A twenty-eight-year-old Jewish woman from a wealthy family, all Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) wants is a big house, nice clothes, two closets, a live-in maid, and a “professional man” for a husband. She seems to have it all, after her wedding to successful man Yale Goodman (Albert Brooks). Making love on the bathroom floor of their hotel room, Judy is devastated when he has a heart attack and dies. Something his grieving mother learns when she asks, “what were Yale’s last words?”
Depressed and adrift, Judy finds herself talking to a manipulative army recruiter (Harry Dean Stanton) who describes the service as if it were a Club Med getaway. Intrigued, she decides to sign up. She gets a rude awakening…literarily. Arriving at Fort McClellan, she finds herself subjected to the grueling demands of basic training. Earnestly, she pulls aside intimidating Captain Doreen Lewis (Eileen Brennan) for a few words:
I think they sent me to the wrong place. See, I did join the Army, but I joined a different Army. I joined the one with condos and private rooms. I can’t sleep in a room with 20 strangers. And I mean look at this place. The Army couldn’t afford drapes? I’ll be up at the crack of dawn here.”
Scrubbing the bathroom with a toothbrush, running in the rain, and any number of punishments has Judy miserable. This is as far removed from her previous life as you can get. Eventually, things begin to turn around. Judy begins to realize she can do things for herself. Given a chance to leave, she decides she needs to see this thing through, because she’s never finished anything in her life. With a new determination, it turns out Judy is rather good at this army thing. Her journey is complicated when she meets dashing Frenchman Henri Alan Tremont (Armand Assante) forcing her to decide whether to embrace her newfound independence or settle back into her life of wealth and dependence.
Having achieved fame on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Goldie Hawn began to appear in films, earning an Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1970 for her comedic role in Cactus Flower. Released in 1980, Private Benjamin was the first film specifically written for Hawn, which she also executive produced. The result was one of the biggest box office hits of the year. Both Goldie Hawn and Eileen Brennan received Oscar nominations for their work.
Hawn is wonderfully funny as Judy Benjamin, but it’s Eileen Brennan as Captain Doreen Lewis, who steals nearly every scene she’s in. Captain Lewis has seen everything, that is, until Judy Benjamin shows up. Her utter exasperation with just about everything, is hilarious. Brennan would reprise her role in the TV adaptation of the film, winning an Emmy for her work. Wonderfully, Warner Archive has included two episodes of the series as an extra on this Blu-ray.
Taken from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, Private Benjamin is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The results are excellent. Clarity is stunning throughout with a nice level of film grain evident throughout, colors are accurate and full. Blacks are inky. Faces look natural, and details are strong. There are no scratches or other anomalies apparent.
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack is uncomplicated, but very good for what it is. Dialogue is clean, clear, and concise throughout. There are no hisses, snaps, or other anomalies.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- There are two episodes of the short-lived television series with Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams reprising their film roles and starring Lorna Patterson as the title character. Each episode includes a disclaimer regarding the video quality, so expect some issues.
- “Benjamin to the Rescue” (22:41)
- “The Captain’s Helper” (22:53)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:40)