Search - Private Benjamin on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Substance Abuse Movie Release: 1980 DVD Release: 10/29/1997 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Total Copies: 12 Genres: Comedy Drama, Satire, Military Comedy, Feminist Film

Devastated when her brand-new husband Albert Brooks) drops dead on their wedding night, Jewish American princess Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) is receptive to the pitch delivered by a duplicitous recruiter for the Women's Army Corps. Quickly adivsed by topkick Captain Lewis (Eileen Brennan) that she should not look forward to the private room, fancy clothes and sauna bath that she'd been promised, Judy is forced to go through basic training like any other "grunt". This turns out to be a real growth experience for the pampered Private Benjamin, who for the first time in her life has to work for her privileges. A brief misadventure with a lascivious paratroop officer (Robert Webber) nearly sours Judy on army life, but she turns out to be a darned good soldier-and a woman with a highly developed sense of self-esteem, which enables her to weather a further disappointing romantic fling with French phsycian Henri Tremont (Armand Assante). Private Benjamin turned out to be one of Goldie Hawn's most profitable vehicles. The 1981-82 TV sitcom spinoff starred Lorna Patterson in Goldie's role, with Eileen Brennan repeating her film characterization of the long-suffering Captain Lewis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Goldie Hawn - Judy Benjamin
Eileen Brennan - Capt. Doreen Lewis
Armand Assante - Henri Tremont
Sam Wanamaker - Teddy Benjamin
Harry Dean Stanton - Sgt. Jim Ballard

Warner Bros' DVD release of =Private Benjamin is a big disappointment for two obvious reasons. First of all, the film can only be viewed in full-screen, pan-and-scan format. Secondly, the film's soundtrack only comes in Dolby Stereo 2.0. The DVD contains English and French soundtracks, and can be viewed with English, French, or Spanish subtitles. It also has colorful interactive menus and good bios/filmographies on its nine main stars, including Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, and Armand Assante, as well as director Howard Zieff, musician Bill Conti, and writers/producers Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer, and Harvey Miller. The film also comes with a theatrical trailer and recommendations (or advertisements) for nine other titles. One wishes that the attention given to advertising the other titles would have been focused on better production notes, a better soundtrack, or, especially, presenting this classic film in widescreen. ~ Jose Promis, All Movie Guide