G.I. Jane

8/22/19972h 5m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Failure is not an option. ~

Overview:

In response to political pressure from Senator Lillian DeHaven, the U.S. Navy begins a program that would allow for the eventual integration of women into its combat services. The program begins with a single trial candidate, Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil, who is chosen specifically for her femininity. O'Neil enters the grueling Navy SEAL training program under the command of Master Chief John James Urgayle, who unfairly pushes O'Neil until her determination wins his respect.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$50,000,000.00

Revenue:

$48,169,156.00

Key words:

gulf war
helicopter
middle east
libya
u.s. navy
sexism
naval officer
sexual harassment
feminist
u.s. navy seal
drill instructor
military
against the odds
u.s. senator
us military
military training
reconnaissance
sexual discrimination
proving oneself
political
women in the military
woman in a man's world
military tradition
one of the guys
physical training
military exercises
seal team

Cast

Demi Moore

~ as ~

Lt. Jordan O'Neil

Viggo Mortensen

~ as ~

Master Chief John James Urgayle

Morris Chestnut

~ as ~

McCool

Josh Hopkins

~ as ~

Flea

David Vadim

~ as ~

Cortez

Jim Caviezel

~ as ~

Slovnik

Boyd Kestner

~ as ~

Wickwire

Kevin Gage

~ as ~

Instructor Pyro

David Warshofsky

~ as ~

Instructor Johns

Jason Beghe

~ as ~

Royce

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 5 year(s) ago
5
Listen, you moron! I am here to stay and if you don't wanna be in my life, you've got two choices. Move out or Ring out! That's it! End of File!

G.I. Jane is directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Twohy and Danielle Alexandra. It stars Demi Moore, Vigo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft, Jason Beghe, John Michael Higgins and Kevin Gage. Music is by Trevor Jones and cinematography by Hugh Johnson.

A female Senator succeeds in enrolling a woman into Combined Reconnaissance Team training (Navy Seals) where everyone expects her to fail.

Having made a telling feminist mark with his excellent Thelma and Louise in 1991, Ridley Scott picks up the lady baton once again only to drop it half way through. This is a film of confused messages, what starts out as a worthwhile story involving a woman trying to overcome extreme prejudices in one of America's elite fighting forces, ends up as a gung-ho hoorah movie with Jane having "manned" up.

Things aren't helped by the sheer ridiculousness of the treatment meted out to Jane by her superior in training, Master Chief John James Urgayle (Mortensen suitably vile), so much so you would like to think if that sort of stuff goes on then arrests should be made. Daftness also comes by way of the superior officers prancing around training camp in the world's tightest shorts, one would think they must be on their way to "The Blue Oyster Bar"...

Things are further compounded by the fact that as committed as Moore is in the title role, and she is and gives it her all, one can't buy into the characterisation because you simply are watching Demi Moore the actress. Shaved head and beefed up she may be, but this is still one of the highest paid actresses of her era, the characterisation thin on the ground with no depth. The political machinations at work barely get time to breath in fact the key mid-point tonal political shift is given short shrift.

Stylisation as one would expect from Scott, is super, as is his control of top draw action sequences. But the cock-eyed view of a woman in a man's world is hard to swallow, and although it mostly entertains, it's ultimately a shallow exercise. 5/10