An Officer & A Gentleman

Richard Gere is one of them actors I simply don't relate to. No idea what it is, I simply don't like him. However, it must be said that his performance in this romantic drama is worthy of praise.

He plays a rebellious naval recruit, Zack Mayo, enlisting straight out of a broken family from the wrong side of the tracks and instantly disliked by stern drill sergeant Emil Foley.

Mayo finds friendship with a fellow recruit however and they both develop relationships with a pair of young women working at a local paper mill, desperate to be married into the service so they can dream of better lives away from the small industrial town.

Louis Gossett, Jr. steals this film as the strict training officer, but the rest of the cast are all fine, particularly Debra Winger with a standout female performance amongst a cast mostly of men.

The love theme "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic.