As I watched "Private Benjamin", I couldn't help but think it was essentially the same film as "Stripes"....though with far less of an emphasis on laughs. And, considering "Private Benjamin" came out a year before and was a very popular film, I can only assume "Stripes" was essentially a knockoff. And, of the two, I much prefer "Private Benjamin"...as the humor in "Stripes" seems very dated when you see it today.
Goldie Hawn plays Judy Benjamin, a spoiled and rather scatterbrained young lady with TONS of bad luck. Her first marriage only lasted six weeks but her second...only six hours, as her husband dies of a heart attack while they are consumating their marriage! Not surprisingly, Judy is an emotional wreck..surprisingly she deals with this by joining the Army after the recruiter makes her all sorts of insane promises he has no intention on keeping! Very soon, Judy realizes she's made a mistake and emotionally she is NOT Army material. Can she manage to turn it around or is she destined for civilian life?
"Stripes" was filled with goofy and very, very unrealistic humor...for good or for bad. "Private Benjamin", in contrast, is much more realistic though Judy is a tad tough to believe....as it's tough to imagine a woman this naive and spoiled joining the military. But it is an amiable comedy/drama and is worth seeing. Hawn is good in the lead and the script clever and worth seeing.
Goldie Hawn plays Judy Benjamin, a spoiled and rather scatterbrained young lady with TONS of bad luck. Her first marriage only lasted six weeks but her second...only six hours, as her husband dies of a heart attack while they are consumating their marriage! Not surprisingly, Judy is an emotional wreck..surprisingly she deals with this by joining the Army after the recruiter makes her all sorts of insane promises he has no intention on keeping! Very soon, Judy realizes she's made a mistake and emotionally she is NOT Army material. Can she manage to turn it around or is she destined for civilian life?
"Stripes" was filled with goofy and very, very unrealistic humor...for good or for bad. "Private Benjamin", in contrast, is much more realistic though Judy is a tad tough to believe....as it's tough to imagine a woman this naive and spoiled joining the military. But it is an amiable comedy/drama and is worth seeing. Hawn is good in the lead and the script clever and worth seeing.