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Richard Gere plays a navy cadet who falls in love with a factory worker played by Debra Winger. The romance part of the story doesn’t work as well as Gere’s combative relationship with his drill instructor, played by Louis Gossett Jr.  Director Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, Ray) does a remarkable job grounding the melodrama, especially in the tragic third act, but I have a problem with the movie’s glorification of traditional gender roles. The final scene, where Richard Gere strides into the factory in his white navy suit and carries Debra Winger out in his arms made crowds cheer in 1982, but do we really want our daughters to simply wait for Prince Charming to scoop them up? Good performances all around. Gosset won the Oscar for best supporting actor, and the closing credits ballad “Up Where We Belong” won best song. With David Keith.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Louis Gossett, Jr.), Best Song (Up Where We Belong)

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress (Debra Winger), Best Score, Best Screenplay, Best Film Editing