It's been hailed as a romantic classic. A working class fairy tale. A good old-fashioned American love story. The movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) lives up to all those descriptors, and more. The story of a young man from the wrong side of the tracks who rises above his past to become a Navy officer and falls in love with the local girl who loves him for who he really is is one of the best loved movies of our time. It catapulted Richard Gere into the upper echelons of stardom and cemented his sex appeal. It won Louis Gossett Jr. an Academy Award for his portrayal of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley. Even the theme song to the movie, "Up Where We Belong," was a hit for months after the movie was released.
So what if I told you that behind the scenes of the movie we all know and love, the set was not a happy place?
For starters, the role of Zach Mayo wasn't originally intended for Richard Gere. Believe it or not, the role was first offered to John Travolta. He turned it down on the advice of his agent. Although Travolta is a great actor, he's always struck me as a bit too happy-go-lucky to portray a brooding tough guy. Gere was a first choice substitute.
Louis Gossett Jr. lived up to his character's demeanor. He was told to stay away from the rest of the cast and remain unsocial and to not interact with anyone in order to stay in character. And I thought he was just a great actor! But no, he was really living it. I guess if he socialized with the cast he wouldn't have won the Oscar.
The US Navy stayed as far from the production as Gossett did. The characters in the film are training to be officers in the Navy, and the story is set around their basic training program. After looking at the script, however, the actual US Navy opted not to get involved in the film, saying that it portrayed training school in a negative, unrealistic way. Artistic license can be seen throughout the film, beginning with the name of the base the movie is set on.
Finally, Debra Winger was almost ejected from the production several times. Debra played Paula Pokrifki, the Polish factory worker who gets her romantic ideals from Cosmopolitan magazine and falls in love with Gere's Mayo. After watching the movie, you can't imagine anyone else playing that role. But before shooting even began, producer Don Simpson wanted to fire her because he didn't think she was appealing enough. During production, Winger and Gere fought constantly. They didn't get along at all, although you'd never know it from the sizzling chemistry they had in their scenes together. Ultimately, Debra Winger said making this movie was one of the worst experiences of her life.
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