise be slave to till her dying day. Emil Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.), in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” (Lorimar Productions/Paramount Pictures) Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) and drill instructor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in the 1987 film “Full Metal Jacket,” when he immortalized that same type of induction scene all over again, taking it up a notch since he didn’t really have to act it. Lee Ermey, the real-deal Marine drill instructor who, five years later, achieved fame for his role as Gunnery Sgt.
Gossett really put the classic, in-your-face, ego-destroying, military induction scene on the map: “Where ya been all your lives?! Listenin’ to Mick Jagger music and badmouthing your country, I’ll bet!!” in an Oscar-winning role), probably the toughest military taskmaster to ever hit the silver screen. Officer Candidate SchoolĪrriving at AOCS, Zack and his classmates are in for a rude awakening in the form of drill instructor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Then, slapping a bandage over his eagle tattoo, Zack hops on his motorcycle and splits. He wants to fly jets, teasing his dad about trying to talk him out of it because dad doesn’t want to have to salute his son in the future. He also gains street-fighting prowess, probably something close to a 2nd Degree black belt in karate.Īfter college, Zack sets his sights on Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS). A motherless, latch-key military brat, Zack psychically picks up his father’s emotional unavailability by osmosis, along with a disregard and mistrust of women born of growing up around hookers. He went to live in the Philippines with his disinterested but ultimately game, alcoholic sailor dad, a Navy boatswain’s mate at U.S. Young Zack Mayo’s (Tommy Petersen) mom committed suicide when he was 13. Navy Brat Byron Mayo (Robert Loggia, 2nd R) and Zack Mayo (Tommy Petersen), in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” (Lorimar Productions/Paramount Pictures) The antihero in “An Officer and a Gentleman” is Zack Mayo, who overcomes a very rough upbringing. The antihero in “Pretty Woman” is Edward Lewis, a ruthless corporate shark. In “Star Wars,” the antihero is Han Solo-an arrogant, bad-boy smuggler with a hot-rod spaceship who eventually overcomes his own self-interest to help the Rebel Alliance. And their struggles to rectify themselves of inner moral corruption, and to recognize the delineation between right and wrong, make them relatable to audiences. What’s an antihero? They don’t have traditionally heroic qualities, but ones more befitting villains, such as greed and dishonesty. The antihero is played by Richard Gere in both movies the Cinderellas are played by Debra Winger and Julia Roberts, respectively. In “Pretty Woman,” it’s the other way around. It set the stage for “ Pretty Woman” eight years later.īoth “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Pretty Woman” contain the Cinderella and antihero archetypes, but in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” the antihero story dominates, and the Cinderella story is secondary.
The Extraterrestrial,” “Rocky III,” and “On Golden Pond.” I saw it at least five times. “An Officer and a Gentleman” was the fourth highest grossing film in 1982, after “E.T.