Many reviewers here have compared this movie to Stripes, which came out the following year. Beyond the fact of the Army setting, and the participation of P.J. Soles, I see nothing in common between this thoughtful and well-acted production, and Stripes, an unfunny, undisciplined farcial bore. On its own merits, Private Benjamin develops characters you can care about (or hate), shows significant metamorphosis of the title character, and plays out countless funny scenes and situations.
The war-games scenario has been done and done endlessly (ref. The Dirty Dozen, etc), but is played for humor here with great success. Eileen Brennan is the CO everyone loves to hate, and gets her comeuppance more than once in PB, to the audience's delight.
Support is solidified with performances by P.J. Soles, Albert Brooks, Harry Dean Stanton, Robert Webber, Craig T. Nelson, and, perhaps best of all, Sam Wanamaker as Judy Benjamin's doting yet controlling father.
The final portion of the movie involves our heroine conceiving matrimony with a slick and caddish French gynecologist, played to perfection by Armand Assante. This culminates in our being treated to an ending that leaves the world wide open to Judy, thanks to her Army experience of maturing and self-discovery.
A good choice for viewing any time.
The war-games scenario has been done and done endlessly (ref. The Dirty Dozen, etc), but is played for humor here with great success. Eileen Brennan is the CO everyone loves to hate, and gets her comeuppance more than once in PB, to the audience's delight.
Support is solidified with performances by P.J. Soles, Albert Brooks, Harry Dean Stanton, Robert Webber, Craig T. Nelson, and, perhaps best of all, Sam Wanamaker as Judy Benjamin's doting yet controlling father.
The final portion of the movie involves our heroine conceiving matrimony with a slick and caddish French gynecologist, played to perfection by Armand Assante. This culminates in our being treated to an ending that leaves the world wide open to Judy, thanks to her Army experience of maturing and self-discovery.
A good choice for viewing any time.